# Module Evaluation Report
Thinking...
First of all, our project was about communication between us, between our audience and people in general. As we all know, visual communication includes listening, speaking, writing, sketching and the ability to mix different media in which people from our groups specialize. Personally, I think the problem to solve could be described as the ability to cope with these tasks gradually, the ability to see and hear something that people usually do not pay attention to, and the ability to choose and sift necessary and unnecessary information. For example, the lectures the most important point was the ability to highlight what is interesting to me and not just a retelling of what we have already told by lecturer. Our project "People and Places" is mainly about us, that is the main thing in this project was not only to provide the final outcome but also the development of our project (design circle). Despite the fact that we had a place on the map and a few words to the group, each of us interpreted the task in its own way, as we have a different approach to the tasks and the different temps of doing. Personally, I had a visual research as starting, so first of all I needed to visit a place. I think research is more relevant to me to solve a problem, especially visual research which allows me to look from different angles with my camera or just with my eyes. Even when I am planning my actions, my plan looks roughly but after a visit to place I appear first ideas, form a common vision of the theme and its interpretation.
Initially, I did not know for whom will be my art work created, but after the first visit, I realized that everything can be very specific and direct or backwards, very abstract, it all depends on how I present it. I chose an abstract way, there can be any audience, open to all (to different ages and occupations), and the understanding and attitude to my photos and videos can be very different. For example, the child will see the colourful picture of autumn, and an adult noticed that on the picture is a big city but there no people and it seems sad. I believe that even the printed words in letterpress workshop will be read in different ways.
Finally, I came up with two main ideas of outcomes: a series of melancholic photos with text and a short video of our place with double exposure, which I would describe as a touch of autumn, feeling cold and lonely. Initially, I had the idea to make a series of photos with double exposure of our place and people who would be around. However, despite the fact that sometimes there were crowds of people, I had a loneliness feeling and melancholic atmosphere was always around. However, before the place seemed empty and boring but I'm glad that we got exactly this place and this time of year-autumn. By coming and researching new streets and areas I came more sure about what I am doing and why. So for me was vital to come to this place again and again to develop ideas and build up my plan of doing. At first, I expected to see crowds and big companies on the streets because of "Barclaycard arena" but in the daytime it looks absolutely opposite, different and calm. I believe that my final photos and video are the best I have done in this project, because they convey my vision of the place and the words «surprisingly melancholic".
Doing…
When I'm working in a group, for me to adjust to other people's ideas is challenge, because I have to alter their works to create something common. To select something concrete for the project, I experimented but always keep in mind the theme of "People and Places" and our two words. Some of the ideas went beyond, for example, I shot a few videos through the window of my train, when I went to Hereford to see parents. But this confuses me. I often wanted to go out of our place, but I restrain. So I tried to use a different media, print photos on matte paper, then press letters on it and scan results. It looked differently so I always compared the similar things but with different media. For this project, I signed up for a print workshop where I learned linocut process and letters. Both processes were interesting to me, but I stopped on the letters to use it for my project. On Wednesdays I visited the introductions to Illustrator and InDesign to learn the basics of these programs. I also learned how to layout videos in the Photoshop and edit it in the Movie maker, sometimes my ideas did not work, but I tried again and looked for a new ways to solve it. To choose the preferred solution for my final outcome, I used Photoshop a lot, for both of my outcomes, because I think that the Photoshop do not have limits for your imagination, so it is always about learning and trying.
Making…
In my first visit to place I just took about 30 photos, but it was my starting point. With new visits I have got more clear ideas about that exactly I am going to produce, as a result of my last visit I took some atmospheric photos and shoot a few videos of the place. I was a bit confused about project, although for me photography-as a base of my project was obvious fact, so it was not a problem to choose which media to use. If you expand the reasons for choosing the answer, personally for me Photography is the best tool to transfer my vision. I cannot give my eyes to other people but I can take photos that tell about the place and the people.
In the whole process…
I believe that the most successful about our project was exploration and inspiration; through it I had new thoughts in my mind, brain storming and outcomes. I quite happy with time management, I believe it was successful and not more time required for this project, despite the fact that I have to finish one week earlier. In general, as collaborative our project was successful as well, each of group members worked hard and every week we had a talk about our progress so far. I am happy with my team, they are unique artists with own vision and own understanding of everything. The ability to see and produce differently was vital and we strongly managed with it.
However, I had some unsuccessful experience as well. During a few weeks I hardly tried to be literal and literally show our words “flabbergasted” and “melancholy”; and if with melancholy it was easy to come with some ideas, then with flabbergasted it was almost impossible, so I wasted a lot of time doing literal description. But finally, I changed my mind to abstract form of words. One more unsuccessful point was team work and literal understanding of task again hindered our work.
In conclusion, I would say that I need be more confident and not be afraid of making mistakes. In future projects I would pay less attention to literal meaning of words or anything that is about creative because it is art, so in everything is own context and for everybody it can be something different. Also I would like to take more risks, but the time frames restrains.