'Working for an audience' - Unit 12 - Evaluation

I undertook research to get ideas for the Library wall design and display boards. Home decorating magazines were really useful to find research – I cut out images of wall murals, paintings, hanging objects and anything I could find that linked to murals and display boards; I stuck these in my sketchbook like a mood board which took up about 4 pages. I also looked on google, Pinterest, tumblr, instagram and various websites to find more relevant images and information. I got images of Murals from libraries, primary schools, and bedrooms; graffiti walls in rooms as well as outside walls. A lot of these murals were story book and ‘Disney’ themed – which I took into account when creating my designs. I also got images of various display boards - mainly from primary school libraries. A lot of the display boards I found were ‘Dr. Seuss’ (The cat in the hat, The Lorax and Horton hears a Who) and ‘Harry Potter’ themed – most of them with a quote or a sentence to inspire reading. I also found 3D style boards, activities like hidden object games, finding things games and riddles to solve - which are popular in creative primary school display boards. In my mural research I found a variety of different themes including: maps, Dr Seuss, The lion the witch and the wardrobe, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Frozen and other Disney and story book themes. I got a bit of information about what graffiti/murals are. I cut out some colours out of a ‘Crown paints’ sample catalogue as examples of wall paint I could use on the wall. I also did colour theory research where I painted a colour wheel and wrote down my own knowledge of how colours complement each other, what they mean etc. using the internet to help me. I took photographs of children’s book I have and used these as primary research: ‘The Velveteen rabbit’, ‘the stinky cheese man and other fairly stupid tales’, ‘Aesop’s fables’ and ‘Alice in wonderland’. I stuck images of these in my book that I was going to draw but I did not get around to finishing my primary research which I may have been able to do if I managed some of my time better. I took pictures of these books and a lot of their illustrations and posted them on my blog (as I did with everything else in this project). I did research on the average 11 year old to create a customer board about what key-stage one and two children like – this would help me interpret certain things in my ideas. The images I got from my research really helped me with my designs. The themes that caught my eye the most and seemed the most popular that I considered in my designs were ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The cat in the hat’ and ‘Alice in wonderland’. I researched children’s books that are popular with children in key-stage one and two now a days that I could use as themes in my designs. I did 4 pages in my sketchbook on the mediums and materials I could use in my designs – this helped me to choose what to use. I also included a lot of research on illustrators in my sketchbook and on A2 sheets which linked with what themes I picked and I interpreted a lot of the critical studies in my sketchbook and designs.

I had to include simplicity in my design and not make them too crowded so that the kids understand them if there is a message/quote on the design, also if the image is too crowded and not bold and bright colours, they may not be interested in looking at the picture. Children in key-stage one and two are attracted to bright and vibrant colours which get them motivated and excited in school but also pale and pastel colour which are calming and cheerful. Dark and bland colours such as greys and browns would not have been as appropriate for my designs as they can make children tired, unmotivated and even sad or angry.

I had to produce my designs around the client’s constraints and needs. These were that I had to produce a mural for the Library wall and design two display boards for Key-stage one and two. The Library wall couldn’t have blue as the main colour, the designs had to inspire reading and the display boards had to be key-stage one and two age appropriate. I followed these rules and prioritised my designs around them so that they my outcome was appropriate for the Brief.

I experimented using different medias on each idea and design I made. In my sketchbook I used, graphite pencil, biro pen, coloured pencil, watercolour paint, acrylic paint and fine liner pens, however, I also did a media sample page of medias I could include on the display boards – which also included charcoal pencils and felt tip pen samples. For my designs I used coloured pencil, acrylic paints, fineliner pens, biro pen, and some mirror card. I had trouble understanding perspective drawing – I found it difficult to understand how to scale it right and perfectly but I used perspective drawing for one of my wall designs and it went okay. Another problem I had was trying to think quickly of design ideas and managing my time. I worked quickly towards the end but ran out of time and did not complete as much work as I wanted to.

If I had no clients or constraints for this project I may have based the wall more on Disney characters rather than Dr Seuss as Disney was my favourite as a kid and I know his stories/movies/characters are the most popular with children now a days and has been for many years.

I chose artists/illustrators to research by using my mural and display board research and found out who illustrated the story books/characters I may use in my designs. The main illustrators I chose to research and did their critical studies etc. on A2 paper were: ‘Dr Seuss’, ‘Mary GrandPre’ and ‘Roald Dahl’. These were the main artists who caught my eye and seemed most popular to key-stage one and two children. I also did research on Walt Disney and various other artists in my sketchbook (however I did not get a chance to finish this, primary research and the ‘Mary GrandPre’ A2 sheet.

I decided on my designs by looking at my research and seeing what characters and artist were most familiar and popular to children but also who I know are famous and who I know about the most. Also these designs were what I had in my head first of all and I thought they were my most creative ideas – I tried to be flamboyant but at the same time keeping it simple and trying not to overcrowd them.

Overall I think the project went well however, I am disappointed that I did not manage my time well enough to complete as much work as I wanted to for the deadline and did not fully complete my sketchbook, 2 designs and my third artist sheet in time. If I were to change anything I would work quicker at the start and start thinking about my designs straight away rather than just doing research and not getting ideas right away. I didn’t manage my time too badly – it was just nearer to the end where I didn’t realise that I still had a lot to do by the time the deadline was here.

I put all of my work on my Blog by taking pictures of it all with my phone as I went along. I kept a schedule with time management sheets where I wrote down every day what I wanted to achieve and the work I completed each day.

Unfortunately I missed my presentation due to being ill which is very disanointing but I am glad I have completed most of my work and got at least 5 and a half designs done. I did 3 in my sketchbook and 2 and a half sheets (I didn’t finish the fifth one in time). I originally wanted to do 7 designs altogether but ran out of time.

It was interesting and a positive experience to work for someone outside of college – in future I will definitely manage my time better from the start and prepare for if I ever got a job doing something similar. I am content with how the project went because I feel I have tried my best even though I did not finish it all in time, I found it difficult with only 10 weeks, I feel like if I had another two weeks I would have definitely completed the amount I wanted to.