Conceptual Design: Evaluation of the Entire Process

As a whole I enjoyed the design process for Conceptual Design. I felt the brief gave a lot of freedom as to what you could research and design, enabling you to put your own stamp and identity onto the designs, down to the trims, fabrications, silhouettes etc. Looking back there are several things I would have changed, however I've learnt from the mistakes I had made and turned previous weaknesses into strengths.
Had I managed my time effectively there were certain things I could have done better. I started research but as my concept was very unclear, the research process was made very difficult and I lost track of what my concept was. Once I had decided on a clear concept, that is when my research started to improve and my design process could properly begin. If I had to do a similar project in future, I'd definitely ensure that my concept is clear before making a start on research, to give me a clear indication as to where my designs can go. I had taken far too long in the research stage (along with other deadlines and unforeseen circumstances) that my time to do the designs, print ideas, knit research, flat drawings and accessories was rather limited and rushed, and not done to the best of my ability. I have not had to do a project of this size in such a small space of time, however the project was so intense that it made me learn things I wouldn't have done before had I had a longer time to do it. This included drawing my designs. In previous projects the design stage would have been much longer and I would take my time doing each one individually. This project taught me to draw much more rapidly and improved my drawing skills to some extent. Had I managed my time more effectively I would have further improved these by perhaps using Photoshop to insert models’ heads, hands and feet (my usual weaknesses in drawing) to make my designs stand out and look a lot stronger. I think this too would improve my colour application and experimentation with prints.
Through this project I also got to do my first project on both women’s wear and men’s wear. This design process taught me that men’s wear isn’t for me, although I tried my best with it, I prefer designing for women’s wear as it gives me a lot more freedom with my designs. I would have further experimented with my fabric samples (a usual strength of mine) however on this occasion, due to time management, I did not have the time to do so.
Overall, I enjoyed this module and there were many things I learnt, mainly developments and improvements I can make to further enhance my skills and strive to my full potential.