OUGD406 - Module Evaluation

Module Evaluation:

Throughout OUGD406, I have developed and experimented with lots of different skills which I have not used much before. The module has helped me to gain more experience with a variety of skills which has helped me to grow as a graphic designer and skills which I will be able to continue to use and progress.

Studio Brief 1 was a competition brief. This allowed me to gain some experience of what its like to design to set guidelines set by judges. Due to this being a competition brief I found that it was important to get the small details correct. This is because the specific guidelines which are asked for are important for the submission of a design. It also enforced how important the use of research is when designing, due to the need for research into the judges and what they expect so that the design created catches their eye. I enjoyed studio brief 1 as it allowed me to be creative and think in depth about my designs. It also gave me the opportunity to use photography which is a media that I love but don't get to use very often.

Studio Brief 2 involved the use of a tradition printing method. I chose to do a screen print as this is something I have attempted in the past but not something that I have had the opportunity since. I also wanted to improve my skills throughout the whole screen printing process. I did come across a few difficulties while trying to complete my screen print meaning that it took longer than I expected however I managed to produce a print so felt happy to have accomplished this. Screen printing is something that I have found to be quite tedious but it is something that I want to improve in so that I can use it will ease for future projects.

Studio Brief 3 involved group work with people that I hadn't necessarily spent much time with before. I really enjoyed the opportunity to work in a group and gain more experience of how to work as a team when creating graphic design outcomes. I was really pleased with the people that I got to work with for this project and found that in the process of creating outcomes for the brief I also made new friends. Everyone in the group worked really well together and there was a really nice group dynamic. I felt that everyone put a lot of effort into the work and each person created some outcomes that were necessary for the final outcomes.

Studio Brief 4 once again gave me the opportunity to choose to work in a group. I therefore decided to work with a close friend. This made the brief more enjoyable and I feel like by combining our ideas we came up with an idea that was quite an original response to the brief. In the creation of the board game which we made for this brief we had decided that screen printing would produce the outcome that the wanted. I enjoyed the fact that this gave me another chance to have a go at screen printing and found that with the support of another person the process was much easier. I have definitely developed my screen printing skills and hope they continue to develop as I use it more.

Overall I am happy with the outcomes that I made for this module. I think that the screen prints would be better if I had more experience of printing but this is something that I will get better at the more that I use it. I have really enjoyed being able to work with other people in this module and this is something that I would like to do in the future. I think that collaboration can result in interesting outcomes that might not be thought of with just one person working on a brief.

Board Game - Evaluation

Evaluation:

The creation of the board game was as difficult task in the limited time that was allotted for Studio Brief 4. However, the outcome was better than expected. The process of screen printing the board definitely helped to give it more texture meaning that it was less flat. I also found that by having two people screen print together it left a much smaller margin for error. Although there were a couple of boards that came out a little bit messy, on the whole the screen printed outcomes were successful as they were neat and clear. The colours were as hoped, the blue did come through the pink a little which we had anticipated could have happened but this added to the overall aesthetic and allowed for more of the illustrations to be viewed. The slight transparency of the pink made the design a more interesting print. 

The other feedback was fairly positive apart from the fact that the game was thought to look a bit too feminine. This is something that we would possibly have to look at changing if we were to return to this brief in the future however, as the design is a variation of the college colours there is reasoning for the scheme we chose. The is also about us, therefore the colour scheme can be representative of us as well as a variation of the college colours.

The playing cards were handmade and handwritten to be consistent with the hand made aspect that was used in response to the brief. This showed consistency with the handwritten message to the first years that was written onto the envelopes. Although both of these were nice ideas and had reasoning for the design decision, if we were to return to this brief in the future the outcomes have shown that screen printing would be a better option. Both the cards and the envelopes look quite messy and unprofessional so this is something that would definitely need improving. 

The instruction manual which we created after the last crit had to be digitally printed. This means that the colours don't completely match the colours of the rest of the parts of the board game. If we had more time we definitely would have screen printed it as it would then be more consistent with the overall handmade aesthetic. The difference between the instruction sheet and the other contents is a prime example of the difference between digital and analogue printing methods. The reasoning behind the use of analogue printing for our game was for the personal and hand made aesthetic which it gave that digital printing cannot provide. The instruction manual would need to be screen printed in future to allow for it to be consistent with this aesthetic. 

Board Game - Final Crit and Development

Final Crit:

• Good idea for it to be folded and put in an envelope to send it out, increases its potential for use.
• Maybe include and information/instruction sheet.
• Love the idea, excellent design.
• Good colour scheme - maybe too feminine?
• Very graphic design colour scheme.
• I like the colour scheme - screen print adds to texture making it more interesting.
• Good consistent illustrations.

