Critical reflection
As part of my MA in User Experience Design, I completed a module called UX Design.
This blog post was originally published as part of the reflective piece I wrote throughout that module.
With the beginning of a new module, comes the return of my critical reflective journal (CRJ). I have been trying to keep up with it throughout my Masters but with a full-time job and all of my other commitments, I have to admit that it’s tricky. This time, it forms part of my assessment which will definitely push it up the priority list!
I’m now half way through the course (yay!). I’ve submitted work and received feedback too. At this point, I want to reflect on some of that feedback and think about how I can improve.
More reflection
The feedback I received for my first assessment on this course explained that I needed to be more reflective. At the time, I thought my CRJ had been very reflective but looking back, I can see where improvements can be made. I needed to be more explicit about:
The approaches I tried
What worked well and should be replicated or built upon
What didn’t go well and should be improved or stopped
How my thinking had changed or what I planned to do next as a result of what I’d learned
So, this is what I’ll aim to improve on this time, making sure those reflections are included and easily signposted for readers to find. I also plan to compare my own findings against those of my peers, academic research and what industry professionals say.
More sketches
I created a prototype for the last module. The feedback I received for that assessment noted that more sketches would have been useful in better communicating the user flow and the thinking behind what I’d created.
To improve on that, I plan to get into the habit of sketching more in general. Then, when I come to start sketching out wireframes and visual ideas for this module, I’ll already have shifted my mindset and it’ll feel more natural. I’ve started by sketching out my notes for the first two weeks of course content for the module.
Week 1 notes
Week 2 notes
Reflection
Having tried sketching more, here are my reflections on the experience.
What went well
There were a lot of things I liked about this approach to note-taking.
It made the experience of taking notes more enjoyable for me and I felt more creative
Using colouring pencils to add colour felt quite indulgent, a little like having some “me time”
I found it easier to make connections between concepts and show those connections visually
I felt like I was thinking in a more visual way
I enjoy looking back at the notes I created because they’re pretty and make me feel happy
What could be improved
Compared to a more written style of note-taking, sketching is a slower process so I felt like I hadn’t been very efficient with my time.
Future plans
There were a lot more positives than negatives to this approach. However, I am still managing this Masters alongside a full-time job and other commitments so the impact this had on my time is an important consideration.
I’ve already looked back at my notes more than I would have done if there weren’t sketched. So I am making better use of them. Therefore, even though it took longer, I think it was time well-spent.
With that in mind, it feels worth continuing this approach to note-taking. Through practice, I think I will be able to refine this skill which will help me to speed up and sketch more quickly.
Thank you for reading.
