2. Evaluation Overview
This evaluation form is designed to assist you in the evaluation of your projects.
When using this form it is good practice to:
• Use appropriate terminology.
• Stay concise and focus on key points.
• Evaluate and analyse your statements.
• Focus on judgements about work rather than telling a story of how it was made.
Please find the grading matrix here to help you assess you are working at the right level.
Level 3 Extended Diploma Grading Matrix - https://bit.ly/2Jnqj3v
3. Project Overview
In this section you will outline the aim of the project/task and give an
overview of the activates you undertook to complete it.
4. What was the theme of your project and
what attracted you to it?
• My project was themed around an interactive style app which allows you to explore York while
also completing a variety of challenges throughout the day. I wanted to develop and app for my
project as I hoped it would push my knowledge of software forwards. It was also something I’d
never tried, and I wanted to see how I’d cope trying to get hold of using a new software. The idea
of planning something like a tour didn’t appeal to me originally so I figured as I’m a user of apps
similar I could figure out how to make one that people would actively use if they were out.
5. What research did you undertake and how
did it help develop your project?
• In my research, I looked deeply into other different social media platforms and how they laid out
their apps for easy use. Target audiences where also a big part of my research given the brief, we
were given was very specific. I noticed that the demographic we were given and the average age
of users on most social media platforms was the same. This was a turning point in the app I was
to develop as the styles and user demographic were certain to work. Snapchat and Instagram
were the forefront of my research due to a lot of the features that they contained. For example,
snapchats filter library was a big influence on my designs as the UI it used was easy to understand
and was easy to navigate to.
6. How did you develop and improve your ideas
throughout the project?
• My initial idea was to record a video commercial for the app but as I researched further and
found tutorials on how to make your own, I decided to take that route. I chose adobe Xd as it was
recommended by my teacher and researched how to use the software. I used photoshop to draft
some initial designs for logos and luckily got a hang of Xd pretty quickly learning more as I went.
7. What was the outcome of the project/task?
• As I went into production I focused on making my functioning app. Design of the app lasted me 2-
3 weeks so towards the end of production I started making social media accounts to promote my
work. I figured while I had a little bit of time left I’d make banners and advertisement posters for
socials and the real world.
8. Personal Response
This section will explore your thoughts and feelings about the
experience. This will help gain a understand of how your personal
feelings may have impacted the final outcome.
9. How did you feel about the project before
you started?
• After reading the brief, I struggled to think of my initial idea. The brief stated it was targeted
towards younger people and as I fit into the age demographic it was easier to think of something
that I felt was missing from York. Once I had a solid idea I was more confident but when thinking
of the idea with the briefs information I was struggling to think of what to do.
10. What do you think about your project development and
how did it help you to refine your idea?
• I had a good and firm idea at the start of the project but I was unsure as to what I would actually
make. I thought the best idea was to go the video route and create a commercial but as I went
further in the research and planning my idea changed towards making an app and promoting it
via social media.
11. Did you collaborate on your project or engage
contributors, etc.?
• My original plan was to get someone to be an actor in a commercial but as my idea shifted I found
I wasn’t in need of extra people. The work I did could all be done from my computer on my own.
Peer feedback was useful during production as it gave me an idea of what people in the specific
age range wanted to see and what they thought was useful.
12. How did you feel when the project was
completed and why?
• When I completed the production I was very happy how things had turned out. The app looked
professional and given it was my first time using Xd I was very happy with how I’d understood and
developed more skills. The posters and banners I made stuck to the brand image well and didn’t
look out of place when put on the social media platforms. While easy to set up the social media
accounts were professional looking but I feel making advertisement posts on these accounts
would have been the next step forward for me. With the knowledge I know now I do feel refining
the app would be a lot easier and making it look smarter would be the first thing I did if I had time
to go back and change things now.
13. Evaluating the project
In the previous sections, you have been commenting upon the project development. The
evaluation may include some similar information but it will also include critical comment.
An evaluation must include information about the good and bad points of the project and it
is important to be honest. Finally, you should make a judgment about the effectiveness of
the success of the project
14. What were the good points about the project/task and what did you
learn from them? [try and think of at least 3, more if possible]
• The main thing I learnt from the project is using adobe Xd to develop my app. I walked into this
project not knowing what the software was but through research and experiments I figured how
to make a high-quality app.
• I think my research is a strong point of my project as it set up my idea and understanding before
going into production. My research is targeted at looking into app statistics and demographics,
and with the demographic given in the brief it worked hand in hand.
•
15. What challenges did you face and how did you
respond to them? Try and think of at least 3...
• The biggest challenge I found was developing an idea for my production. I knew roughly what I
wanted to do but my idea changed a lot during the planning phase. I initially wanted to do a video
but decided app design would be more of a challenge and more fun. I responded to this challenge
by doing extra research and testing on the app before I started to try and understand the
software more.
