MAPPING - WEEK TWO REVIEW

This second project was very different to the first, this was mainly a result of the change in approach to the creative process. As a prominent aspect of design is form and function, there was a large part of the creative process focused on usability and transforming conceptual ideas into a usable design, this included making maquettes and samples of materials and colour, whereas i feel that this is a constant underlying trial throughout the fine art creative process, meaning there is not such a strong focus on it and the ‘design’ aspect of ‘art’ is not as intense as a result of the double diamond strategy i took in the previous project. As i chose to do fashion design approach in this project there were less similarities to the two projects as i feel there was not as much room for experimentation as i was unable to make models or create much practical or material work as i would have liked due to time restrains and the style of my garments. However there were still some similarities, such as the need for artist research in order to develope and create a logical and effective progression within the project, this need is the main connection with all the different pathway, be it fine art, illustration or graphic design, they all have a necessity of secondary artist research to make a successful outcome. Similarly, the use of drawing at the planning stage was still imperative, as highlighted in the drawing weeks, this allowed me to once again spark my ideas and flow whilst allowing me to record my ideas and show refinement effectively. However i do feel that this aspect of my project was much stronger the second time around as i had a clearer idea of what i needed to do and how to do it well.

The overlapping theme for me within these two projects is my focus on strong , meaningful and present social issues as a main focus of inspiration to inform my work. I enjoy this way of working as it allows me to think and perform in a contemporary way and address issues that i am passionate about, therefore meaning i am more enthusiastic about the work i am making, consequently meaning my attitude towards both projects has been equally as keen, despite my preference of fine art. However i do not believe there is any strong correlations between my style of working in the two projects as my drawings and images in fine art were much freer and experimental, as opposed to the detailed and structured drawings that i did in design. However i feel that these different styles did fit with the style and context of each separate project.

I feel that throughout this project my planning and organisation has been effective as i have made a fairly reasonable amount of work which has clear and important hurdles and resolutions running through allowing me to open myself up to different ideas and changes which refined my design an much as possible in the time frame given, for example, changing my design to fit a wider range of body shapes after doing primary research and discovering this was potentially a problem. This also meant that my work took a pathway that may not have been expected when looking at the original words, for example, when choosing to look into motherhood and pro breastfeeding in public campaigns from the words ‘a child’. However if given the time i would have liked to have an even more unexpected outcome by pushing my designs to a more extravagant level to create even more of a statement piece. Another option i would have liked to explore was the technical elements of the designs, for example, how to use the material most effectively and what stitches would be most appropriate.

In this project i have definitely learnt to improve my presentation skills for my work, talking about my work and receiving feedback. This came from just talking to a range of new teachers during the study days which gave me practice for introducing my ideas and thought process. Then further on in the evaluation and reflection day i was able to talk to my group about my work in order to receive feedback. The constructive criticism that i received was useful and definitely transferable to other project, meaning that i can improve from this i my future studies. One piece of feedback i received was that i potentially should have made my designs message clearer as it could be misconstrued as another body image protest, therefore i could have designed the models carrying a baby or with a slogan. However, from this another person said that to the m the message was clear, and even if it wasn't for some people, this could still work effectively as it could be seen in a range of different designs. I was also told that the use of more colour within my designs could have made them more professional looking, clearer and more interesting.