Final Evaluation

My initial thoughts when I got the brief were excitement, I have never done anything similar to this style and I wanted to see where my ideas could take me.

I think the most interesting part of the project was definitely using different materials for example I had never used fabrics in my work before and it was interesting to see how this worked and how different materials worked together emotions and how some didn’t work at all.

The beginning research definitely gave me a good starting point to see what sort of materials were used for what theme, what sort of colour schemes and what imagery would be suitable for each theme, apart from the obvious imagery, for example nature imagery is more suitable for a sympathy card than a birthday card.

To ensure that I used the materials safely I had to ensure I evaluated the situation I was put in when using the materials; for example when using water I would have to assess my surrounding to ensure there were no cables near me that could cause shocks.

The materials I enjoyed using the most were probably the sparkly card and the 3D cards as I think they both look really effective and unique, as well as they were very neat materials to work with and did not require drying time.

The hardest material to use was definitely the glue gun; it was very messy and difficult to get the hang of without the glue spilling onto areas I did not want it to be, also I think paper cutting was quite difficult as it was very hard to get neat curved lines using the scalpel.

Using the materials to create unique experiments was quite difficult however my research guided me through this, for example the 3D cards are quite uncommon and look very effective. I think the idea of the pram was very creative as well and how it is not the shape of a regular rectangle card is different. I also like the idea of using embroidery in a card as it is something I have yet to come across in cards from shops.

In terms of materials I think my most successful experiment was the rattle card. I like that it was very unique and also a physical toy for the baby to play with however it was very difficult to make as well as messy and chunky. My least successful experiment in terms of materials would be the tin foil tree, I think it is very unsuitable for a sympathy card and gives the wrong emotions.

I chose the materials and processes for my final outcomes because I thought they were the most suitable. The paper cutting in the baby card is very delicate as well as the ribbon and flowery material and gives a very soft and gentle look and feel to the card and works effectively to create a baby girl themed card. In the valentines day card I chose the glittery red card because the red emits love and the glitter is very exciting and fun, while the ribbon gives a softer touch to the card and adds a physical feature so the viewer can interact with the card. I chose to use a duller colour scheme in the sympathy card due to the subtle emotions it gives; the greys and blues give a calmer sense to the viewer whereas the brown is a very neutral colour. I used flowers as they can represent empathy and support to a person in their time of need. In the birthday card I used glittery card again for excitement and a fun theme as well as the shiny confetti which displayed images of balloons, suitable for a birthday party. I liked how the 3D cutout gives a peek to the glitter and it is not too overwhelming. I think the materials I used in the final outcomes are effective due to the experimental choices and how some of those did not work out therefor I knew what to use and what no to use.

The most successful feature in the baby card I think would be the embroidery as it is very delicate and it takes a long time to make therefore it has a very personal touch. In the valentines day card the best thing I would say would be the tissue paper flowers, I think they look pretty and are detailed and delicate while giving the right message. The most effective thing about the birthday cards would  definitely be the glittery card as it shows lots of excitement and joy however I think the 3D element is very unique and different. The sympathy card has good composition and I like that it is not too chaotic and the page is quite empty.

To improve my final outcomes I think I could have used more pattern. The card I started out with was plain and I think a subtle pattern would have benefit all of the cards, as well as this I struggled to find the right typography for the Valentines day card and I think this is a weaker element of this card.

Throughout the project I feel that I have sometimes used the visual language to convey the right emotions however sometimes I have not. I think this is an important part of learning what is suitable for what theme and helped me develop my final outcomes.

My most successful uses of the materials would be the stork card as the imagery and materials were suitable and the card was very cute. I also liked the thumb-print card as it has a humorous touch to it and the imagery works well with the typography. The use of the embroidery was a very nice touch however it did take a lot of time but the final outcome was worth it.

A clear way that my research linked to my experiments would be the use of imagery. For example the use of confetti in the valentines day card research was inspired clearly in my rattle and balloon card. Another example would be the use of false flowers in my sympathy cards as this clearly links to my sympathy card research. The pram card takes inspiration from the baby card research and shows the use of the shape of the card.

To plan for my cards to be suitable for the specific audiences I used the materials to suit the audiences; for example the glittery card would appeal to a younger female audience as it is very pretty and girly and exciting whereas it would not suit an older female audience as they might find it too much and overwhelming. The baby card was suited to parents who were going to have a baby girl as I used the theme of pink and pretty material. I used the blue colour in the birthday card for it to be suited more to a boy. The sympathy card is suited to an older audience as it has a very simple layout and subtle colours.

I like the way my final cards came out and I think the visual language is successful in conveying my intended message due to the use of the materials.

I think I have definitely learnt that the materials used in my projects definitely has an impact on the message they give to the audience in terms of emotions and what makes a good card in general.