CoP3 // End of Module Evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

The development of research and writing skills, having to research and analyse for such a broad theoretical piece was quite challenging but the overall knowledge of the topic and my understanding of how a designer should work in the music industry has obviously grown massively.

By using the writing techniques we have been developing from first year I feel I have resulted in a piece of written work which I am proud of, I struggled with making my topic specific at first, and found because the music industry is such a broad area to cover as well as the fact that design in the music industry is so different depending on what era or genre you are focusing on. But I think I finally found what areas were necessary to cover and what I ultimately wanted to find out from the module.

2. What approaches to/ methods of design production have developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I obviously made a 12" CD cover, which I have never done before but the process I used to make it was more of a professional mock up than a finished article. however through studying the working process of Hipgnosis. it has made me realise that I think I am a more hands on designer. By seeing the way they worked with their clients as well as the creative process they went through to create a piece and by me trying to recreate that style of thinking in my designs it has really inspired me to utilise as many different forms of image making as possible, instead of sitting staring at a computer and designing purely digital I now intend to have a very physical approach to all my future briefs as this seems to be the element that I most enjoy and in turn this really motivates me to work faster as well as making me enjoy the work I produce

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/ will you capitalise on these?

 I feel I have clearly and concisely explained my intentions and goals of the theoretical element of this module, I was initially worried that bringing all the different elements of this piece together would result in a broad range of random points but in hindsight I feel I have successfully created a coherent and interesting piece of writing with some valid conclusions which I definetly consider a strength. 

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

 The initial organisation of this module was a weakness, I struggled to create a system of organisation which became more of problem towards the end of the module, I think if I would have formed some sort of way of structuring my research then I would have ended up with a much easier task of referencing at the end.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

- Organise any research topics in a structured format. probably a physical format such as a folder would be most beneficial as this could allow me to gather the relevant information and be able to store it so I know what it is and where i got it from.

- Perform primary research earlier in the research process, even though I received all the responses I needed, I feel it would be more beneficial to gather the primary research at the earliest stages.

- Allow more time to develop synthesis between the practical and theoretical elements, I think I focused too heavily on the written side of this module, I would have liked to have spent more time forming a little stronger link between my practical and written. However I still feel what I have produced is very relevant to my conclusions but it would have been nice to have had a little more time to develop it further.

- I could have done with sorting out time management more throughout this module, if I would have started developing my ideas at an earlier stage then I would have probably found it easier to create a structure for my essay as I wouldn't have felt as rushed and panicked as I did towards the end of the module.

- Pick a topic that perhaps wasn't quite as broad, one of the most difficult aspects of this module was picking the areas I wasn't going to talk about. So many of the areas I researched could have had an essay purely written about them so trying to cover all the required areas and still make it relevant and coherent to my ultimate aims was a mammoth task for me.

6. how would you grade yourself on the following areas? 

Attendance - 4

Punctuality - 4

Motivation -3

Commitment -3

Quantity of work produced -4

Quality of work produced -3

CoP3 // Practical Synthesis concept boards

With the submission I have provided a few concept boards which aim to help explain the synthesis between the theoretical and practical elements of this module.

Synthesised Practical

The practical element has been developed from the elements which were most common when researching the theoretical side of this module.
It is clear that the early stages of album cover design seemed to be the most enjoyable period of time for both designers and consumers of music, in the 60’s and 70’s much of your peer status would have been determined on the vastness of your record collection. People enjoyed having large physical pieces of artwork which accompanied their music, it was another element for a fan to relate to as well as another format to band promotion.
This sense of ownership and pride of physical items in relation to the music industry is slowly disappearing with the progression of downloading and file sharing.
Therefore this practical element is a collection of my suggestions on how we can keep the album cover physical, so we can keep on enjoying the art work that accompanies the music we
purchase.
There has become such a strong bond between visuals and music since the development of recorded music and it would be beneficial to both
consumers and designers if their was still formats of design that can be bought, held and cherished.

CoP3 // Practical Synthesis

The sysnthesis between the theoretical and practical element of this module is formed from the reactions of most designers I have studied during the research part of the written element. I came to the conclusion that most designers have seen the role of a designer in the music industry take a creative hit, since the digital age has taken over. MP3's, Downloading and File Sharing have resulted in the demise of the physical album cover. Most of the album art that is created in todays modern market end up as a mostly screen based product. The physicality and ownership of purchasing music has definitely been effected by this.

The era of the 12" vinyl seemed to be the best time to be a designer for the music industry, when the format large, the product was always physical and consumer took pride in owning records and gaining a vast collection.
The music industry also boomed around the 60's and 70's with the development in the popularity of rock music and psychedelic free thinking helped both musicians and designers open their mind to the possibilities of design which in turn provoked a unique and revolutionary response, which resulted in both music and album art that is still hugely famous and popular over 50 years later.
Since the end of the vinyl record it seems much of the benefits that it brought have been lost with it, even though vinyl is becoming popular again to many, the constant development of technology is making it look more and more likely that design in music will take a mostly digital path, which is seen as a positive step as the development of new technology will develop visuals and audio to new levels and their will always be new, innovative and creative thinkers to take it to the next level.
However, takings design in music digital would result in less physical products being made, which in esence could ultimately cause the consumer to loose pride and ownership in their music collection which seemed so important just a few years ago.

Therefore my practical element aims to try of apply the physicality of the 12" vinyl to more modern formats, so even though the development of digital design will continue, designers can still be able to apply their designs to a physical outcome which in turn can be owned, used or displayed by proud music fans.