SB3 Critical reflection and proposal

ISSUU

Evaluation:

Aspects of the module that I enjoyed were the lectures and doing research on my chosen theme. I found the lectures very interesting and they made me think about the history of design as well as how it has progressed and made me realise just how important it is to society as whole. It also gave me a greater interest in art, coming from a background heavily based on Information Technology and Design and Technology I never really appreciated theories of art and how they could be used in my design work. I have now realised looking into the history of trends and the context behind design is an essential part of research. Although I enjoyed the lectures and they helped me have a more educated outlook I do not believe that they aided my essay writing. I found it very difficult to link the things I had learnt to my actual writing in terms of referencing and topics.

At the start of the module and for quite some time I was confused about what was actually required of us, the layout on Estudio is confusing as the study tasks continue throughout the studio briefs and some information seem to overlap. I also found it very difficult to start the first essay, even when I had gathered my sources and made a plan it was a style of writing I had never done before, I feel more help could have been given with how to write - including how to avoid opinions and first person. Another aspect I struggled with was finding actual books to use as sources, as well as finding the appropriate quotes as I found it easier to use journals and articles.

The thing that I enjoyed the most was the design work that went along side the contextual essays and study tasks, once I had found a suitable client and linked it within my essays the design work I produced was successful against the rationale. The final outcome relates to my critical writing in the following ways: It raises awareness of the Dove Real Beauty Campaign, a campaign which supports real women helping them achieve self esteem and body positivity. They achieve this through workshops, events and videos. As well as this they are widely known for producing adverts that fight back against adverts that are seen as sexist and body shaming such as Protein World and Victoria’s Secret. The designs I have created don’t use any photoshopped images of women that are unrealistic and therefore issue causing for women around the world in what they think ‘perfect’ is. The third way in which the designs are relevant to the writing is that the actual design is a lot more acceptable for public viewing as it couldn’t be interpreted as offensive to anyone. The colours and fonts used are also considerate for the purpose and of target audience’s feelings.

Overall I understand the point behind context of practise and appreciate it making me think about the design work I produce however it is the module I have struggled the most with. I have developed skills to carry forward into level 5 and look forward to steering my practise such as the ability to compare and contrast images as well as sourcing my own research and Harvard referencing.