OUGD603: Extended Practice - Semester One, Briefs 8, 1, 2 & 4: Initial Critique

Although we are only at a initial point in terms of the development of out individually set briefs, we were allocated time in which we where able to manage and run a crit ourselves with the intention that we would talk through the briefs we intend to undertake and hopefully get some help and feedback from our peers who could be perhaps undertaking a similar brief.

Our initial crit group contained about 14 members of the group however we decided to break this down further so we would be presenting to about six or seven in order to gain more detailed, constructive feedback. We decided to manage our crit by allowing a timeframe of ten minutes to present in which we would give a brief description of the brief we will undertake and present what we had done in response to the group.

I began my presentation by explaining that I had decided to focus on four of my eight briefs -including one CoP and one PPP crossover briefs - for the first semester and four in our second semester following the CoP hand-in. 

I then displayed the range of designs which I had produced for my second brief, in which I aim to produce a range of Cockney Rhyming Slang prints for a Museum or Regular gift shop. I also talk through the ideas I had in terms of printing onto patterned stock which would then be mounted on black to create something which ideally the audience would want to keep and hang up on the wall.

My Feedback:

• Make the purpose more substantial? Prints could possibly be a range of postcards or Birthday cards?
• At the moment the designs are more appealing to children - Similar to alphabet flashcards
• More consideration into colour scheme? Experiment more? Pick out a colour from the stock?
• There is possible extension for a stationery set
• Think about your target audience? Would they engage with this? And how?

Overall I pleased with how constructive the feedback which I received was, I completely agreed with the idea of a more substantial purpose to the prints I would produce as I can not assume the audience will engage with the prints and want to put them up on their wall. By producing a range of souvenir postcards or even birthday cards - still for a gift shop - at least then they would serve a purpose.

It was also suggested that this would give me an opportunity to have a brief description about the aims behind the brief bringing in the research I collected about the survey the Museum of London undertook about whether modern day Londoners actually know Cockney Rhyming slang phrases.