Introduction

Throughout this module, I have developed a clearer understanding of my identity as a designer, the direction I want to pursue professionally, and the specific actions required to reach that goal. My primary interest lies within CMF and interior experience design, particularly how materials, lighting, atmosphere, and cultural context influence emotional response and user interaction.

Alongside the development of my Final Major Project, this module has also allowed me to critically reflect on my portfolio, identify gaps within my skillset, and establish a more structured strategy for improving my employability within the design industry.

This reflection outlines the specific areas I have been developing, the feedback I received, the actions I am currently taking, and how these steps connect to my long-term career goals.

Establishing My Design Direction

Through both tutor and industry feedback, I identified that my strongest ability lies within CMF thinking and experience-led design. My projects consistently demonstrate an understanding of atmosphere, material storytelling, and emotional engagement.

However, feedback also highlighted that my portfolio did not fully communicate me as a complete designer. While my CMF thinking was strong, there was not enough evidence of broader design capabilities such as form development, sketching, technical communication, and resolved visualisation.

This became a major turning point during the module, as it helped me understand that specialising in CMF does not mean limiting myself only to material boards or surface treatments. Instead, I need to demonstrate how CMF integrates into wider design thinking, spatial experience, and product development.

As a result, I began restructuring both my portfolio and personal development plan to create a more balanced representation of my abilities.

Industry Feedback and Reflection

A significant part of my development during this module came through direct industry feedback.

After applying for a Transportation Design Internship at PriestmanGoode, I received detailed feedback from Sam Gilbey regarding both my portfolio and interview presentation. This feedback helped me better understand how my work is currently being perceived within industry.

One of the key points highlighted was that my ideas and creative direction were stronger than my technical execution. Sam explained that the team responded positively to my use of colour, atmosphere, and mood imagery, particularly the visual direction presented at the beginning of projects. However, it was not always clear how these inspirations translated into the final design outcomes.

He stated:

“My overall feeling is your ideas are better than your technical execution. We liked your choice of colour and mood images but it was hard to see how those followed through to the final design.”

This feedback made me realise that although my conceptual thinking and CMF instincts are strong, I need to communicate the development process more clearly.

Another important point raised was that my portfolio currently jumps too quickly from inspiration to final outcome without sufficiently showing the reasoning and development in between. This highlighted the importance of making stronger and more direct links between:

Moodboards
Material decisions
User experience intentions
CMF development
Final outcomes

This has encouraged me to rethink how I structure projects within my portfolio. Moving forward, I plan to place greater emphasis on:

Material exploration
Palette evolution
Tactile and emotional reasoning
Process development
User personas and contextual storytelling
The relationship between atmosphere and final design outcomes

The feedback also challenged my decision to include the Aston Martin project in its current form. While I originally added the project to demonstrate broader design capabilities beyond CMF, it became clear that the exterior form development weakened the clarity of my portfolio positioning.

Sam suggested that the project may work better if repositioned as a CMF-focused luxury experience project instead of an exterior-focused transport proposal. This reinforced the importance of aligning projects more closely with my strongest abilities and professional identity.

This feedback was extremely valuable because it gave me a clearer understanding of both my strengths and the specific areas I need to improve in order to compete professionally within the design industry.

Portfolio Development and Actions Taken

One of the main actions I took during this module was revising my portfolio in response to feedback.

Initially, my portfolio was heavily focused on CMF outcomes and lacked evidence of broader design exploration. To address this issue, I introduced additional projects that demonstrate other areas of design capability.

The main example of this was the inclusion of the Aston Martin project. This project allowed me to showcase:

Exterior form exploration
Sketch development
Proportion and surface understanding
Design communication
User experience thinking

This addition helped create a more balanced portfolio while still allowing CMF to remain my core strength.

Alongside this, I identified another major weakness within my workflow: my ability to create high-quality 3D visualisations efficiently.

To improve this, I started learning Blender independently. My aim is not only to improve rendering quality, but also to better communicate atmosphere, spatial qualities, and material relationships within my projects.

