Evaluation

What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

Having not studied or known much about enterprise and business before the module started, I have found that I have learnt a wide variety of skills from researching, to analysing information, to working out the cost of living and applying this to the jobs and potential new businesses when I leave university. This module has helped me to think beyond the outer appearance of a design job either free-lance, studio or larger business and helped me to look at and research how a business is held together and what I need to manage myself as a designer. In the lectures and both through researching for the tasks I have learn about the various ways of analysing a business such as the SWAT and PEST analysis, something that at first I found quite complicated to use however now after putting together our business plans / proposals, now makes sense and as a result it has made me more aware of the current and potential factors that can make or break your business. Overall I have enjoyed this module, as business was a subject that I have always been interested in but I found slightly daunting. After completing the module, I now have a good understanding on how the world outside University works and it does not feel quite so daunting and makes a lot more sense, it is very good preparation

What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

We branded our company and created an advert for Creative Review. From looking at previous issues of this magazine we found that companies and design studios that created complicated adverts with too much information did not stand out as much as those adverts that were bolder in colour and simpler in design. So for our advert and the branding of our company we adopted this method and created a simple 1 colour plus stock advert which I feel was successful in catching peoples eye, as well as still looking sophisticated and professional.

What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I have found through planning and building the proposal for our businesses I have learnt how to work better as a team; building and planning together through out. In our group there were a couple of people who had experience in marketing and maths so we were able to delegate the research effectively and bring together it all to make a strong business proposal, Research has been a major part of this module and I feel that now this module has helped me refine my research and make me look deeper in to the information I need and then analysing this in relevance to the lectures. I will take this through to my other modules and ensure that I analyse everything. I have learn how to clearly present and propose a subject or an idea to someone through this; what people need and want to hear is a very important part of it and to ensure that in the presentation there is not too much text, that the text is visible, and that there are appropriate visual aids to support what you are saying. 

 

What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?  

I think that my analysing skills in the tasks need to be approved. I found that in the lectures I would listen to what is being said and understand it but then when I came to do the tasks I found it very difficult to apply what is being said and analyse it with appropriate terminology. I think that this is just a skill that takes time and practice and it is something that will need continual work. This point also applies to the PEST and SWAT analysis, even though I now have an understanding on how to use these theories, I feel that sometimes I do not going to enough depth when applying them to a business. 

Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Better use of terminology
2. Apply and explore the theories in more depth
3. More analytical investigation in the studio tasks
4. Wider range of research and done on a more continuous basis
5. Make our business more of a reality rather than just a plan

How would you grade yourself on the following areas

Attendance - 4

Punctuality - 4

Motivation - 3

Commitment - 3

Quantity of work produced - 3

Quality of work produced - 3

Contribution to the group - 4