My year began with ‘Discover Huddersfield’ which was a project that required us to collaborate in small groups and complete a trial around Huddersfield town. Once we had our research we were required to work as a team to create an informative PowerPoint to educate our fellow classmates on what we had learnt. Through this project I was able to improve my collaborative skills by researching, producing and actively getting involved in group tutorial sessions. Conceptual thinking was required for the next phase of the project where I had to take an idea from our group research and create a concept for an exhibition stand for the centre of Huddersfield. This should educate its visitors on my chosen area. I created a concept of the Suffragettes and how Huddersfield was able to play a role in this. Visual communication was a key part of this project as I created a physical 3D model of my exhibition stand which had to be up to a clean, professional standard.
FIG 1 - Authors Own
My second project was ‘Berghaus for the Student Design Awards’. This was a short project which allowed me to test my time management skills. We were given a live brief for the well-known brand and given the freedom to create any form of retail space we felt fit the brand the best. Design problem solving was a key part of this project as I had to create an innovative design that considered a physical customer journey as well as solve issues with current retail experiences and how I could find a new innovative way of resolving these. Due to it being a competition, visual communication was an important aspect of the final product. I had to create an A1 sheet that fully and clearly explained my idea and customer journey to the client. This had to include everything I wanted to get across as I wasn’t able to explain it in person like I usually would in a client presentation.
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Finally, the last project of the year ‘Design Realisation’. This consisted of choosing a brief from a collection ranging from workplace to retail. I chose the retail store Choc Affair which had a passion for giving back to their charity in Columba where they ordered their cocoa beans from. Conceptual thinking was the key to this project and allowed me to think of a concept that fit with their beliefs. Problem solving was another as I was forced into a completely unknown situation in which I had to adapt quickly and come up with innovative solutions in order to complete my deadline. This situation will help me in the future as I now know I can adapt under pressure and still complete it to a standard I am happy with.
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As I reflect on the year, I realise how further my skills have developed since finishing first year. My industry skills have improved drastically as I am now able to create detail orthographic drawings in CAD which was a challenge last year. This also applies with my visuals as I feel I have found my own style when creating high quality images of my design. These are two things I can confidently use in my next projects. Something I feel I could improve on is my approach to the development. This could also link into time management as I feel I can focus too much on the technical design and forget about documenting my approach to the design. I need to give myself time to go back into my development and fill the gaps effectively.
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