FMP Evaluation

When writing my original Statement Of Intent (SOI) I was a bit uncertain as to what I might be letting myself in for. When deciding on my subject matter for the Final Major Project (FMP), I was still deep within the progression of my dissertation, with it’s title being “Can graphic design be sustainable?”

So my reasoning behind the subject matter of my FMP was based on the decision I’d made a few months previous for the dissertation, to focus on sustainability. I’d found it an interest subject to research, and from basing one of my design practice briefs on before Christmas, I found it something I might benefit from in the future, understanding it and being able to learn how to work in a sustainable manner.
Whether using my design practice to help others understand what it is to be sustainable, or creating my own response to sustainable design.

By this, I also intended to create work that has a purpose, not just being designed for the sake of design. The purpose of me focusing on sustainable design was intended to be used as a unique selling point. For myself as a designer.

But I also stated in my SOI that I wanted to continue looking at print based design and using the Adobe software within my design practice. To continue learning about type and layout skills, looking at different paper stocks and the possible print effects available.

As the FMP has progressed much of what I wrote in that first SOI is still valid. I’ve not altered what I intended and what I’ve ended up doing much at all.

As I’ve progressed with the briefs though, one thing has become clear and it’s unfortunate that it has come to this. But it has been a learning curve, and until I chose to do this, I don’t think I would have ever really realized.

But basically, it’s turned out that I’ve not become a ‘Sustainable Design’, I couldn’t brand myself as that now it’s come to an end. Although when putting my SOI together and writing my first few briefs together I thought I might have a instant reaction to working sustainably and it would become my forte. I’d be the wiz kid who knows everything about what’s right or what’s wrong about becoming a sustainable designer. Knowing which inks are best, what briefs I should be responding to, the clients I should be working for, the best printers etc.

If I go back to the beginning, when I chose my first brief ‘Stuff-O-Meter’, created by D&AD I was really excited about getting going with it. It was interesting finding out what goes into the production of a hair dryer and then responding to that and creating a ‘representation’ of its life. When reflecting this brief I chose to the original SOI I wrote, it fits in nicely. I did what I had to do to show people the truth, uncover the information what’s not necessarily hidden, because I managed to find it, but that it’s very rarely revealed. That is how I felt I responded to the subject of sustainability, for this brief it wasn’t all about the paper I printed onto, or the ink I used to print to submission boards. IT was more about the meaning.

Then with the second brief I chose to take on, the Salvedge brief. Salvedge - a sustainable design and energy consultancy. Again, sustainable design was the main focus. I’d agreed to work for a client who was also considering his actions when it came to sustainability. A collaborative brief with Kyle, who also considers what he is doing when it comes to his work. As with working for a suitable client, we also tended to work a lot with PDF’s, sending them between one another and to Steve. But I think that was purely down to it being the easiest option, not really because we consciously trying to reduce the amount we printed. But it was also interesting looking into recycled paper stocks for the stationery to be printed onto.
So again, looking at it against the original SOI I wrote it was still to plan. I was doing what I intended. Not just looking at the sustainable side of it, but again here I considered type and layout, and considered the paper stock to print onto.

The only downside to that brief, now I’ve come to the end of the FMP, is not having the final resolution, as it hasn’t yet gone to print. But it’s complete enough on Kyle’s behalf and mine.

But I started getting confused with my SOI when it came to accepting to do the live COOKI brief and the final FMP brief, Confections. They weren’t for a good cause, and I hadn’t really needed consider the way in which I put it together as a final resolution. I brought it up with Fred about whether it would be relevant to my FMP if I wasn’t necessarily relating it to my subject. But it was pointed out, that also in my SOI I’d put I wanted to look at print design, looking at type and layout. So it would be fine to do.

So at this point, I felt I needed to make a few alterations to my original SOI, as from what I wrote at the beginning, there are, at this stage, too many restrictions. It’d got to the point where I’d done ok focusing on sustainable design for the first two briefs, but like with the Confections one, when it came down to it, at the point where it would be my last brief on the course, sustainable design wasn’t something I actually wanted to focus on!
I felt I was too restricted. Like I’d put on the amended SOI, I just want to do my bit without making too much. Looking back on my original intentions, I think I was expecting too much of myself, trying to make too much of an alteration to the way I already work.

As for the design context side of the FMP, I've again, like with the dissertation enjoyed researching it. Looking into sustainable design in more detail but this time having the opportunity to look at the design side to it a little more, seeing who's doing what and what the outcome is.
At first I had intended to create a book, like everyone else, but after the last presentation and it being suggested that I create a website, I decided to go along with that.
Digital design hasn't been something I've focused on over the years, so I wasn't confident having a go at putting together the website in Dreamweaver, as I didn't want to spend all my time figuring out how to use it. So instead I used Indexhibit, there are more restrictions to the way in which the layout is put together, but it was suitable for the purpose I intended.
I've based it on a various sections. From looking at what sustainable design is, to looking at which designers have been doing it, to how to do it and finally looking at some theory behind it, what others think.
I'm pleased with the outcome, and feel I have done as much as I can with this side of the FMP.