Speaking from experience Self Evaluation

What problem did you identify?

My problem was to combat impulse buying when out food shopping, the idea was aimed at first years that were new to living away from home.

What evidence did you find to support your decisions?

I have had many experiences over the past year where I have gone shopping and ended up buying items that I don't need. I also gathered various peoples thoughts and views on the matter with similar evidence showing that it was a problem worth finding a solution for. As well as looking at my personal experiences and my fellow peers I also looked into what causes people to buy things that they don't need.

What Methods did you use to gather your evidence and what forms did it take?

As well as having person experience with this problem, I also asked fellow students whether or not this was a problem for them. I had a good spread of results with the main quantity of my findings supporting the need to solve the problem that I had set out to identify. I was also able to gain some useful feedback in the progressive crits throughout the course of the project which aided my on going research.

What methods of research did you find useful and why?/How did these inform your response to your problem?

I found that the most useful methods of research were throughout the various group discussions that I had with my fellow peers within the class. I feel that the secondary research into pictograms helped push forward my designs and ideas towards my final solutions.

What research could you have carried out that would have proved more useful?

I feel that If I got a wider range of research with more contextual references these could have pushed my ideas forward more, making me able to explore different pathways in designs. If I had gathered a range of both data and opinions in the research stage I would have had a larger base of information to work off and generate more ideas quicker.

List five things that you have learnt about the design process over the last five weeks:

I have learnt to it is extremely useful to blog my current direction in the project as I go along

I have found that design boards with clear objectives and a direction in group discussions and crits very useful in helping deliver your idea across to gain vital feedback

I find that if I don't get stuck into a brief straight away it becomes harder for me to become focused the further down the line I get in the project

I have found that when in the studio sitting around other people when working allows me to bounce ideas off them helping progress mine and their work

Set myself more ambitious goals in order to progress better

List five things you would do different next time:

I would have tried more methods of research into my problem

I want to push myself to experiment with a wider selection of media that I am less comfortable

Blog more and more consistently

Use the facilities available at the college to produce the best ideas and finished concepts to my ability

Fix my bike