OUGD501: COP task 5

This is a task to complete during interview week (9th March - 13th March).

1. Go to the library

2. Find BA (hons) Graphic Design dissertations from 2013/14 - hint: upstairs and to the right

3. Grab at least 2 dissertations

4. Study each of the dissertations and focus particularly on their written FORM paying close attention to punctuation, grammar, tone-of-voice, referencing, vocabulary.

NOTE: not all the dissertations are "perfect" but studying a number of them will help to demonstrate how written work should be presented at undergraduate study.

5. Write a blog entry for this task - discuss 3 things that you have learned, observed, noted about the dissertations that you looked at and how this will help when addressing your own written piece.

I looked at: 

Bethany Yates 'what role does social media play in the future of brand communication' (2012/13)

Nathan Bolton 'Is print still relevant within the digital age?' (2013/14)

and Alisa Marrs 'A discussion of originality and innovation in type design with rise of mass culture and consumerism' (2011/12)

I found that from looking at the dissertations they were incredibly well planned out and presented. The language was incredibly formal and sounded professional in terms of art and design. The referencing was done correctly which is something I need to improve on within my own essay as I do find this difficult but given time I will be able to do this properly. There were also consistent links between the theory and the imagery or examples they were studying which provides a consistency in their discussion or argument which is something I need to ensure I do in my own essay both this year and in preparation for next year. I found that the most successful dissertations I looked at were those that wrote quite confidently with a range of vocabulary instead of just descriptions.