Currently, I am focusing on:

Learning efficient 3D modelling workflows
Understanding lighting and rendering techniques
Improving spatial visualisation
Translating sketches into resolved digital models
Producing stronger final presentation visuals

This development is important because I recognised that strong ideas alone are not enough within industry. The ability to execute and communicate those ideas professionally is equally important.

Postgraduate Study and Educational Development

Another key area of development during this module has been exploring postgraduate education.

I researched the Future Mobility programme at the Royal College of Art as a potential pathway after graduation. Through conversations with tutors including Chris Thorpe and Cynthia Chadwick, I received valuable feedback regarding my portfolio and application approach.

The feedback highlighted several areas that required improvement:

Greater clarity within project storytelling
More resolved final outcomes
Broader evidence of design capability beyond CMF
Stronger visual communication

This feedback directly influenced the actions I began taking within my portfolio development.

My plan moving forward is to continue refining my portfolio after graduation and strengthen it further before applying for postgraduate study and scholarships.

Alongside the RCA pathway, I also researched the MEXT Scholarship as an alternative opportunity for postgraduate education in Japan. This reflects my interest in cultural design perspectives and my willingness to remain flexible in pursuing further education opportunities.

Skills Developed During the Module

Throughout this module, I developed several technical, creative, and professional skills.

CMF and Material Understanding

My Final Major Project significantly strengthened my understanding of materiality and how materials influence user experience.

Rather than approaching CMF purely as aesthetic surface decisions, I began thinking more critically about:

How materials age over time
How lighting affects perception
Emotional responses created through atmosphere
Material authenticity and tactility
Long-term user comfort
The relationship between materials and cultural identity

This helped me develop a more mature understanding of CMF as part of a wider user experience system.

Professional Communication and Industry Engagement

Another area of growth was professional communication.

During the module, I became more proactive in contacting designers, studios, tutors, and professionals for feedback and guidance. These conversations helped me better understand:

Industry expectations
Portfolio standards
Professional presentation
The level of execution expected within design consultancies

I also visited Silverlining Furniture, where I discussed luxury craftsmanship, materiality, and detailing. Experiences like this allowed me to better understand how high-end design studios approach quality, storytelling, and user experience.

Additionally, I applied to several studios including PriestmanGoode, Tangerine, Jaguar Land Rover, and McLaren. Although I was unsuccessful, these applications were still valuable because they exposed weaknesses within my portfolio and highlighted the level required to compete professionally.

This helped me become more realistic and strategic about my development moving forward.

Areas for Improvement

Although the module helped me identify my strengths, it also revealed several weaknesses that I need to continue improving.

3D Modelling and Rendering

The main weakness within my current skillset is the speed and efficiency of my 3D workflow.

While I have started learning Blender, I currently struggle to produce highly resolved models and renders within short timeframes. This limits my ability to communicate ideas at a professional standard.

To address this, I plan to:

Continue practising Blender consistently
Improve modelling speed and workflow efficiency
Learn more advanced rendering techniques
Develop stronger lighting and material visualisation
Produce more resolved final outputs

Portfolio Balance

Another weakness identified through feedback was that my portfolio previously focused too heavily on CMF.

While CMF remains my strongest area, I now understand the importance of demonstrating a broader range of capabilities.

Moving forward, I aim to create a portfolio that balances:

CMF thinking
Interior experience
Form development
Sketching
Spatial storytelling
Visual communication
Technical execution

This will help position me as a more adaptable and employable designer.

Expanding My Design Practice

Another important aspect of my development during this module has been recognising that my interests extend beyond a single discipline within design.

Although my academic background is rooted in automotive and transport design, I have increasingly found myself exploring a wider range of creative practices including:

Product design
Interior experience design
Graphic communication
CMF design
Spatial storytelling
Digital visualisation
Physical prototyping

This reflects my growing understanding that modern design practice is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary.

Rather than viewing design purely through the lens of automotive form creation, I have become more interested in how different areas of design connect together to shape complete experiences.

