Reflection - Evaluation of Group and Individual Projects

Evaluation - Group Project

I believe our group has been one of the strongest - we have communicated on a daily basis to make sure there were clear tasks for each individual to carry out and there wasn't anyone sat around doing nothing. Everyone in the group had different strengths which I believe helped a great deal as everyone could concentrate on something separate, that they were strong at, and feed their ideas back to the group so that all components were cohesive. At first, I thought I might struggle to contribute to the project, with being from a textiles background rather than interior design, however, myself and Jenny created the initial colour scheme from the first ideas that the group discussed, as well as helping to choose appropriate materials to fit with industry standards. I have also enjoyed watching an idea turn into a reality through CAD and visuals, which the interiors students contributed towards mostly.

After the initial pitch to Bruntwood, they thought our designs were one of the strongest they'd seen, and they said we had considered their needs well. I believe we took a risk in developing the Blue Sky option after the interim presentation, as it would be more difficult for Bruntwood to achieve, rather than a slight rearrangement of what was currently there. However, we all felt that this was the stronger option as it catered more closely to what Bruntwood were looking for initially - more break out space. In the final pitch, Bruntwood were really interested in what myself and Jenny had produced in the way of fabric samples. They thought our group had worked together extremely well, but they had reservations about our reasons for choosing to develop the 'Blue Sky' option rather than Option 2, as this would have been an easier task. They also were slightly concerned about the new name 'Fairhurst House' as they thought this dated the building, and the interior redesigning was contemporary, which they thought didn't add up. They did however commend the group for challenging the name and attempting to change it, although it didn't quite work in the end. The group were extremely happy with the feedback given, although some of it was constructive criticism. I believe the best part of the new design was the meeting space and furniture as this is what Bruntwood initially set out to achieve through allowing us to design for them. 

Model of Blue Sky option - Fairhurst House


I have found the group project highly rewarding and I have enjoyed experiencing working towards a live brief with Bruntwood. It has kept me interested throughout and I have felt motivated to work on this project, although I did feel at times it was a little too relaxed and timings were uncertain until last minute. I would like to work on an interiors project again to find out more about the industry and to gain more technical knowledge of the digital programs used such as Sketch Up and Vector Works.

Evaluation - Individual Project

By collaborating with Jennifer (specialises in Print) who is from a different discipline within my own course (Textiles In Practice) - I specialise in Embroidery with a Mixed Media approach, I feel we have drawn from each other's strengths. I have used the laser cutter before so I was aware of what the guidelines were, as well as what works most effectively when the laser cuts into the material. We have pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zones by not starting with colour and working towards a 3D product from the beginning to try something slightly different than what we are used to. We also have not used fabric at the beginning of the project which I thought we would find harder than we actually did. In my opinion, we have improved upon our problem solving skills, with having to alter the design of the table numerous times so it would work successfully. If we had more time, we would have ideally liked to screen print our designs onto the table to test how this would haven worked for future projects.

I think that my work experience at the Royal Exchange Theatre Workshop has helped a great deal with this project as I learned about the wood stains and varnishes used in industry. It was also helpful that I could return to the workshop to stain the table and use their facilities. 

I haven't worked on a project with Jenny before, but I definitely would do again. We co-operated with each other and worked together to create the designs. I also have enjoyed working in a different way for a client, rather than for something hypothetical like we would usually do on our course. I have found this project highly rewarding and would like to work with more industrial materials alongside fabric in future projects.


Unit X Exhibition - Federation House

I found displaying my work in the final Unit X exhibition very rewarding as I could reflect upon the hard work and determination that I have put into creating collaborative pieces both within a group and individual environment. I believe I have worked effectively throughout both projects and I have contributed equally to both, managing my time appropriately. 

Self-Initiated Brief Final Samples - Evaluation

My final collection of samples for my self-initiated brief have been abstracted from my initial idea of 'anatomy' in order to appeal to a more commercial interior audience. I have put all of the designs into half-drop repeat as this is most commonly used within industry. They have been printed onto cotton poplin and cotton satin to experiment with different fabric weights. I prefer the cotton satin as it is sturdier and I could see it being appropriate for use within an interior space, rather than the cotton poplin which is relatively flimsy and could rip more easily. 

I have produced the samples above in a larger scale than previously (64cm X 64cm) in various colour ways as I thought the red triangle was a bit gory and didn't suit the sample. I tried out orange and purple, but I prefer the purple as it compliments the other colours in the sample more than the orange and red do. I would have liked to layer laser cut grey wool over the top of the larger samples to gain a better understanding of how this would work, and if it would be suitable for my audience.

The colour choices I have made merge neutrals with slightly brighter colours to accentuate my designs in areas and allow a slightly graphic approach to the abstracted shapes. Other samples incorporate colours that clash slightly such as red and purple mixed with greys, which I have found a challenge to work with. I feel this would make my designs suitable for most commercial interior audiences. By using metallic threads in these designs it allows a lightness in areas as highlights which reflect the light when turned in different directions as the stitches are all running in different directions. On darker fabrics, I have used metallic threads to offer a relief surface, which allows quite 'dry' looking fabrics a moment of shine which I believe I have achieved effectively.

When using the Bernina machines, I considered how the stitches I used could relate to my concept of anatomy, with one in particular imitating a heart beat. I played with the stitch length when using satin stitch to add depth to the shapes on the print so it didn't look like a flat surface.

