This project was probably my favourite one so far. I really enjoyed having the freedom to choose exactly what I wanted to produce and what theme I wanted to explore. From my three themes that I originally selected, I combined the ideas of two of these, arriving at the theme of culture and identity. I am really happy I chose this theme as it gave me lots of different pathways to explore and is a topic that genuinely interests me.
In terms of skills and methods, I feel that I successfully challenged myself in many different ways through my project. The main skills and methods I improved during this project are; Photoshop and InDesign, photography, editing and designing. The first skill I have definitely improved is my ability to use Photoshop, and most importantly InDesign. As digital softwares like this took up so much of my project, it was really important that I was proficient with using these. Although, I faced some technical issues with storage and photoshop, I feel that on the whole I used both applications in ways that I previously hadn't done - to produce products that I am truly proud of. I’ve also learnt how to correctly design a book, which is a new and very useful skill that I acquired. Secondly, I also used this project to improve my photography skills. Having never been given an opportunity to explore photography before enrolling on this course, I started as a complete novice and really enjoyed learning about composition and lighting in the practical application of my own work. Photography was a main part of my final project and I am really happy with the outcome of all of my photographs. Editing the photographs was also a big part of this, I really like the style I found and it perfectly reflects the outcome I wanted. Although, I did not manage to visit all the skills I had originally planned to, I realise that this was quite an ambitious aim, and I am very happy with having used my time to build stronger skills in the areas that were the most important. All in all, I think I utilised and learnt new skills in a really successful way. In terms of areas for improvement, I wish I had understood how to properly compose a book earlier on, as this would have saved me a lot of time redesigning my zine.
I think my research for this project was very thorough and consequently successful. This was facilitated by me understanding exactly what my theme was, making it easier to find the information I needed to reflect on this. Although, a lot of my research came from online sources, most of this was articles from blogs or newspapers that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to access. I also used a lot of books for design inspiration, which was really useful. I used PowerPoint to record my research, which made referring back to information a lot easier than in my sketchbook. It also meant that I could lay it out in a more sophisticated and easy to read way. All the research I did was relevant to my theme of Culture and Identity, and consequently this influenced my final project. For example, Adrienne Salinger’s photography collection and Gunner Stahl’s photography zine both really impacted my final publication. Originally I had intended to use a wider variety of sources such as journals and books for my information, however, the information I needed wasn’t available in these. The only thing I would do to improve my research skills is have made better use of the library. I could have looked at specific books and magazines that had the exact information I needed.
My time management on a whole was quite good throughout this project. I managed to finish a couple of weeks early, so set myself some extra tasks to keep myself busy. Furthermore, I successfully managed to meet all the deadlines I needed to throughout the course. There was a patch throughout the middle of the project where I don't think I was using my time especially effectively. This was because I wasn’t happy with the work I was producing as I had chosen a style that didn't really feel like my own. This caused me to completely restart the designing process and not use a photoshoot which arguably was not the best use of time, however I am really glad that I made this decision and actually wish that I had made it sooner. Apart from this, my time was used effectively throughout the whole project, and I found ways of saving time, such as having the whole framework of my zine so I could easily add the photographs to it. I'm not sure that there is much I could have done to change or improve this, especially considering I successfully managed to finish all the work before my final deadline.
In terms of my final out come, I have created a publication that I can say I am very proud of. Each chapter reflects on a different areas of my chosen theme, which I decided to make more niche so that I could closely explore identity and culture within teenagers and youths. The first chapter of ‘mundane life’ reflects on identity in the daily life, the second chapter of ‘identity and colour’ explores the link between colour and identity in culture, while the final chapter on ‘cultural urbanity’ explores identity within cities. I am really proud of my final zine and am glad I decided to swap to a style that is more my own. Although the final product doesn't exactly line up to my original plans and inspiration, I much prefer my final result and think it picks up on the aspects that I really wanted I was really keen on, such as the wide range of colours used throughout. I think I successfully used my original ideas and developed these logically throughout the project, with the help of research, before arriving at my final outcome. This project challenged me in many ways, in terms of the skills needed, however I feel that I successfully overcame these issues and arrived at final book that looks professional and is effective in communicating my theme. I am glad I used my extra time at the end of the project to add to my final piece by creating tote bags and posters as marketing tools as this allowed to to practice marketing techniques, which was important as marketing is a career path that I am very interested in. I am not sure that there is much I would change about my final outcome. I love my final publication and think that I demonstrated clear decision making throughout the project, as I frequently referenced decisions and why I was making changes. I also recorded processes I used throughout the project. The only thing I might change would have been designing the zine earlier, meaning that I could have had more time to play around with marketing and advertising. Apart from this, I think my project was a success!
stormborns
dailybridgerton
snowghoul
gummygunk