1. What have you enjoyed the most about the course?
a) There are a number of experiences on both a personal and professional level that have contributed to my enjoyment of the programme. The most notable is probably the opportunity to work with, and around a number of like-minded individuals.
b) The level of creative freedom allowed within the briefs we have been set along the years is a factor that has enhanced my enjoyment, but at the same time restricted my development/transition into a young professional, I will elaborate further in the relevant section.
c) Reflecting upon the course in terms of the three year structure allows me to break down my development as a graphic designer: In the first year, I struggled to come to terms with the idea of ‘graphic communication’ and the emphasis on mixed media submissions really affected my confidence as a designer. Similarly in the second year, a number of half hearted attempts at time based solutions left me wondering how I would slot into the graphic design industry.
2. In what ways do you think you have developed or changed in the last year?
Write about personal as well as professional issues pertinent to becoming a responsible, self-motivated student and becoming a creative and original designer.
a) To continue my evaluation, in the final year of my degree I feel I have become aware of my strengths and I’m now completely comfortable approaching a brief comfortable in my ability to produce an original, industry standard solution with a solid rationale.
b) Through the completion of both curricular, and extracurricular opportunities, my progress in the third year is evident in both the strength of my portfolio and my confidence in terms of entering the professional world.
c) With specific reference to my general attitude towards degree level education, after completing a number of industry placements, I began to realise at the start of the year that I must take it upon myself to strengthen my portfolio with a view to long term employment, discarding previous advice to ‘be completely experimental’ with media, and producing quality work that I am proud to talk to potential employers about.
3. What do you think your strengths are in relation to Graphic Communication and becoming a designer or working/training in a related area?
Think about such things as creativity, appropriate working methods, skills and media, group and individual abilities, study skills etc.
a) My working method has improved greatly as I’ve progressed through university – I am now able to take a systematic approach to a brief, empowering myself with a greater ability to ‘understand’ a client’s needs and translate my solution into a digestible rationale.
b) In terms of teamwork, the final year of the programme has offered up a number of opportunities for me to work in groups of various sizes, in each instance I have felt I played a crucial role in delivering a quality solution. Having had experience in both team leading roles and a completing a number of partnership submissions I am confident to complete, or delegate tasks depending on my position within the structure of a team.
c) As previously mentioned, I feel the realisation of my skills as an individual and the notion of knowing ‘what I can offer’ a given team or project is something I have become satisfied with. The realisation of this skill came only with the opportunity of offering my skills to a number of willing professional environments where I found myself settled rather easily.
4. What has hampered your learning?
This should include things that are to do with you and who you have been with, as much as about the course itself.
a) The balance struck between my academic progress and other elements of university life has been perfect in my case, and I feel I have produced work to the best of my ability throughout the programme.
b) Unpredictability within the course timetable makes for difficult working hours at times, the inability to plan periods of work due to attendance regularly scheduled via email at short notice.
c) Facilities such as the single black and white laser printer have been sluggish or inaccessible at times.
5. If you work outside college (voluntary or paid), what skills do you think you have gained or developed through doing this?
Name of organisation/workplace: Elevator, Cardiff Bay. Skills gained or developed:
a) Work in a number of creative spheres including advertising, branding and content management for the web.
b) Work as part of a team within a busy studio environment, meeting strict deadlines.
c) Begin to understand the client – designer relationship, coming to terms with the fact the most creative of solutions is not always the most appropriate and the work you do, although as thoughtful, becomes less precious.
6. What plans do you have after you finish the course to continue your development as a designer or related profession and make further progress in your field?
a) I have been offered some summer contract work with Elevator, which I am hoping to pursue.
b) I am arranging a number of placements within creative agencies in London after recently being advised to find an agency that will employ the work I love doing as opposed to learning a completely different skill-set to fit in elsewhere.
c) I’d like to expand my portfolio with some commercial work over the summer, with a view to pursuing a role as a designer at a print/branding agency.
