~ Module evaluation ~

This module has been the most enjoyable of the year so far; it's allowed me to develop my writing, researching and the skill to take my discoveries and personal opinions and produce work as a solution/reaction to this. In particular this module has increased my knowledge of equality, sexual freedom and oppression within society and the ways the creative industries link with this. It's a topic i'm really interested in; my passion for the topic meant everything I read and designed for this was enjoyable and I could put myself in the place of the target audience. My increased interest in philosophy and theory also informed my essay and practical work within this module. To be able to discover that link between contextual studies, society and social justice and produce the visual coverage of huge events is something that extends my practice and abilities as a designer. Also to be able to visually communicate and produce aesthetic value informed by research, target audience, context and appropriation.

My research into the sexual revolution lead to the exploration of feminism and the objectification and sexualisation of the female body in the media. Producing work as a reaction to social issues is something that is morally rewarding for me as a designer; it makes me think about my personal ethics as a creative and how they will affect my practice as a whole throughout my career. Engaging with topics that matter through my practice rather than just working for aesthetic is much more beneficial and means my work will have much more impact on society in positive ways. This module has helped me think of graphic design as a possible tool in terms of activism and creating a visual voice. 

The production of my final practical outcome was an area I wanted to push into making the most informed and visually complete as possible. I created an overall brand and campaign structure for the concept of Va-January; this then lead to the production of a range of deliverables. I considered web, print and physical outcomes and promotional material that needed to be designed to ensure the success of a campaign of this nature. Producing a resolution to a problem that I feel affects me as a woman really excites me and creates a path I would like my future practice to follow. The idea of writing my dissertation loosely about queer culture and the lack of media representation of social minorities in turn is something that i'm passionate about as once again I feel it effects me and society hugely in a negative way. The idea that my resolutions could be heard and recognised as valuable opinion is massive and pushes me to extend my contextual knowledge about similar issues as much as possible.

One thing I will aim to improve in my contextual studies is the range of content I read. I need to expand my base and knowledge of writers and influential thinkers particularly contemporary examples. I find it easy to get caught up in historical facts and events and need to ensure my reading material includes current topics and opinions to ensure my work is appropriate to the time. I have come across sources of information now that will stay with me through my interest in important topics. 

Overall this module has allowed me to produce a well researched essay and body of practical work that directly addresses the main issues I felt were relevant to modern day society. I created a whole concept and range of outcomes much more well rounded and considered than past briefs; it demonstrates my increasing experiance with integrating design with many different platforms, elements and broadening my horizons and not limiting myself to digital outcomes. I am really proud of the final outcome and you can see how each design decision was well informed and considered making it successfully appropriate.