The feedback from the crit encouraged us look at creating an information/instruction sheet to go with the game. The other feedback was fairly positive apart from the fact that the game was thought to look a bit too feminine. This is something that we would possibly have to look at changing if we were to return to this brief in the future however, as the design is a variation of the college colours there is reasoning for the scheme we chose. The is also about us, therefore the colour scheme can be representative of us as well as a variation of the college colours.

The design for the information sheet can be seen above. We decided to take the LCA logo which we also used on the envelopes and place that at the top of the sheet. Then the same colour scheme was used so that the whole design was kept consistent with the whole identity that has been created for the board game, cards and packaging. If we had more time we definitely would have screen printed it as it would then be more consistent with the overall handmade aesthetic.

Board Game Production

Board Game Production:

 

For the production of the board game we needed to screen print in order to get the outcome that we wanted. By screen printing the board it continued to add to the handmade theme which made the game more of a personal response to the brief. As Charlotte played the biggest part in the experimental stage with the colours and layout I did the screen printing with her there to support. There were 3 different designs laid out on the screen as seen in the positive. The board spaces were printed in the pale pink and the illustrations in the blue. The cards were also printed in the pale pink and the LCA logo for the envelopes in pink also in order to keep consistency across all of the designs. 

Board Game - Final Designs

Final Design:

The final colour scheme for the board game design was pale pink and dark blue. We decided that the combination of the blue as the bottom layer and the pink as the top layer was the most aesthetically pleasing while still relating to and being representative of LCA. The final layout was representative of the room '130' which is our design studio. The background is filled with the illustrations which we created in relation to our time at uni and the anecdotes which are written on the cards. Once the design was decided we created the positives in order for us to expose the screen. 

As the colour scheme for the board had been decided, the cards could also be created. To keep with the colour scheme we decided to screen print in the colour pink, squares that were the size of the playing cards. Once they were printed we would be able to print the text saying which card was which and the writing for the back over the top. For the development of the envelopes, the LCA logo will be printed onto the front which a message can then be written inside of. This means that the envelopes will keep the personal touch from us to the first years which we wanted.

Board Game - Further Development

Board Game - Further Development:

After the crit we used the tips from our peers to develop the designs further and make the changes that were suggested in order to make the designs better. When looking at the layout of the spaces for the game we decided to stick to using curved edges as our peers suggested but needed to come up with the pattern for it. We decided to experiment with the number '130' as it is the room number of our design studio. We thought that this added another personal touch to the game and gave the layout some relevance.

In order to improve the board game we first designed some illustrations to go onto the background of the board. We decided to make small illustrations which had some relevance to what we would be writing on the cards for the tips, forfeits and rewards. 

We originally tried the new layout and the use of the illustrations as the background design for the board with the original LCA colours to see how the new layout would affect the design but decided that they definitely need toning down or changing. 

We decided to try a completely different set of colours as an experiment. The monochrome colour scheme was contrasted by the bold yellow.

After realising that the LCA colours were definitely not going to work in the way which we wanted them to we decided to look at using just two colours like suggested in the crit for our screen print. Charlotte spend time experimenting with the designs and changing the colour combinations while I washed and put emulsion onto a screen for us to be able to expose the designs and print the next day. We decided that the best combination from the LCA colours was the pink and the blue but after using them on their own we decided we would need to use different shades of the colours for the design to look most aesthetically pleasing. After experimenting with different shades of the colours pink and blue we found that the best variation of the college colours for our design was a dark blue and pale pink. These colours complimented each other and represent the college colours therefore representing that students should let their surroundings influence their design decision. 

Initial Board Game Design Development

Initial Board Game Design Development


For the initial designs of the board game we experimented with using the LCA colour scheme and a very square design for the layout as we were trying to figure out a way in which we could use the space on the board in the best way.

We looked at using the LCA logo to go with the LCA colours. We decided to try and figure out a way in which we could combine both the logo and the colours into the board game so that there was consistency across the board. 

Sophie

Sophie

Sophie

Sophie

Sophie

Sophie - Figure 1

Sophie

Sophie

Charlotte

The designs above are a combination of my own and charlottes experiments with the colour scheme and the ideas for the layout. After experimenting with the colours and the LCA logo we weren't sure that we liked the combination of the colours and shape in the designs as we thought it looked a bit too over the top and crowded. We therefore asked our peers in our first crit what they thought of the designs and what we could do to improve them. In the crit it was decided that we should definitely include illustrations as we had discussed and possibly cut the designs down to only two colours for the screen print. We could still use either blue pink or purple but use a combination of shades that blend well together. The group also said that the liked the layout of the spaces where the corners were rounded rather than square as it made the game seem less flat. 