The most successful samples are where techniques have been combined to create different effects on the fabric (above), rather than where only one has been used (such as the laser-cutter, Bernina and Digital Embroidery separately). The sample below has lost all its shape because the fabric was too thin. I used cotton poplin with the laser cutter and the fabric just disintegrated. It improved slightly once ironed but it doesn't hold its shape still - cotton satin and wool would have been better choices. 

This sample would have been more successful on a more sturdy fabric, with a lower number of cut-outs as they have ripped into one larger hole in places.

I feel to have developed a way of working that is effective for me during this project, allowing myself time to think about designs in order to move forward. Also, by developing skills in both Photoshop and Illustrator throughout this project, I have been more confident when it came to using these programs to create designs. I believe without being able to use these programs as well as I can now, I would not have been able to achieve what I have done throughout the project.

Engineering Embroidery - Evaluation

The collection of samples that I want to present for the engineering embroidery project involve a range of sizes and material qualities. I have used leather mainly, using the front and reverse to explore different textures. 

Initially, I used PVC (above) as a cost-saving substitute for leather, which I later decided didn't fit the brief properly - the textures were all the same, whereas with leather there are different weights to try out. Similarly, the designs I stitched out onto the PVC on the multi-head embroidery machine initially were far too literal, so I developed them to be more abstract so they would be more appropriate for the audience. In the process, I used repeat motifs in my new designs, picking the negative space out with the magic wand tool on Photoshop.

My initial colour palette evolved from a few of Timorous Beasties' prints, but later I moved onto metallics in similar shades to enhance the material quality - the leather side appeared flat and the suede side of the leather had a dryness to it. The metallic threads added a new surface quality, a shimmer on the suede that can only be seen in light. These are some of my favourite samples from this project (below).

Some samples were not as successful due to colour choices and composition of their design. 

(Above, left) The choice of purple with this particular leather clashes slightly, and the white shapes are not particularly well arranged, however, the metallic bronze thread I feel works well because it is within a similar colour range to the leather itself; it has a subtlety to it. (Above, right) The leather was quite thin and flimsy, meaning that it got slightly sucked into the machine, causing it to pucker. The design is also stitched too closely together, making it quite dense. I wanted to create a shadowed effect, although I don't think this has been executed properly.

If I was to develop the project further I would have liked to up-scale some of the designs as they are all relatively small and of similar sizes, as well as layering samples using varying techniques such as the laser cutter with machine embroidery. To do this I would need to have better time management when booking onto the Laser Cutter and a wider variety of digital skills so that I could create more innovative designs than what I did. I would also like to try out other materials on the digital embroidery machine to see how they react. I feel I have worked outside my comfort zone with this project due to not experiencing or working with car interiors before, although I believe my work is in-keeping with current interiors due to the materials used. However, the designs and thread choices introduce a new aspect to this particular market as they are graphic rather than subtle.

Evaluation of 'Intentions' Unit

 

Throughout the unit I have developed the way in which I think about sampling and research - I have found inspiration much more easily than in previous projects. This could be due to the fact that I considered a context for my work relatively quickly after the project begun; I created drawings in a way that I haven't tried before, or I have found ways to develop samples more easily than last year.

 

I have enjoyed learning new techniques and ways of working in the embroidery area, such as the Ethos Software and Multi-Head Stitch-Out, and Photoshop techniques. The Photoshop workshops, in particular, have allowed me to experiment with compositions to work out what would be most suitable for my project and context. I would like to use these new techniques in future projects as they have helped me to develop ideas into physical samples.

 

My work ethic throughout the project has allowed me to complete, as well as thoroughly explore the techniques I have used, although I have felt far more relaxed than in first year. The tutorial system of only having one meeting a week, I feel, has allowed me to work more freely and experiment and develop ideas more easily.

The initial concept underpinning my work was 'Disguise and Cover-Up' which influenced my project more literally nearer the beginning due to the media I used. The idea of 'Urban Influences' allowed me to explore structures as well as shape - I was inspired by the 'old and new' aspect of the architecture between the City Centre and Media City which contributed to the graphic quality throughout my work, as well as enabling me to explore structures and 3D compositions. Moving forward from my initial drawings, I concentrated more closely on the colours and compositions which have played a bigger part in the samples I worked on, rather than a concept itself.

 

Throughout visual research my main influences were Dario Moschetta, because of his abstract use of colour, and Issey Miyake for his structural garments. These have been main themes throughout my work and have enabled me to explore new pathways.

The context for my work is a mixture of Window Displays and Visual Merchandising, Costume and Set Design. I would say that this helped to portray a diluted concept as these could all be referenced as 'disguise' or 'cover-up'. The context influenced the way in which I planned samples due to the scale and colour use, as the context for my work would require large samples with bold colours.



 

The above images have influenced my samples the most due to the element of structure and detail in them. I prefer the green colour palette, but the graphic qualities of the pink image.

 

My most successful sample was using the Multi-Head embroidery machine and incorporates graphic qualities and complimentary colours in a large scale that would be appropriate for my context. The fabric is suitable for draping as a backdrop, and the colours are bold enough to be seen from a distance which is an important factor in public displays.

 

 The figurative drawings of buildings have become the graphic, dark lines within my samples, whereas the abstract drawings have made me consider my choice of colour more carefully. I have found this relatively easy to translate straight into embroidery using the Ethos Software, as well as experimenting with colour and thread compositions.

In future projects, I will be able to develop the techniques I have used, as well as having a closer awareness of colour and composition. I would have liked to experiment further using Photoshop alongside the Ethos Software to develop my technique and try out other compositions.