Self Evaluation

Engagement:


In terms of how I engage with the course I would say that my attendance is great if not impeccable apart from the odd sick day or mitigating circumstances that marry into my punctuality in more or less the same fashion.
Im motivated enough to get up early, take notes and my level of commitment is only hindered by my sometimes negative attitude,  but my contribution to the group is always noticed by my peers and tutors alike.
The quantity of my work is biased, my pre-development work tends to dwarf the final outcome's quality which is something I need to rectify, along with the printed quality of my work which can take a sufficient hit when time is not organised properly.
Communication for me is another situation of bias, sometimes I can often appear muddled or incoherent when in a verbal or visual context, whereas I think my written skills often outweigh my oral skills, which I have begun to better myself on since the last project I did.
Organisational skills are something that have been a previous barrier for myself in the past 2 years and I will not allow myself to slip on this basis again since it tends to contribute to my downfall on some of the briefs.
In crits I see myself as someone who is now able to (since the end of year 2) present myself to some form of respectable standard, laying my work out in a chronological order rather than awkwardly scattering remnants of paper in a vain attempt to cover up an insubstantial body of work.


Research


Without going into too much detail for this, I believe that overall my research skills are of an average if not great standard, I am not afraid to use the library, can reference internet sites correctly and gain an accurate time stamp from posts and have recently kept my blog in check. The only negative I can come up with is my apprehension toward visits that may offer much better experiences and information than just looking something up.


Practical/design skills


Software skills that include Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign are all of an average standard, though if I am being honest it is a vital area I wish to focus on when I come back. Having not enough money to shell out for the full package has hindered me since day one, which irritates me on enough levels to stay at college until the latest time possible, leaving me too tired to work properly when I got home. this I would like to change this year by spending more time having a more direct approach to my learning of the software and working on my reluctance to just ask for help, not try it alone.
I have rarely/barely used quark, flash or after effects. Out of those 3 there is only one I would like to try to work on, especially since I would be gearing my work toward game design, and seeing as many games I have played, as well as gone past the production stage have been on flash, which is also a huge contributor to modern website design.
So in conclusion my use of software is something that needs a huge polish on.


My practical skills are a little more honed, albeit a tad rusty. I am competent enough to use typography be it hand drawn or digitally sourced but do feel it could do with some considerable improvements, which I am sure the journal will do for me.
My illustration skills are not the best, but I am skilled and able to produce clear visuals be it product visualization or general illustration of a good level.
I think to improve my skills in photography is an understatement, as it is a standard requirement in order to document and present my work accordingly, I need to brush up on my skills when I return, as well as my screen printing skills, as it is something I would greatly like to do when I get back. I dont really have any interest in stop frame animation or video as it tends to take up vast amounts of time, then it seems to me that I produce work at an extremely low level.


Critical Studies


Planning for an essay is not my strong point, as it changes so often for about 3 weeks then it settles into a more cohesive structure that is informed by my research, mainly when the honeymoon stages of the Eureka moment is in my mindset. I am a confident writeI and have not had that much trouble writing essays, my main problem is writing too much and having to reduce it significantly at the expense of the essay as a whole, as well as typing at a computer too long, leading me to forget to proof read. The presentation is something that may need some looking at as I tend to format the essay incorrectly (double line spacing etc) but I think my referencing in bibliographies is accurate if not, too extensive.


Professional Practice*


This particular area is something I need to take a look at, as I could cause a hinderance to me in the not so distant future. I believe that my communication skills when addressing a client are at the very least attentive. I take notes on what is being said to me whether it be the substrate, concept, idea, information or restrictions needed then make informed decisions based upon the information given. I am not afraid to ask about something that may be a problem or need verifying, and dont have any qualms about calling someone whom I barely know and can construct some dialogue suitable to the person at hand or the context it serves be it email, phone or written down.
I would say a major flaw of mine, which would come as no surprise to anyone in industry, that is the feeling of dread when handing over my creative CV to anyone who I believe to be out of my league design/work wise. This attitude needs to change, despite my own personal feelings that my work tends to be lacking a standard of presentation/finishing that reflects my own capabilities and ambitions within a professional context. When it comes to a standard CV I have no problem, as I have dealt with the monotony of single minded corporate entities since I was in my early teens. So one main focus is to hammer away at my portfolio and make a start on my creative CV if I am to realise my potential and get myself heard. 
My own promotional material needs to be done this coming year, as I have not done a great deal in terms of live briefs due to conditions at home, but I will not let this hold me back anymore. I have no website or business cards yet simply because I have not let myself have enough time to develop a coherent design style that can be put across these types of media. Along with my portfolio, I think that I should start to turn my energies into producing a good solid base in terms of starting to define myself properly in the field and start to really show what I am capable of.


Enterprise and Innovation


As mentioned in PPD*, client contact seems to not be a problem of mine, as I have no problems approaching people I barely know and engaging with them in an appropriate manner. (although sometimes I can come across as a bit flappy)
When it comes to a basic business plan, I know the various details of how I would develop a business, when I would do it and who's going to play a part as well as help manage the finances. Things like an executive summary, marketing/sales strategy, management team/staff/personnel, operations and some form of financial forecast is the standard business plan template. An executive summary is an overview of what sort of business it is,   many investors/lenders make judgements based upon the summary, as well as including some form of description of what the business has to offer, to why and who. Or to put it in an easier format, the business: its products and services.
Operations I think are all to do with the production facilities, management systems and IT, so the technical and structural elements of the business. I could though, do with a brush up in terms of how they apply to different business', which could involve doing case studies on businesses that are relevant to my area in the industry.
Something else to note would be project costing, as I am a not so good at estimating budgets, as I tend to under price or over price I leave myself in the dark for a lot of projects, that is something I need to capitalise on in order to make sure I effectively sell myself at the right price, and not too short.
In terms of accessing legal, business and financial advice, I have had no problem with, I have a great source of contacts, websites and books that can help me find the relevant information should the time come, then again it never hurts to have more.