Evaluation and Reflection

REFLECTIVE LOG

20-24/03/23

this week I experimented in the art studio with photographic and graphic elements i want to include in my work, I found it rlly fun to do and I took it away from it i.e having a clearer idea and being freer on designing instead of just words.

half term

17-21/04/23 

This week I have found new resources for my research discussed my plan with teachers and was lead to articles supporting my work which has helped me have more flexible ideas for the next upcoming week, I am happy with my progress so far.

24-28/04/23

This Monday I was productive in getting my preparations ready for my photo shoot with a staff member, I have gathered clothing that I have to use on Wednesday. I also created a logo that I am very pleased with and it has reassured me that I am doing well with my work. On Wednesday i was supposed to compose my photography however due to circumstances i was unable to do so meaning it will be pushed back on my timetable which i was a bit upset about however in that time i was productive and completed my in depth target audience analysis.

02-05/05/23

This tuesday i completed my photography shoot. The environment was safe and comfortable for me. Music was also in the background to set the mood overall it was a really nice experience and out of my comfort zone. 

15-19/05/23

This week i have made a great improvement to my progress of developing my magazine, i created a lot of original illustrations which were really fun to make, i also finished a poster which i am extremely pleased with and one of my favourite production pieces. On Tuesday i was enlighten by magazine examples which inspired how i want to go forward with that last few pages of my magazine.

09-11/05/23

This Tuesday i experimented with infographics and created cute cartoon characters for visuals which was really fun to make! I was really happy with out it turned out. 

15-19/05/23

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22-26/05/23

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EVALUATION

FMP EVALUATION 

In this final project, I created a magazine, a photography series, and a poster on the topic of body positivity. This project is not a product unless it had meaning and purpose, uplifting young women who are struggling to be body positive in today's generation and informing those who do not understand what it means to be body positive. This project successfully expresses my efforts to bring everything together through preparation, study, and experimentation. Throughout my work, I have used media conventions to successfully communicate my ideas and create an identity. I am confident that the abilities I gained on this course will help me progress into higher education.  

PLANNING 

My first initial ideas on my mind map were topics to with feminism, I wasn’t quite sure on what I wanted to do so I made a mood board on Pinterest and started looking at pictures and gathered a wide range of images, I was immediately inspired by a body positivity poster immediately inspired me because it was true to its motif. I was confident that I would find research/production materials to create it, one thing that stood out to me on this topic is that it is incredibly open to discussion. 

During the early stages of planning, I sketched visuals of how I would like things to be, and it gave me a sharp vision, I was aware that my postproduction would be amended or more and less the same as what I initially thought of doing. I have found this way of planning particularly useful to me, as a way of guidance. 

My next stage of thinking being analytical and reflective I questioned myself on what product I wanted to create for body positivity and what was going to be the most evident. I investigated all suitable products for this topic in all aspects considering my audience, media theories, and settled on a magazine, a visual Podcast, and a series of photography pieces. 

DEVIATION 

My idea shifted from three to two products. I discontinued the production of developing a Podcast because, I also wanted to produce a magazine and it may have been a heavy workload with timing I did not want one product well-developed than another, I would prefer to market a complete product. Although I still believe that a podcast would have worked well, I know this because of my analysis, it was a difficult decision to make. I weighed the pros and cons and aligned them with my proposal, my key being: informative and supported by my research findings, so I went ahead with creating a magazine instead. Print is something I am confident in and would pursue in the future now. 

PRACTICAL SKILLS 

When I started experimenting in illustrator, photoshop and InDesign, I used my additional research section to help me apply what practical skills I needed to use in this project.  

The practice for my photoshoot was on a dummy I painted on just to have a feel what message I wanted to convey for my photo shoot as well as taking pictures of it in the studio, the foundation was from my lighting research on how to make my pictures set a mood/tone. I documented my thoughts on my experimentation mentioning that it is important to me because I like how I can start off with an idea and change it as I go. I also enjoyed this part of my project because of the new creativity I endured.  

My magazine experimentation was different to my photographic experimentation I used illustrator to experiment with graphical features I documented my progress all through including trial and errors illustrator is one of my strongest programs I've learnt to use through the last two years In this course and I am always discovering new elements that I needed to acquire to create things , more complex than what I already know which I would say was one of the biggest obstacles I faced in my practical skills, some practical elements were quite time consuming and tedious however I was very satisfied with the outcome. 

The experimentation I undertook for my poster was also in illustrator, using my original sketch to turn it into a graphical element. I encountered issues when image tracing, by going into detail removing parts and redoing which prolonged my developing stage, after I got past that stage I wanted to experiment with the use of text placing it in the scarf gave a nice soft flow along with the gradient colours, the foundation of my research in typeface and text helped me explore new ways to create something catered to my project.  