• My planning focuses more on practical design and the aesthetic of the app rather than looking
into how to do things meaning it lacked direction at some points. This made me hit some brick
walls in terms of what to do after the initial app creation
16. What were the negative points about the
experience, and what could you have done to
improve them?
• My lack of planning was the biggest downfall in my project. My change of idea last minute meant
I had to use some production time to research how to use adobe Xd. Linking onto the previous
point, because I had to learn how to use Xd my final product isn’t as good as I thought it could be.
If I went in with the knowledge I had now I’d make a better product.
17. How would you rate the final piece? [think along the lines of
poor, satisfactory, good or excellent...justify your rating]
• I think my final piece of work is of good quality and looks very professional but lacks direction.
The app is my favorite part due to its realistic looks but when looked at with the planning it
doesn’t really make sense due to my idea shift. The posters and banners look very good and with
the background I added to them makes them look minimal but clean.
18. What is your opinion of your final piece? What
elements do you think are successful and why?
• I personally feel that my final piece is to a very good standard but could have been made better
with more in-depth planning. I found myself satisfied with my app early into production which
lead me on to making certain pieces I never intended to make. This was mainly due to the fact I
got to grips with adobe xd quicker than I thought I would.
19. How well did your project apply the characteristics
and conventions of the medium you worked in?
• The logistics behind my app is one of my best features of production. I made sure my app worked
as an app with the feature in xd which allowed you to test and combine the slides you’ve made.
My social media pages have the appropriate looks and feels of a professional business and when
you look at comparisons for other companies you can see how similar mine is.
20. How did you design appeal to your target
audience?
• The sleek and minimal design of current social media is something a younger audience wants. I
know this through asking people and doing primary research on people who are in the age range.
Older people can also use my app given the minimal design and easy to use UI. With York being
majority older people, I figured a way to attract younger people was to target something that they
always use which is their phone. If they can walk around and do everything York has to offer while
completing fun challenges and seeing sights, then it can work for everyone.
21. Analysis
In this section, you will focus on the details of the project and make
sense of what happened in the project. You should demonstrate how
your decisions informed the project development and the success of the
outcome.
22. In what ways was the overall project a
success?
My project was a big success for the reason of I now have a good understanding of how Adobe Xd
works and if I'm expected to create an app or do anything else with the program, I can navigate
through it with efficiency. My social media sites are also a big positive given the fact I can now set
up a social media and I can understand what makes a good site. My research was in-depth and looks
deeply into the target audience meaning I could target the specific group within the brief effectively.
I had a good understanding of what the app was to look like early on with lots of drafts for the apps
designs and logo.
23. How did your skills develop during the portfolio? [remember,
skills aren't just technical, remember things like organisation,
time management, communication, etc as well]
I’ve gained a lot of experience using new apps which is important for production. Following the brief
has been another big factor which I can say I’ve worked with a client in producing a marketing
scheme that has been effective within a target audience. My communication between peers when
asking for feedback has improved as shown throughout this PowerPoint with a lot of the input
surrounding my app and other production pieces.
24. What feedback did you get from your peers
and viewings?
• They told me that the presentation for the app and the social media pages look good, but they
think I should add more features to the app that would appeal to the target audience. My plan
included features such as challenges tabs for the user to complete but that isn’t present in my
app draft.
25. What would you do differently in the future
and why?
• If I could do this project again, I’d invest more time into planning how my app would look rather
than changing ideas to something different at the last minute. With the app development I’d
understand more now so I wouldn’t have to relearn how to use the app altogether. The planning
time I would have would be invested into learning new skills to enhance the outcome of the
project. I would also make posts for the social media accounts and market them by doing more
posters.
26. Action Plan
This section will identify what you would do differently in the future and
identify ways you could develop.
27. If you were making a similar project in the
future, what would you do differently?
• I feel general improvements in planning and research are something I’ve always needed in all my
projects. My efficiency in production could be improved as well as most times I find myself
thinking about what else I could do. That could also link back to planning but I’d mainly put it
down to doing things quickly and high quality. I’ll improve on this by doing more work at home to
better the quality of my work.
28. How could you develop your skills for future projects? Please
identify the appropriate resources and courses. For example,
webpages, tutorials, books, short courses and qualifications.
• I need more confidence when editing and filming for videos. My original plan was to film a video
but one of the main reasons i never did one was the planning and shooting of shots that put me
off. I'm happy with my current project I created but I feel it could have been elevated with a
video. I can improve by asking professionals and watching videos/tutorials on how to make good
shots and films. If I did this in my own time I could optimize time in college to edit and home time
to not only research but to film also
29. What personal attributes could you develop to
ensure you are working at a professional level?
• Keeping to deadlines was always something i found difficult due to the increasing amount of work
but as I go on, I know how much work I must do and when to do it. Work at home is an important
part of that. I find myself being too eager with things like planning and would rather jump straight
into production.