Reflection

As I have reached the end of the second year of my foundation degree in design, I would like to take this oppourtunity to reflect on my experiences.

This year has been a mixture of many different projects, from live projects, to entering competitions, to learning about how the design industry works in business. I would say that I feel so much more competent than I did at the same time last year, after my first year. All the areas I brushed over last year have now become almost a second nature to me.

I have used Google SketchUp widely this year, where as last year I could barely draw a straight line on it! I have used it to create designs for a number of different projects, all different natured. I was very hesitant at first to start using it but now after a full year of learning, getting things wrong, missing things out and doing things in the wrong order, I feel I can overcome any problems I may have with it in future projects, without getting too worried or stressed about the outcome. Google SketchUp is a very useful tool in the design industry as it makes your designs come to life. Even though my preferred area of design is more graphic orientated, I think it is important to know how to use a number of different tools to optimise the finished result of a project.

During my second year I did not use Adobe Photoshop as much as I would have liked as I decided to focus more on my weaknesses to develop the skills I felt less confident with. I used Photoshop where appropriate and I still very much enjoy manipulating different images and creating graphics. For my third and final year, I will use photoshop more to concentrate on my interest in graphic design to expand my experience in the area.

This year was a great oppourtuinity to develop my portfolio. It gave me a chance to organise my work, separate the good from the bad and create my own brand identity. For my third year I need to concentrate on building up graphic designs because as my portfolio stands, there is no true graphic identity. Because this is the area I would eventually like to have a career in, I do need to make this a focus for the third year by adapting my briefs accordingly.

My biggest achievement this year has been managing my time effectively and responsibly. Throughout the year I had spaced out my workload so I was not rushed or pressured to complete anything half heartedly or of substandard quality. Because I did this, it allowed me to produce my work to a standard I was proud of.

Over the summer, I aim to continue to enter competitions and continue to design graphics and promotional materials for the boutique I work in, all to excercise my creativity and to keep adding fresh designs to my portfolio. If needed, I will also use my own initiative to create my own design projects. I think it is important to keep your creative mind active and experiment with new skills and ideas. All of this will add to my experience, and with experience comes employability, which by the end of my course, I would like to think I could step confidently into a design career.