Overall, this module was very challenging, but I feel that I have developed a lot of skills from both briefs. The first brief really developed my knowledge of the physical side of editorial design, as I had to work with a basic commercial printing facility in Leeds. I also feel that I have learnt a lot about the importance of content in publication design, and how this should shape the design treatment taken. I managed my time well with a weekly plan of action and produced a much higher-quality publication than I ever did last year. In future projects, I would like to experiment with some finishes, such as embossing and foiling, as have not got a great knowledge of these areas. Whilst commercial printing ensured that the outcome was to a high-quality, it was quite enfuriating not being able to use custom stock, as it would have been interesting to use a combination of papers for the content. For other publication briefs I am going to try and find a slightly better commercial printers that would accept custom stock.
The second brief was very time consuming, mainly due to the effort put into the motion graphics.
I have done motion graphics before, therefore was fairly experienced when animating the video; however, I have never had to record my own vocals and edit them to suit the video. Amazon was a very difficult site to choose, mainly because it is already hugely successful, with over 300 million users worldwide. In this sense, I wanted to pick such a demanding task to push an outcome that I would not usually attempt. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this project, it has made me realise that motion graphics is not a career path that I want to pursue. The walkthrough video was very time consuming and tedious to make, as After Effects requires a lot of attention to detail. Branding and web design are are aspects that I going to definitely pursue more. I am still happy to do motion graphics; however, not as a specific career choice.
I am extremely happy with the grade that I received for this brief because it is the highest I have achieved to date. I put in a lot of work for this module and feel that the grade is definitely representable of this. This year I'm definitely going to try and keep up a high standard of work, to ensure that a First is possible going into next year.
