Subject
I definitely enjoyed On Display more than Persuasion, but I think a lot of that has to do with the topic and how I executed the projects in comparison with one another. I feel like the first half of subject was a bit more free in terms of what we could make, and Persuasion of course was very client based. This definitely showed me what it’s like to work for people, as it shows how good communications skills, and teamwork skills really need to happen for the team and work to thrive.
I thoroughly enjoyed On Display and have picked up a few branding jobs as freelance work since showing people that project which is amazing! It’s also the type of design I really enjoy. I don’t like hard and heavy design where negativity is used for a positive outcome (which I learnt from Constellation).
Persuasion definitely encouraged me to do something different to the outcomes I normally like to produce, but as I’ve mentioned in another post — I feel a bit underwhelmed by it in the exhibition because it’s all on a screen.
In addition to this, I just feel like there was a lot more context, both given and researched myself, to On Display. Ectodermal Dysplasia isn’t common in people, and so finding inspiration for outcomes, as well as research to help gain a greater understanding of it all was very limited. It does however mean that our outcomes are ones of very few that exist, which is a nice thought as we know we’ve made things that need to be out there in order to open up a dialogue about the condition.
I really enjoyed the chance to work in a team for Persuasion, which is something I definitely didn’t expect myself to be saying. In first year I was put in groups where people didn’t really pull their own weight — this was a completely different experience, and I’ve even made some strong friendships through this project. This definitely helped me to improve my collaboration skills, and has given me the confidence to take charge in groups where I may not have as good a team next time.
Field
Field was a bit hit and miss. The hit: Psychogeography. It was an amazing project to be able to work on. The miss: Graphic Novel of the First Person. It just didn’t feel like the brief I read on the sign up sheet for the module.
I really didn’t enjoy Field in the first term, and to say I was relieved to see the back of it is definitely an understatement. I didn’t like the way it was taught. There were a lot of talks by guest speakers, and trips to the museum and, lectures that felt so dragged out in comparison to the time we had to actually make the graphic novel itself. In addition to this it was just badly organised; timetables kept changing on the day of the activity, I was told to do one thing, and when I did it I was told it was wrong — it just left me with very mixed feelings and a lot of confusion. That’s really sad, and I wish I didn’t feel this way about it because I loved the narrative I initially had going into the module, and I was looking forward to bring it to life, but then I was told it had to be darker and deeper, and that’s definitely not always the case. I spent so much time in my A-Levels studying deep and meaningful topics in art and other classes, I want to use my time at university to come away from that — still design for a good cause, but using positivity at the heart of it.
I was a bit worried coming back in second term that I would feel very much the same way about Psychogeography. I had a little bit more faith given that half of it was taught by David. I felt a lot more comfortable working on projects when my tutor knew how I worked, what I’m like and how I feel about the subject I was designing for. Not only that but we were just encouraged to really go for it. whereas the first field felt like we were pushed to stay within the experimental stages of the design and focus less on the outcome. Psychogeography was a completely different ball game. I could make whatever I wanted so long as it met the brief — which is always nice to hear. I definitely used this time to explore the type of design I hope to specialise in, in at least some capacity, when I leave university. I learnt so much about myself as a designer in this module. I was in everyday from at least 9am to about 6pm working on the project and I think that says a lot. I put everything into that project and the results I had from it, the outcome itself and the mark, really made me proud. This module has encouraged me to think about entering ISTD in third year, and I know I’m able to put in the work for third year as this project has proved. I enjoyed being in university everyday and being a part of community.
Constellation
I have had Sarah for most of my time in Constellation since starting in first year. It’s made the whole process of preparing for my dissertation so much easier. I’ve really enjoyed talking to someone who knows my interests, and is also interested in what I’m writing about. I have been interested in the topic since first year and I’m really looking forward to exploring the topic more. Ethical design in all sense of the word has inspired me as a designer so much already, and it’s something I want to be aware of as I develop as a designer. I want to explore how ethical negativity in design is, and how a particular way of portraying people effects people’s mental health and why this is bad. I have so many ideas and so many things I want to look at. In all honesty I didn’t expect to be this excited about writing my dissertation — so I think this is a pretty good sign I’m going in the right direction
As a whole
This year has definitely left me feeling burnt out and ready for 3 months of sleeping! First and second term were really difficult for me behind the scenes, and that has definitely taken a toll as the year has gone on. I know sometimes throwing yourself into something you enjoy can lift same of the stress, but I think I went too far. I was using it as an excuse to leave the house and to distract myself from other problems I had going on. Although I made a lot of good work due to all of the extra hours I put in, it’s left me feeling very drained which definitely isn’t good.
I’m very lucky that second year was a way to test the playing field and see what I’m interested in, because now I’m a lot less worried about next year. I think this is a really good way to feel about third year because I’m ready to start now. I’m really looking forward to coming back in September and being a part of the amazing community of people in the graphics studio for one last year.
I’m definitely more content with myself this year. Last year involved a lot of homesickness and travelling, and although in comparison to the personal things that have happened this year it was a breeze, I didn’t feel as much a part of the community as I do this year. I’ve made so many more friends on the course, and for someone who misses home a lot and has trouble making new connections, this was such a big step up for me. I think something just clicked and everything fell into place after those few difficult months. I’ve been a lot more pro-active this year. I’ve been in university almost everyday, whereas last year if we didn’t have to be in I wasn’t in. This is a big step up for me because that time spent in the studio has allowed me to really explore my practice and build strong friendships with my course mates. I now know I have a strong group of people next year that I can go to for advice and to critique my work and that feels amazing.
I also joined the Creative Mornings team and that has really pushed me. I run their Instagram account alongside another member, and being a part of a community that isn’t restricted to the studio has given me a lot more confidence in my practice and that feels amazing. In addition to this, it’s also set me up with so many connections, and I know that if I keep this up the rewards from it will be invaluable.
I’m really proud of myself this year. I’m not ready to leave university — I love the community I’ve created for myself and the space I have to play and explore my practice as a designer. It’s inspired me so much and I know what I want to do next. Summer will definitely feel strange, and I’ll miss the long break from the studio — I can’t wait to come back in September.
Third Year, here we come.
Katie Price 