The initial designs for the cards were based on the combination of colours that we would choose for the board. Figure 1 shows the original designs for the cards but to develop these further the design decisions for the board needed to be finalised. 

Initial Board Game Ideas

Rationale:

A board game initially inspired by 'The Game of Life' an already existing board game. A simplified version based on our personal experiences of university, where you have to get to the finish faster than your opponent but passing all of the challenges along the way.

There will be 3 different sets of cards which could be picked up by landing on the specific space on the board.
- Tips
- Rewards
- Forfeits

Tips:
1. If you are struggling with stress or mental health problems, here are some numbers to call...
2. Check out Aldi at Cardigan Fields, it'll definitely help with your student budget.
3. Don't forget to treat yourself.
4. Make sure you write your blog posts as you go along, it will save you so much time and stress before hand in.
5. Try to make sure you reach a good balance between uni work and your social life, its so important for your wellbeing. 

Rewards:
1. You got a first in your last hand in. Relax with a beer and go forward 2 spaces.
2. After a week of trying, you successfully created a screen print. Go forward 1 space.
3. Congrats, you pulled! Send back your opponent 2 spaces.
4. A kind stranger just brought you and your friend some shots. Thank him and move forward 2 spaces.
5. Ben actually loves your idea for your project. Keep up the good work and go forward 1 space. 

Forfeits:
1. Well done, you've ruined your sleeping pattern. Go back 2 spaces and sort it out!
2. One too many steins in Bierkeller and you've fallen off a table and concussed yourself. Go back 3 spaces (and probably to A&E)!
3. You got kicked out of a club by yourself. Miss a turn and think about what you've done!
4. You got punched in the face by an angry local. Go back 2 spaces. 
5. It’s your 21st birthday and your friends thrown up on your leg, looks like it’s the end of the night. Go back 2 spaces. 

Name?
The Game of Uni
Price and Roses Leeds Adventure
The good the bad and the uni
Uni Unwrapped
Behind the scenes
First Year/Fresher Frenzy
A Breath of Fresher
Fresh Meat

Outcomes:
Layout
Format
Colour scheme
Additional Illustrations/Patterns
Packaging
Counters/Dice
Playing Cards

Colour Scheme:
LCA colours? - Relates to the board game being about our experiences at uni and as LCA is our uni we could use those colours as we are representing them.

By using the LCA colours it would limit us to the possibility of only 4 different colours. This would work well when screen printing the board game as we would be limited to only a few colours. 

Board Game Research

Board Game Research:

The first game which we looked at when looking for inspiration for the creation of our board game was the Game of Life. This is because the game of life was the game which we thought about doing a simplified spin on about our uni lives.

The Game of Life:

The board for the game of life is very colourful and has a very large amount of spaces to go past in order to reach the end. When deciding about our board game we thought it would be nice for the game to be quite personal as it tells a story about our experiences. Due to it being more personal we thought screen printing would work well to give it a handmade touch. This would mean that we wouldn't be able to use a huge colour scheme like the game of life due to being limited to a few colours for the screen. We also wanted our board to be smaller as it is supposed to be a quick game.

North Pole Party People:

When looking into already existing board games, this is one which we found very influential. We thought that the illustrations, seen in Figure 1 were really impressive and brought a lot of interest to the game. We therefore decided that we definitely wanted to include illustration within our board game in some way. We also like the layout of this board game as the squares were bigger making the game have less spaces to pass in order to get to the finish line. This is the sort of length we wanted our game to be in order to keep the game quick and snappy leaving no chance for the first years to get bored. 

When looking into the packaging of board games we decided we wanted to do something slightly different and more personal than creating a box. When looking into the north pole game we came across the packaging. The game was folded up and packaged in a bad instead of a box. We liked this idea and thought we could do something similar with the use of envelops. This way we would be able to add a note which would be a personal message from us to the first years. 

Layouts:

After looking into different board game layouts we tried drawing different layouts which we could use for our board. We liked the ones that were very curvy a lot but found that by making them a little bit more square it allowed us to fill the space more efficiently. You can see from the drawings that the ones in Figures 1 and 6 fill the space in the best way. As we wanted the board to be able to fold down we wouldn't be able to make it too big meaning we would need to fill the space as efficiently as possible.