NORWICH UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION FORM
Nathan Mison
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Student Name:
BA6 : Contexts: Collaboration, audience
and employability
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Unit title, number & credit rating:
Jill Rodgers & Visiting Tutors
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Tutor(s) Name(s):
27/05/14
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Date:
Please think carefully about how well you achieved the Learning
Outcomes for this unit and write down your strengths, weaknesses and
opportunities for future development for each one.
1. LO9: Demonstrate an understanding of a wide range of
applications for your work, including the workplace context for your subject
practice.
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Strengths: Whilst the progress on my project has developed, so
has the intended use for my final designs. Through my Pinterest account it is
clear that my visual research is focused around the interiors market,
researching both high end and high street designs, keeping in touch with the
latest colour trends and design styles. The intended focus for my final
designs are based on the high end, more bespoke areas of interior design,
aiming for the more handmade touch with a feeling of quality. This intended
outcome has been influenced by my continuous contact with the art and design
world through exhibitions, my work placement and trade shows. Each of these
different areas of primary research have pushed my work and my mind set away
from the more commercial repeated vintage floral patterns which are so
prevalent, focusing more on an emerging trend of bright and bold shape and
pattern based on a influence from 1980s design, looking to create designs
which not only reflect this, but also aim to create works of art as well as
useable interior design fabrics.
Weaknesses:
I think my
weaknesses in the context of my work relate to my efficiency to develop an
idea and push that through, thinking about its use in the interiors market,
my intended focus at the beginning of the project. This however, is a
difficult idea to follow when you consider all the work and opportunities I
have had during this project. My placement, primary and visual research has
continuously influenced the development of my work, making it impossible to
stay focused on one area of the design market. I like to think my context has
developed and has become more concentrated, allowing me to develop and tailor
my work as I progressed from sketchbook onto the A2 boards and sampling.
Basically, I think I could have been more focused with the context of my work
a little earlier, so I can start thinking about the final ideas earlier.
Opportunities: I learnt, through the course of
this project, the importance of being involved in the wider design industry
and how important it is to our work. This is a world that we are going to
very soon be entering, so we need to keep up with ideas. For the future, I
would like to be more organised in primary research through exhibitions and
trade shows. I would like to have a course of visual research which follows
the course of the project, because I only realised the importance of this
towards the end of BA6. In the next project, I would like to have researched
places to visit, so I do not miss anything which may be relevant.
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2. LO10: Use a range of strategies to articulate and
extend the limits of your subject and contextual knowledge.
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Strengths: My work placement, although completed towards the end
of BA6, has contributed to its development and the change in its course. My
placement, at Smiths Row Art Gallery, was ‘office based’ mainly research and
gaining contacts. Although there was not a specific design element, which I
did miss, this did pointing out to me the importance of me, displaying myself
as an artist, be this how I present myself, an online presence, or my work.
This placement
has affected my work a little, but I feel it will be more useful in the
future of my work, next year. As I completed the work placement towards the
middle of BA6, everything I learnt is hard to put into action straight away.
I have used my blog as effectively as I can to put my written skill to best
use and I hope to employ the skill I have learnt to my dissertation in my
third year. I have also realised the importance of the presentation of my
work. Looking at the gallery exhibitions has made me re-think how I develop
my work, and there is evidence of this in the progression out of my
sketchbook. Moving out of the sketchbook onto boards has allowed me to
experiment further and focus my ideas and the progression further.
Weaknesses: I enjoyed my work placement at
Smiths Row and learnt a great deal about what goes on behind the scenes at an
established art gallery. Although I am glad of the experience, I do not think
it will be a part of the design industry that I will be joining because of
all of the computer based work. I like the mix between the research and
design, but I am glad that I have found this out now. Having said that, I
have experienced a great deal which can help with my work in the future. I
would like to have had a better placement in place, to gain more
understanding of perhaps the more design based or commercial aspects of the
design industry. This would be down to time management, but due to my
circumstances, illness, appointments and time off made it impossible to
organise anything in advance. I was only able to complete the placement after
I had the all clear from the hospital, which although I had an extension,
made it impossible to organise anything. Getting everything sorted in advance
would help to know in future. Because my placement was conducted so late on
in the project, I did not have much time to think about its role. I know
understand it was hugely beneficial to the way I think and how I produce
work, that my current way of working is too structured, I need to be more
free and let the work take its own course.
Opportunities: Following this placement, I would like to
complete another placement to gauge more understanding of different areas of
the design industry. Whilst in conversation with the gallery manager, she
mentioned an interior design business in Norwich who would be really willing
to take people on for placements. Design House Norwich is a specialist furniture and design shop in the heart of the city centre aimed at
high end interior design based around client’s needs. I would very much like
to contact this business to secure a placement with them, to gauge a
different area of the design world. This is something I am to act upon when I
have handed in BA6, to contact them well in advance to sort something out.
