So this is it, FMP over! Here are my final Beauty Classics links and my evaluation...
Main site: https://thebeautyclassics.wordpress.com
Instagram: @beauty.classics https://instagram.com/beauty.classics
Evaluation of
Final Major Project – Beauty Classics
Introduction
In January I started my final major project – Beauty
Classics, I set about to achieve creating a beauty/make-up inspiration
site/blog for (predominantly) young fashion conscious women to use to gain
specially selected and created images on the theme of classic beauty trends and
both be inspired and inspire. It has been in interesting journey and very fast
journey but I have learnt a lot and am pleased with the outcome. As with most
projects though, I have of course experienced both aspects that have gone
particularly well, as well as problems that I have encountered and had to
overcome. It’s got to be said at the beginning of the project I didn’t quite
understand why FMP was seen as quite so stress full compared to everything
else, and now I definitely do! I have
used a reflective blog throughout the process/journey to record things as they
happened; this is now my final overall evaluation of my project looking back…
and forward.
Positive
Aspects
Starting the evaluation with the positive elements to my
process and the things that went better than I thought, I think one of the
biggest achievements for me is the images I have produced, I have been quite
picky (to my detriment sometimes) with my models and photographers for this
project because I really wanted to achieve high quality images and most of all
it is really important for me to be working with people who are on the same
wave length and understand what I’m trying to achieve. Although towards the end
of the project I had to use certain models more than once and had to cram more
shoots in, I think this paid off as I only had to re-shoot one look and have a
set of finished favourite images for each of my designs/looks. Whilst designing
the looks specifically for Beauty Classics I also tried to make sure they would
benefit my portfolio too, I played with coloured backgrounds and tried to be a
bit more adventurous with lighting whilst still being clear enough to see my
make-up looks. On the whole I don’t tend to be very confident with my looks
until I see them on the model or on the photo, I struggle to get them out of my
head so I tend to doubt them until the last minute. So as ever I have really
enjoyed watching my designs coming into fruition and feeling confident with
them in the end. I would like to think that all of my images on Beauty Classics
are well fitted to the site and look to a high professional standard too.
Another aspect of my project that I’m particularly pleased
with is the overall aesthetics of both the main site and the Instagram. I had
such a clear idea of what I wanted it to look like in my head from. Although I
did have to compromise with a few things, others aspects that I had persisted
in finding a way to do I feel look really good. For example getting the posts
not only on the main page but into categorized sections too, at first the theme
I had chosen didn’t have this feature to the extent that I wanted it (having
the circle links as on the front page, not just written links to the posts) but
I eventually found a way around it by copy and pasting each circle into its category
and then hyperlinking it to the relevant post. I’m also really pleased with how
the main site looks and reacts on smartphones and tablets, I knew it would it
would be ideal for that to happen but I wasn’t counting on it as I thought it
would be quite complicated, but as it happened the theme I chose was also
compatible with smartphones and tablets too. I am by no means an expect now but
I have learnt so much about website building and social media from this project
which is something I think I was lacking in before.
Negative
Aspects
Interestingly one of my projects good aspects is one of my
bad aspects too. Although I fought through to try and work the technical issues
I was having out, it was a real struggle in the process. It was quite
frustrating and disappointing at times when I was really trying to understand
things like coding and HTML etc and I still couldn’t get on with it very well.
I have however learnt that when creating something technologically based it is
important to understand the capabilities of the platform your using before your
mind starts running away with ideas, that way you can work around them and find
a balance rather than getting/feeling knocked back by elements out of your
power and resources.
Another quite large aspect of my project that didn’t go as
well was more of a personal one. Without going into too much detail over the
last few months I have been attending counselling sessions at the University
for a Couple of reasons, predominantly anxiety related. I don’t like feeling
like I’m making excuses but people have told me that this is more than
reasonable. As much as I have tried not to let this affect me and my work,
unfortunately it I think it probably has, because it has and is taking time and
head space to work through. Throughout these months I have tried to make
precautions for if I have had a few days wobble and immersing myself in photo
shoots always helps, overall though it will be a positive process I am going
through and it is encouraging to know that even when I’m struggling in my head
I can work my way through.
Things I would
do differently
Although I am overall happy with how my project has come out
there are still a few things I would of course do differently, one of them
would be to accept and ask for more help when I’m struggling, things
(particularly IT related) that have taken me half a day to work out could have
taken less than an hour if I had asked for help more often. In an ideal world I
would have paid a professional web designer to help me create the features on
my site that I didn’t end up achieving, that too would have taken much more
time though. I could also have included more full length photos on my site if I
had collaborated more with stylists, and used post production more creatively
with the help of a photographer and their time. Another would be improving my
time management and working faster, do some more shoots and being able to make
more of my time, I know I am way too easily distracted and I would have loved
to have doubled the posts on Beauty Classics and the Instagram account too.
Another thing I am considering at the moment is whether or
not to continue the Beauty Classics brand on and continue to use and grow the
site and Instagram. Originally I wasn’t going to because I thought it would
take too much upkeep however now it is set up I think I might re-consider. Even
if I don’t continue it has still given me enough encouragement and know-how to
improve my own presence online as a make-up artist
Conclusion
As expected this has been the hardest year by far and FMP
has been even harder than I expected, I really didn’t realise how difficult it
was to balance all of our units and life’s commitments all demanding our time,
all at the same time, it has definitely encouraged me to improve my time
management!. That being said it is so rewarding to see all the work that I have
now created for Beauty Classics and know how much I have learned in the process.
This whole project has taken me way out of my comfort zone and stretched me a
lot, I’ve also gained some valuable contacts for the future from it and
practiced and improved my practical make-up and hair skills.
