Evaluation

During the third year of the course, I have really begun to define myself as a designer. Perhaps not exactly in terms of a design ‘style’, but certainly with regards to key interests and disciplines that I have a strong interest in.

When writing my statement of intent, I stated that for my final major project I wanted to focus on technical illustration, as I had developed a strong interest in the instructional (generally vector-based) graphics of instructional manuals, and in information design in general. I had already begun to investigate this kind of work during the design practice 3 module, and in some ways the final major project was a continuation of this - although in the dp3 module, the work produced served more as an investigation into learning how to produce technical illustration, whilst in the FMP I was able to explore its application within the areas of traditional graphic design a lot more. A good example of this is the National Science Museum work, which evidenced the ability to apply this kind of work into a context that it would not necessary be seen as an area where technical illustration would serve its needs best- however I feel that by combining it with a strong use of typography and a simple layout, it worked just as well, if not better, than many standard graphic resolutions. This brief also serves as a good example of my developed ability to contextualize my work in a clear and professional manner, which although existing in previous modules, was perhaps not as strongly presented.

Whilst my focus for my FMP was on technical illustration, I feel that I did not limit myself solely to instructional graphics. My exploration of the techniques and interests that are integral to technical illustration allowed me to produce highly inventive pieces of work, such as a complete typeface based on the printed circuit board, something that I could have never envisioned myself producing at the beginning of the course. I also stated in my S.O.I (statement of intent) that I wished to work with motion graphics, which I accomplished with the After Effects viral video for ICM, and the Flash based graphics for the National Science Museum brief.

Early on I stated that I wanted to consider the concept of ‘how things work’ as a focal point for my FMP, as I believed it would be best suited to my design interests, whilst providing a problem that I would be able to develop a unique and interesting solution for. Ultimately this concept was developed into my final brief for the FMP, dubbed ‘Explanations’. I put a great deal of time and effort into this brief, aiming to create a series of instructional/technical illustrations that would operate as examples of what the Explanations project was about, split into the categories of ‘systems’, ‘actions’ and ‘objects’. However due to the highly time consuming nature of the work I was doing, I was only able to produce 2 of the three example pieces. The third, explaining how a football stadium works (for ‘objects’) was not completed, although the drawings I had begun to produce for this were submitted along with the rest of the project. When submitting this work it did seem to me that the project was explained in enough detail that the third explanation was not required anyway.

For some time I was unsure about what the design context part of the FMP was going to entail, however it became apparent that technical illustration had to be the focus, as it was entirely logical with what I had been researching for my design practice. I am glad I made the decision to do this as my contact with professional technical illustrators boosted my confidence and assured me that despite being on a course called ‘graphic design’ it did not mean that I was necessarily limited to producing work that is seen as within the ‘traditional’ forms of graphic design (logo design, typography etc). On the contrary, I was actually given compliments on the technical illustrations I had already produced, and was given advice on how I could go about learning more about the subject for the future. What struck me most from my interviews however was the fact that nearly all of them were producing graphic design alongside their usual work, assuring me that I was heading on the right path and that the reality was that with time and patience I could develop equal skills in graphic design and technical illustration, and begin to weave the two together to produce work that is high in quality and impact. The only downfall in the design practice is that, despite sending my book off to Lulu over two weeks before the deadline, it still did not arrive in time, and as a result I was unable to verify whether what they produced was in line with what I had designed. I have attempted to remedy this issue somewhat by submitting a CD containing a PDF version of the book, and also uploading a version to Issuu, where it can be read online.

Ultimately my strong point lies with vector based illustration, particularly instructional and technical illustration, and whilst I feel fairly well rounded as a designer, this area of design is going to be something I want to carry forward with me as I begin my journey to enter into the ‘professional’ realm of graphic design.