OUIL405 Module Evaluation

Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION	Level	04
OUIL405 Visual Narratives	Credits	20
End of Module Self Evaluation

NAME	Leah Haywood

1.  Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?The skill that I have developed the most is probably my research skills. This module made us look at the world and the way we document it and research things in a new way. I really enjoyed making my visual journal, I felt really involved in the project and felt like it had more of a personal feel too it due to the research that I had done, I am looking forward to tackling other research projects in this way, I think it’s the best way for me to form an understanding of a subject and to connect with a brief more. I also think my collage and cut paper techniques have developed throughout this project. My book is completely made from cut paper and collage and was something I really enjoyed working with and think that I worked effectively with. I’m looking forward to working with this method of image-making again. I have also developed teamwork skills from this module. I have always shied away from teamwork, I worry that people will think my ideas are stupid or that my work isn’t good enough but I feel like my group got on really well and we all pulled our weight equally. I would definitely be interested in working on a collaborative project again.
2. Which approaches to research have you found most valuable during this module. How have you interrogated your research to identify appropriate ideas? I found the idea of creating a visual journal really interesting. I like to document my thoughts and feelings and ideas and found this was a perfect way to combine my experiences with my work. I have recognised the value of documenting things at that exact moment in time, rather than documenting   something when I get home or later in the week it is better to document experiences when they are fresh in your mind. I found researching things in different sections e.g. history, people etc, to be really helpful and once all were completed a strong collection of research was formed. My ideas were initially formed from the research I did while at the forest but I then looked over my research and developed new ideas and ways of seeing things after taking a step back. I delved further into the intial research that I’d done and started thinking of ways I could tell a story.
3. What strengths can you identify within your submission and how have you capitalised on these? What aspects of your submission are you satisfied with?
I think the handmade pages of my book are one of the biggest strengths in my submission. I produced the pages with a high level of craft with a lot of attention to detail. I would probably re-do a few of these pages again due to me rushing a few of the final pages as the print slot got closer but overall I am extremely pleased with how these turned out. I also think that the experimenting with textures that I did really helped develop my work. I think the images I have made are a lot more interesting due to this experimentation than they would have been had I not experimented with textures. I also believe that my visual journal is a strong part of my submission. I got positive feedback on my research and the lengths at which I’d researched my chosen location. This journal really helped me develop and understanding of the location and in a way made me bond with it. I feel like I am quite knowledgeable on the forest and this in turn helped me develop my images to produce a strong outcome.
4. What areas for further development can you identify within your submission and how will you address these in the future? Further development needed in my work is evident in my final printed book. I missed my InDesign sessions so did not save my file correctly, leading to bad print quality. I’m really unhappy about this as it completely ruins the look and feel of the book but I will address this in the future by attending software sessions and also by checking my work is set up correctly before going to a print slot. I also think I could have had more variation within the pages of my book, to keep the story interesting. Half the pages are just forest and path and I feel like I could have added things to these pages to make the book more enjoyable as a whole. I will address this in the future by spending more time developing pages and images so that they are the best they can possibly be.
5. How effectively are you making decisions about the development of your work?  What strategies informs this decision making?  I think I am finding it easier now to make decisions about my work than I was during the first module. I find that I am making mistakes, learning from them and then improving my work based on those experiences. I am also taking on board feedback from tutors and peers that help inform my decision making. I have learnt that it’s important for me to get another view of my work from someone else, and to build on constructive criticism rather than getting a little offended by it. I am also making decisions more confidently. I have always been unsure about my work and my ability and regularly find myself unable to settle on ideas or methods of image-making because I’m not sure if it’s the ‘right thing’. I am running a bit more with my gut instinct now, making decisions based on what I feel would work well and what I feel would meet the brief requirements.
6. How effectively have you managed this project and organised yourself during this module?  I think I have managed this project well, I have set myself to-do lists and mini deadlines for myself throughout the project and have managed to meet these nearly every time. I feel a lot more organised and I think this is mainly down to the structure of the research task at the beginning. Researching in this way really helped me get my mind set on what I was doing and gave me work to look back on and things to refer too, helping me decide on information to include in the book, the order of the pages and what kind of imagery I should be including in my book. I am feeling a lot more settled within the course now and I feel this is also helping my decision making.
7.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:  (please indicate using an ‘x’)   5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance			x
Punctuality			x
Motivation				x
Commitment				x
Quantity of work produced				x
Quality of work produced				x
Contribution to the group		x
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self-evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.