RESEARCH  

For my primary research I conducted a survey asking young women what would be best for me to create for body positivity, and how it affects them. Most importantly the topics that the media does not cover. Reading my primary research answers was interesting because I saw different views and opinions which I was expecting as it’s a topic that’s very open to discussion, I realised many women in the survey showed dissatisfaction towards their appearance, a very amount was happy with their body, I felt sympathy to these anonymous responses, It gave me a personal determination to create something that has a personal touch. 

Based on the results of my survey, I began to conduct secondary research into the issues and recommendations they highlighted; articles were the primary source I used, but I also read two books from the library that expanded my understanding of body image and confidence in addition to reading. I examined the tone of language, imagery, and usage of infographics, as well as statistics and how old and authentic articles were, to ensure that my conclusions were as accurate as possible. While researching, I took notes in my notebook and composed them in such a way that I could easily transfer the information into InDesign, which was the most convenient approach for me to complete my written development. 

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Understanding that this topic is a social issue and sensitive to people which I grasped through my report findings. In addition to that I had to make sure all extra research on this project were suitable to my demographic, through my secondary research I found that the demographic best suited for my project were reformers, I conducted a survey aimed at females aged between 17-21. People expressed their personal feelings about their appearance, the results were very authentic. I used these results to support my magazine and photography series. 

Using primary research, I chose subjects that people voiced they wanted to see, such as "ways to take care of your body" and "the effect your own appearance can have on your mental health," as well as my own. Linking back to my demographic, reformers desire enlightenment; allowing ladies to have an outlet where they could express thoughts with me for my magazine is crucial as a developer, knowing that things are not covered as much in the media. By bringing light on themes that are rarely discussed, the audience feels drawn to read. 

MAGAZINE  

Using InDesign, I designed a magazine called "What Is Really Body Positive." The research I completed enabled me to apply it in my practical, I was very experimental with my layout/use of space, inspired by designs I saw, I was focused on what I could do that was that box. I investigated what makes a good magazine and went to see them in person; as a result, I began creating, implementing a two-column spread because it was ideal. 

Throughout the creation of my magazine, I documented the tools I used and stayed true to the conventions of typeface and legiblity usage, image captions, headlines, and so on. I chose the colour scheme because of the feminine implications pink conveys, but I left one page white so it didn't dominate the design, and it succeeded.   

All original designs were made in Illustrator and were inspired by stuff I saw on Google Images. Creating graphical pieces is something I've never done before; some were more challenging to put together than others due to the tools I had to use (anchor point tool). I believe my graphics and infographics were accurately presented in my printing. Though I had a problem with the placing of my graphic picture on the back page of my magazine placement I decided to place it at the bottom for my back cover. 

PHOTOGRAPHY  

I directed this photo shoot, and I planned out how I wanted to take my pictures, which were partly influenced by some I found on Pinterest. This photoshoot had to go through several inspections, such as if it were appropriate for me to take the shots in college and finding a guardian to block off the studio space. In my blogspot, I outlined the logistics. I worked with a professional photographer who assisted me in taking my pictures. She has a creative arts background and has composed paintings for a body positivity project. I was delighted I was able to sit down with her and give her my plan of action. She created a very encouraging environment for me that day. During this session, we chose music that emphasised how essential this movement is to me, so I felt at peace while taking my images. 

This was exciting since I had never done or organised a photography session before, so it was something fresh for me to navigate. My notes and planning helped me because I identified the lighting and angles that I wanted to achieve. When it came to the actual production, I had more ideas, but in this case, the plan I put together was a steppingstone towards not being restricted. I composed numerous types of pictures in various positions. The duration of this session was close to two hours.  

After I shot the photographs, I went over them and chose those that corresponded to photographic conventions as well as those that had the greatest potential to move my audience. 

INSTITUE 

For my campaign, I found a Twitter mock-up and used it. This institute was treated in such a way that a client would be interested in seeing their results would appear online. I created one for my magazine and altered it in Photoshop to show off my finished work. likewise, for my poster institute, I decided to advertise to my target demographic by placing it inside a female school toilet. 

FEEDBACK 

The feedback I received from google forms on this project was quite positive, there was not any negative comments however I was open to taking constructive feedback. People were very moved by my photography piece and thought it was very influential, on the design aspect of my magazine a peer said the design was very innovative. One comment that stood out to me was my project is empowering and they can see it through all my final productions, this was my aim, and I am pleased to say I have reached that target of creating a product with a strong identity behind it. 

Overall, I believe I have effectively built a well-mannered identity for a sensitive subject, I discovered and developed new abilities in my final project, and I have learned how to think freely and try new things. There are several things I would like to accomplish if I had more time, such as create another poster that could be photographic. I had a lot of ideas for this project, but I wanted everything to work together, so I am content with what I produced.