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3. LO11: Demonstrate your ability to
negotiate, plan and, where appropriate, work collaboratively to meet
specified goals.
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Strengths: Due to my Illness and absence from
university, my first draft of my learning agreement, completed at the
beginning of the project, was not an up to date version. In response to this
learning objective, I completed a second draft of the learning agreement,
taking into consideration my time off university and my proposed extension to
the project. Whilst off, because of illness, I completed a large amount of
drawing and visual based research which was beneficial as a stead basis to
the project. This work, although helpful, did not show any progression, even
when I had moved into the second sketchbook which was meant to be based on
sampling and development. When I returned to university, I had realised I had
a great deal of work to do, so I began working out of the sketchbook to
develop my ideas further, narrowing my ideas to a couple of motifs and by
colour scheme, focusing on design from the 1980s. From here I realised that
my work was not reflecting everything that I was learning so well, so I began
to focus more on print and stitch further, exploring the two techniques to
prove through my sampling that there was a development to the way I was
thinking and working,
Weaknesses: I found it hard throughout the
project to stay motivated. For the first time in my time at university I was
enjoying the drawing side of the work, playing around and just experimenting,
but I realised that I had still not quite got the hang of things. I was
spending my time drawing then moving on drawing then moving on, I was not
exploring an idea thoroughly. Although when I was told this by my tutor, I
was annoyed that I thought I still did not understand what university wanted
of me. However, through this project, I realised something amazing, that I am
creating my own university work for me. Yes meeting the deadlines and
completing work is important, but I now realise that I am doing this for
myself. For the first time this project, I was beginning to enjoy my
progression, creating a variety of work, having fun experimenting. Towards
the end of the project, this began to click, when I moved onto the A2 boards,
working out of the sketchbook and developing my ideas with less a focus on
the deadline, just allowing my work to flow. I only wish that I had realised
this earlier, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders when I realised
this. Now, with this understanding, I know that my grade for this project is
not going to be a high one; I noticed the signs just a little too late and
did not act upon my thoughts as they came to me. However, I can guarantee
that as I move into my third year, I have learnt a great deal and I hope my
tutors will see a great change.
Opportunities: There is always an opportunity to
explore and develop further. The key again as usual is time management.
Moving into my third year I recognise the importance of focusing a project on
something I have a passion for, allowing myself to explore something I love
and have fun while I am doing it. In Ba5 I did not have a passion for the
connection between knitting and architecture, I have learnt from that in this
project, looking into nature and using it to create patterns. I must choose
my focus wisely to gain a connection. I will naturally complete more work if
I enjoy the focus of the project, allowing myself not only to complete more
work, but also more focused and developed work.
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4. LO12: Identify areas for personal and
professional development and propose plans to acquire further skills.
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Strengths: Probably one of my weakest areas
of this project, due to the distinct lack of technique experimentation and
development. Because of my time away from university, I have not been able to
experiment as much as I would have liked, but I must point out that I have
fallen back in love with machine stitching. Whilst at school, I used machine
stitching a great deal and had fun experimenting, creating detailed designs.
For some reason when I started at university, I jumped straight back to
printing. Whilst I enjoy printing, I think it is more mixed media that I have
more of a passion for. I like combining the materials and techniques to
develop more textured design, exploring other senses, not just sight, a
visually pleasing design. I have used this in this project and have found that
this is a skill that I would like to bring back into future work to develop
further. Although I have not developed one specific skill, I have finally
found my focus for university and shall look forward to using this in my work
more In the third year.
Weaknesses: Due to my time away from
university, I did not have access to the materials and techniques at home.
This obviously limited my development of specific skills in terms of textile
technique, but this is no excuse. I did not take the opportunity to get back
into the workshops and take advantage of the university provisions in enough
time. Once I was informed of the lack of progression in the project, I made a
swift decision to get into the workshops, explore photoshop and make full use
of university facilities. I now understand the importance of these facilities
to develop my work and designs quickly and efficiently, allowing me to
experiment and explore within the boundaries of my chosen subject matter.
Opportunities: Now I have looked into a range of
techniques throughout my time so far at university, I have now decided that I
have a focus, I have a point for university. I must now grasp every
opportunity at university as well as outside university, to develop my ideas
and skills to create more professional design which are more useable in the
design industry. I must manage my time more effectively to make the most of
every minute I have, be it in a workshop, on a project or completing some
research, using everything I have, bringing it together to create more
informed work. It is important to look over this project again at the start
of next year, so I can see the progression I have made and move forwards, not
backwards.
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Overall Action
Points: (to be discussed and agreed with
tutor)
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Signed
(Student):................................................ Signed
(Tutor):..................................................
