Critical Self Reflection - 1st Year

HOW WERE THE FIRST YEAR MODULES SUCCESSFUL OR NOT

This was the first project when starting interior design first year, the brief was to design a workspace specifically to fit what I would want it to be like to make me feel comfortable. I felt this project went well in a creativity and aesthetic way, but within technical skills and dimensions this project proved I needed to focus more on the design side than how it is going to look at the end and how the space will flow to fit everything I needed in there for my workspace to function properly. The space I created was too small and I then found it had to fit elements in that would have made the design work better so had to leave those out, I also needed to remember to include ergonomics into my designs as the seating to table measurements were off, this is something I will take experience from into my next projects.

The Queensgate market project was the second project I completed on the course, within this project the dimensions were very limited, but using the knowledge from the first project, I made sure to make an empty 3D plan of the space using SketchUp before then moving on to making my concept work within the space rather than the other way around, this enabled me to start manipulating the structure of the space to create something completely new and engaging for the client and customer, the image on the left is the first draft of what I wanted to do with the space as an initial idea, the image on the right shows how I developed this concept and progressed it within the dimensions to make the design more innovative. The Skate Cafe concept inside the Queensgate market was one of the most innovative concepts i have done so far and challenged me technically as i included elements of the market itself into the design, this being the shape of the pillars inside the market that support the unique roofing, linked in shape and form to the halfpipe in the cafe used by the skaters, i also included similar materials as the pillars were made from concrete which i then relayed into the flooring of the mini skatepark.

HOW WILL I DEVELOP SKILLS INTO 2ND YEAR

From the first project when starting the course, I have learnt that it is important to not prior- itise how it is going to look from the very beginning and to first develop your concept and research surrounding that, this will make my designs more innovative and informed with knowledge using precedent studies instead of instantly deciding how it is going to look aesthetically and having to deal with design and technical problems later on. Also when designing a space to be more innovative with materials as I found myself using similar ma- terials throughout and into the beginning of 2nd year as they were safe and I understood where and how they should be used. I need to challenge myself on a creative level to in- troduce new materials into spaces and experiment with textures and forms.