MODULE EVALUATION

The 3rd and final PPP module was a bit of a learning curve. My experience in my final year at university led the PPP module down a path of reflection and direction rather than direct action. Throughout the module I have been making myself aware of a variety of possibilities and thought process brought to mind by a range of different stimulus. Whether these be a part time job doing graphic design, studio correspondence, books, videos, talks etc.

I have learnt a great deal of practical knowledge in this module, more so than any of the PPP before it. I still feel that I am slightly lacking in the self promotion areas, however what is important to me at the minute, is being aware of the possibilities and channels that are available to me, in order to take a calculated approach to self promotion. I felt that trying to push myself into the industry was almost counter productive. As a person I have a tendency to jump at opportunities, and I think that I have tried to stay very reserved in order to not make any mistakes. This is quite a bad thing to do, especially with the competitiveness of the industry, however I have felt comfortable with my progress and my plans for after I finish the degree course.

Having secured two placements for after I finish university, I felt very privileged. Gaining two prospective and strong placements and Elmwood and Music, has helped me have more confidence in my work, but also put me at ease that there is something happening after I finish university. I plan to capitalise on these placements by acknowledging and acting on the experience I gain in terms of my own appropriateness and enjoyment in the role of designer at each respective studio. The lessons I will learn from these placements will be invaluable and it allows me to begin to accept or reject the potential context of my practice.

This year I did not want to dwell on my self branding. While I understand the importance of communicating your personality, aims, and ambitions to a potential employer, I think my own approach has succeeded so far, so I would like to continue to approach people as a person, and not as an over packaged product. I think a modest and confident portfolio coupled with a will to be in the right place at the right time/saying the right thing at the right time, will have as much success as a promotional mailer.

I have made a conscious effort to engage with a range of things that have improved my own personal and professional practice. The Life After College sessions were a particular example of this. I attended workshops that were based around Creative Entrepreneurship, Who You Are and Where You Need To Be, and Social Media. I felt that these choices said something about the context of my practice, and where I am at with PPP in general. The Who You Are day workshop was absolutely fantastic in it’s ability to help me make decisions about my future. The workshop pushed me to highlight, identify and analyse my ambitions and posed the questions that I need to answer in order to achieve the those ambitions. Creative Entrepreneurship gave me a glimpse of how to conduct a start up. I found this particularly interesting as I would love to own my own business one day. While the workshop only brushed the surface, it did identify a lot of areas for further engagement after I finish university.

Having a job doing graphic design this year has really changed my opinions of the industry. While I have been working in house, while the job was in-house design and the industry was not particularly what I wanted to do I felt that it was valuable to get into the habit of accepting work, meeting industry deadlines, and employing the skills I have learnt in the other modules of the course. The job has gone very well, and I will be able to keep my job there post university. However, in order to progress and pursue more appropriate lines of work, I will be looking to move on as soon as possible. I plan to immerse myself in placements until the end of the year at least, in order to sample a lot of different possibilities within my interest area and identified contexts. I will capitalise on my existing opportunities and I will seek out and be open to new possibilities.

I feel that I have everything in place, to create a successful start to my career. From gaining new studios to contact, to finding tools that will help me with freelance, I feel that engaging with the module has helped me set a foundation for my professional practice from June onwards.