Module Evaluation

The written dissertation was very challenging and since it was the researchers first research project a lot of stress and anxiety resulted. This was inevitable however and helped when it came to meeting deadlines in the time plan. A lot was learned throughout the writing understanding academic texts and having to think critically was oddly enjoyable. The researcher never imagined that enjoyment would come out of the written aspect but a lot was which was inspiring and motivating.

Some of the sources used, Adorno especially, were hard to interpret and this lead to a lot procrastination. His work, once understood, was very pessimistic and the researcher being a music fan lost a lot of hope in the industry. Once triangulated though Adorno’s thoughts seemed less concrete and the project became very enjoyable.

The practical project was challenging and offered a lot of learning. GIFs were almost completely new to the researcher, which was a major limitation. Another was time, mainly because this was a response to the written aspect, the artwork suffered as too much focus was put into the writing. Nevertheless the results were good and the designs worked in thumbnail formats.

The first design, the test piece, showed viewers quickly that moving image wouldn’t be hard to implement into classical album covers. Dark Side of the Moon was chosen as a personal favourite and on the basis that it already captures movement of light so an actual moving image fits very well. From this the project twisted already existing designs for Coldplay’s album’s A Head Full of Dreams, X&Y and Viva La Vida. These three GIFs provided the researcher with some knowledge on how GIFs work which allowed for the designs for Myloxyloto and Ghost stories to be more complex and creative. The redesign for Ghost stories showed that album artwork for this project can be  given a completely new simpler look yet still hold elements of the original design. Critically speaking this design looks a lot more child like than the original but given more time the same darker feel could of been replicated.

Myloxyloto’s redesign worked really well and kept all elements of the original and added the aspect of moving image. It also demonstrated that mediums for designs are not restricted by the moving image concept or minimalistic design. The written project in conjunction with this project has really helped the researcher become more aware of the current climate for design within the music industry. Due to this the researchers practice in future will be more appropriate and design decisions can be made of newfound knowledge.