PPD - Task 7 - Final Appraisal

So this is the last task for Personal and Professional Development for this year, and I have gained huge amounts of knowledge so far, with regards to all the different modules. I chose this course as I have always been a very hands on and practical person who showed skill and creativity in GCSE and A-Level product design, so I decided that this was the type of work that I would love to do in the future, whether this be running my own business, or taking a practical course such as furniture making further my skills and knowledge to allow me to become a teacher.

PPD has allowed me to expand my ideas and inspirations, with trips to places such as the NEC and other related trips by other modules to places like Nostell Priory. PPD has also made me begin to realise much more about running a business, selling furniture, building on feedback and gaining client’s interest. Other modules have also widened my ideas and sills, and one module largely related to this was Design Elements and Principles. When I first started this course and module, I knew that my weakest point would be physically getting my ideas onto paper. This module greatly improved my drawing skills, and I learnt a variety of different ways to get my designs onto paper, with the use of chalk, other images and also water colours, ways which I had never experimented with before.  It was not just what I have learnt on this course which has made it an exciting and wonderful year, but also the people supporting me all the way. The staff, lecturers and students have been invaluable in helping, designing and bouncing ideas, which I hope I have also been able to do for them. I have also learnt that organisation and presentation are incredibly important both to present your work but also to help during the design and make process.

With this knowledge that I have gained though the first year has also led me to realise other areas in which I want to learn and improve on for next year, such as how to run a profitable business, sell your ideas and also to gain more confidence whilst standing in front of a group of people, as this will be a necessary skill which will allow me to actually sell myself and my ideas I have to clients in the future.
Overall this has been an exciting and incredibly busy year, with learning machinery and tools, setting up a new home and meeting new friends and tutors. Hopefully next year will be a slightly easier year, as there won’t be new environments to adjust to, and I will just settle back in and start making furniture, which is what I love to do!