Personal Review: Creative and Professional Practice

Skills and Knowledge

Awareness of diverse and global range of design cultures and languages.

Over the past year I have started regularly reading many more design and architecture websites/ blogs that have made me more aware of global design. However, I still need to expand my knowledge by keeping up to date with various medias.

Experience of design research, analysis and synthesis.

For each project we need to research before we design, therefore I do have some experience of this. I hope this will improve with the final major project as we get much longer to thoroughly research our area in-depth. I need to use many different sources to achieve the best result.

Visualising/ prototyping skills and aptitudes in a range of media and formats.

I use SketchUp, Artlantis and Photoshop to create my visualisations and have competent knowledge of these. I would like to improve this to try getting different effects such as a more sketchy look. I also need to improve my drawing visualisation skills.

Aptitude in compiling interim and summative design presentations.

Each project we do requires some form of presenting work so I have some knowledge of this. However, I want to improve a lot as I think presenting work is very important. I will look at a range of source such as design website, portfolios and magazine layouts to gain inspiration for presenting.

Aptitude for designing through a digital platform.

I usually use SketchUp to help me design after I have got some ideas on paper. Its help me to visualise what the space will look like. I would like to improve this through practice so that I become quicker at making what I can see in my head and turning it into a SketchUp model.

Knowledge and experience of process, component and production technology.

I have little knowledge of production technology. My only experience being working on models in the workshop. Creating more models will help my final project.

Cassandra Hall

Project Process

Experience of design process and methodologies.

I usually start by working in a sketchbook and then I start creating a SketchUp model to help the design process. I need to become quicker in the process so that I have more time to create a client presentations so it would help if I made decisions quicker.

Experience of team leadership and management.

I was team leader of a group project, but I didn’t like being leader. However, I have some leadership experience from part time jobs and enjoyed leading there. I think I would like to lead projects when I am an Interior designer but not until I have enough experience to know exactly what I am doing.

Experience of costing projects and fee negotiation.

I have no experience of costing project or how much a design company would charge. I have tried to do some research but it’s hard to find out but I will get much more experience of this when I graduate and get a job within a company.

Experience of planning and managing project activity.

I always make a timetable of what I need to do for a project but find it hard to stick to. I need to spend less time tweaking the design and more time making a client presentation.

Experience of managing client relationships and collaboration.

As a student I don’t have much experience of working with clients as an Interior Designer but this will improve once I get a design job. I do have lots of experience in customer service and some of these skills will be transferable to working with clients.

Experience of a wide range of project types and scales of innovation.

The projects I have so far completed at university have been very different from one another. I have completed projects in residential, office and restaurant design, as well as furniture, nature trails and TV set design. I feel this has made me more creative and I can use different skills I have learnt trough the different areas.

Cassandra Hall

Enterprise and Marketing.

Knowledge of design sectors and creative industries.

I feel I do have a good knowledge of creative industries as I am always researching into the different jobs I could do once I graduate. I will gain lots of knowledge when I am working in a design company as I imagine different people from different sectors will collaborate together to make a final design.

Experience of project procurement and client consultation.

I don’t have any experience of project procurement yet however this will be much different when working within a company. Improving my marketing skills will help me acquire more projects.

Experience in planning continuing professional development.

I do like to plan my career path and how I will continue into the professional world. Undertaking lots of research into design industries will give me the best possible options.

Experience and understanding of legalisation and regulations.

I do have some knowledge of regulations through completing building analysis and using resources such as the metric handbook. However, I will need to improve this when I am working on live projects. Researching on government and architecture websites will advance my knowledge greatly.

Experience of design budgets and account management.

I do not have experience of design budgets but it is something I would like to gain basic knowledge in before I graduate. I could start by taking a previous project and costing the materials and work, as if I would if it was a live project.

Experience of design practice marketing and promotion.

I would be interested in design practice marketing and this is something I could get involved with when I work within a company. Gaining skills in photography, graphic design and website design will help.

Cassandra Hall

Values and Vision.

Understanding and practice of ethical business standards.

When I graduate I would like to become a part of a design company which values ethical design. To understand this more I need to research what I can do as an interior designer to make my designs and business practice ethical.

Subscription to policies and standards of ethical design.

I have a strong belief in ethical design and aim for it to be a key part of my design choices. To improve I need to keep up to date with new policies and research ethical design as there is a lot of different options.

Commitment to and understanding of the imperatives of professional practice.

I think it is very important review your own work to see how it could be improved and remember what obstacles have been in the way and will continue to do this to get the best design.

Awareness and appreciation of key design futures and innovation trends.

I try to keep up to date with design trend through design websites, blogs and magazines. However I want to improve this by reading more and expand the design areas that I look at.

Commitment to the advancement of design knowledge, expertise and value.

It is very important for design to advance especially with technology to create sustainable designs. As an individual designer it s very important for my own design knowledge to advance and to do this I will continue to learn through researching other designs.

Awareness and practice of user centered design.

As an interior designer user centered design is very important as we are designing space in which people will live, play and work. As I enter my third year I am going to try and make sure all my design outcomes are use centered and feel lots of good quality research will help me do this.

Cassandra Hall