For example, alongside portfolio development, I have also started exploring physical prototyping and model-making through the use of 3D printing. This has allowed me to better understand how digital concepts translate into physical objects, materials, scale, and user interaction.

Using tools such as Blender and 3D printing together has helped me expand my workflow beyond purely sketch-based ideation into a more iterative and experimental design process.

Similarly, my interest in graphic design and branding has developed through the creation of portfolio layouts, business cards, visual identity systems, and presentation materials for the graduate show. This has helped me better understand how communication, typography, and visual structure influence the perception of design work.

These experiences have reinforced my belief that strong design outcomes are created through the combination of multiple disciplines rather than isolated specialisms.

I am particularly interested in becoming a designer who can move fluidly between research, atmosphere creation, material storytelling, visual communication, and physical experience.

This broader exploration of design has also strengthened my adaptability and curiosity as a creative practitioner.

Professional Identity and Career Direction

Through this module, I have gained a clearer understanding of the type of designer I want to become.

I see myself developing within product and transport design, particularly within consultancies that value experience-driven design and material storytelling.

My main area of interest is creating environments and products that connect emotionally with users through:

Materiality
Atmosphere
Lighting
Cultural research
Spatial experience

What differentiates my approach is the combination of:

CMF thinking
Experience-led design
Cultural awareness
Design thinking methodologies
Emerging AI-supported workflows
Cross-disciplinary creative exploration
Interest in both digital and physical prototyping

I am particularly interested in how design can create emotional impact while remaining functional and commercially relevant.

Graduate Show and Industry Strategy

The graduate show is a major part of my current professional strategy.

I plan to use the event as an opportunity to actively network with industry professionals and present myself professionally.

To support this, I am currently preparing:

A refined digital portfolio
Printed portfolio materials
Business cards
A printed research report
Physical presentation materials

The purpose of these outputs is to create a stronger professional presence and communicate my work more effectively in person.

Alongside networking during the event, I also plan to continue refining my portfolio after graduation rather than treating submission as the final stage of development.

My goal is to continuously improve the quality of my work while applying for opportunities within transport and product design studios.

Post-Graduation Development Plan

Following graduation, my main priorities are:

Continue refining my portfolio
Improve my Blender and visualisation skills
Apply for design roles and internships
Build a stronger online design presence
Continue engaging with industry professionals
Pursue postgraduate study opportunities

To support this, I also plan to create an online platform where I can document:

Design projects
CMF explorations
Cultural research
Process development
Experimental ideas

This will help strengthen my digital identity while allowing me to present my work in a more curated and professional way.

I also intend to continue working with the university talent team and make use of graduate employability support after completing the course.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Strong CMF thinking and material-led design approach
Ability to create atmosphere through material, light, and spatial design
Clear design thinking and structured workflow
Strong awareness of cultural storytelling within design
Effective use of AI tools for ideation and iteration

Weaknesses

Limited speed and efficiency in 3D modelling and rendering
Some projects lack fully resolved visual outputs
Portfolio previously lacked balance beyond CMF

Opportunities

Graduate show networking opportunities
Postgraduate study at the Royal College of Art
MEXT Scholarship opportunities
Continued Blender and visualisation development
Building a stronger online design identity

Threats

High competition within the design industry
Need to balance specialisation with versatility
Industry expectations for highly resolved visual outputs

Conclusion

Overall, this module has helped me develop a clearer understanding of my strengths, weaknesses, and future direction as a designer.

Most importantly, it helped me move beyond simply identifying my interests and instead begin creating a structured development plan.

Through portfolio refinement, industry engagement, postgraduate research, and technical skill development, I now have a clearer understanding of the specific steps required to progress into the design industry.

Moving forward, my focus is on continuing to improve the quality of my execution, expanding my technical abilities, refining my professional identity, and actively positioning myself within the wider design industry.

Search This Blog

Personal Blog

Developing a Cross-Disciplinary Design Practice