Unit Evaluation.

When I started Unit X, I set out clear aims:

• Complete the Botany and Moments collections
• Undertake a live brief
• Enhance my online presence
• Assemble a professional portfolio
• Dedicate time to research printing/production methods for the degree show

I can confidently say that I have achieved everything I set out to complete, and I feel I have done this to a high standard whilst working to deadlines and managing my time well.

I knew from the start of the project that drawing elements for the Botany collection would take up a considerable number of weeks of the project, so by completing this first I allowed myself to plan the rest of the unit accordingly. This enabled me to undertake more research into 'moments of time' within nature, to draw upon within my Moments collection. I feel that both collections are completed to a high standard whilst showcasing the different styles I can achieve, along with good use of colour. Completing further market research has allowed me to refine my context, ensuring that my work is commercial, and suits the market that I intend for it to fit into. I believe that my work fits into each context because of the careful consideration of colour and scale: spending time creating high quality visualisations also allows other people to see how I envisage my work.

Creating a website and increasing my online presence has definitely been a strong aspect of this project for me. I have updated and created social media platforms such as Linkedin, Twitter and Instragram. I was also keen to create an online portfolio of some form and after researching into this I decided to create both a Behance account and a website, enabling members of the public, as well as companies and clients, access to my work.

Completing the live brief was another successful part of this project, as it allowed me to show how I can work slightly more abstractly. I also pushed myself in terms of colour and media, and drawing upon some of the research I completed in the previous unit was very beneficial. 

Putting together my portfolio has taken a lot of time but I feel that I now have a strong portfolio that I am proud to show and take to interviews. The way I have conducted my practice this year and last year has meant that I have a breadth of different styles to show, as well as the fact that I can work towards many different contexts including wallpaper, soft furnishings and stationery/giftwrap. Researching into how to present a textiles portfolio has been valuable to ensure that I presented work for different disciplines in the correct way.

I have also been actively job searching using my updated CV and new online portfolios. So far I have had a great response, including attending two interviews for textile designer positions; I am looking forward to seeing where my work will take me.

Preparing my portfolio

This week I have started to focus on getting my portfolio together. When assembling the whole portfolio, I have researched into the presentation of furnishing and surface pattern portfolios to make sure I adhere to industry standards. This includes factors such as including reference numbers on the back of designs, along with visualisations. However, furnishings differs from surface pattern in presentation, which is important for to me embrace as I have such a varied portfolio.

I have narrowed down the designs for the Moments collection, to create the final collection (shown below). I made the selection based on how the colour palette worked as a whole, whilst ensuring that each design represented a different moment, and no design used the same element as another so that they can be bought by clients.

I also felt that it was important to complete a gift wrap photoshoot to provide visualisations to include along side each design in my portfolio. After trying to complete this on photoshop using a blank present, I felt that the curves, angles and folds weren't realistic enough, so I styled a shoot with printed papers to achieve perfect results. 

I am happy with the final outcomes, as they look good in my portfolio next to my prints. They also compliment my website, as I took photos that can be used on the homepage (shown below). I ensured that the various wrapping accessories that I used (twine, rafia, natural objects) adhered with my theme and complimented the design I was photographing, enhancing the feel of the images. Having a visualisation next to my design will further ensure that my portfolio is professional and appropriate for my audience.

Testing foiling methods has been on ongoing research process throughout the unit. After finding a successful way to complete the foiling, it didn't work on the laser printed images because the glue beaded on the paper. I intend to refine this technique before the end of the unit. Alternatively, I could show a small swatch of the foiled design from an inkjet printer next to the full design from a laser printer.

I have also decided on the final designs for my Botany collection, which was difficult as I had numerous different designs that worked well, containing the same elements. However I am confident that this collection represents my concept well, whilst maintaining a strong colour palette, and mixing traditional and modern techniques together.

When presenting this collection, in order to work professionally, I need to include visuals and colour ways to suit the market I am designing for. I have dedicated a lot of time to ensure that the visuals show off my work in the best possible way, and the colour ways have a sensitive and complimentary palette. Below is an example of the information I am including on the back of each design: a visualisation, colour way, 2x2 repeat square and a reference number. 

I have also considered other practical features for my portfolio, including mounting each collection on heavy card to ensure that they are sturdy and won't crease. Testing has been completed for all of my collections to ensure that the final portfolio versions are printed to the correct scale, and I am happy with the colour and printing quality. I also intend to include a folder with boards showing the concept, research and context for each collection.