Digital mockups

For my mockups i decided to use the designs i have finished so far so i would have some done before the assessment and i would not have to do them last minute. I was very relieved when Helen mentioned they do not have to be perfect as of yet as i have not practiced this technique since second year so, it will take me a few attempts to get it right.

The first mock up i completed was one for my card. To create this mock up i did not use a displacement map as the design would be flat anyway. I think this was a good way to get my mind back into the process of what i was aiming to achieve before diving in with the long process of displacement maps.

Overall this design did come out a lot better than expected as i was anxious about the top edge of my design. If this was just straight it would have been more straight forward as i could have just filled in the image i had found on the internet with my own design. I decided to not look for an image with a border on the top like my own as it is a very specific shape. Considering my initial hesitations i am very happy with this outcome although the orange inside of the card does stand out slightly. Compared to my hard copy mock up i do think this looks a lot more professional.

For my second mock up i decided to use an actual displacement map now having gained confidence from my card. So i knew what steps to take when creating this map i referred back to my second year blog which contains very detailed notes on how to create this map.

Because of these notes the process was very straight forward to follow. My main struggle was balancing the folds within the paper and the hues of my original design. Looking back i should have spent longer playing with the brightness and contrast to ensure this was as high as possible. Despite this i feel it is still a good first attempt for the year and will help for when i produce the mock ups for the summative assessment. There is still lots of improvement for my displacement map skills. Despite being happy with what i have achieved i need to practice more to ensure i can get the folds in the paper and the hues within my design in the right balance.

Looking back at the difference between my mental attitude of the formative assessment towards the end of last year compared to approaching this one i am very happy with myself. Last year the pressure got to me so i did not complete a series of tasks that were required at the formative assessment point e.g. mock ups as i could not cope. I have now learnt to look at tasks one at a time so’s to not overwhelm myself with the grander picture. Also what i really believe helps me is that i write day by day lists of things to complete instead of one big lists which contains every task i need to do within the next 3 weeks. By giving myself more concise tasks, which are relevant day to day it means i only have to focus on these and not everything i should be doing; however, can not fit into one day.