The document provides a template for evaluating a graphic narrative project. It prompts the user to summarize their original intentions, compare their final product to planning documents, discuss the construction and use of images and text, and evaluate how suitable their product is for the intended audience. The user is asked to provide specific details, examples, praise for strong elements, and suggestions for potential improvements. Blank slides can be deleted before submission.

1. Graphic Narrative
Evaluation

2. Use this template to help you evaluate your project.
You should give specific details about your work.
You should provide both written and visual examples to explain your project.
You should find areas to praise in your work. Be specific about why you think they are
good or why you are proud of them.
You should also find areas that could be improved. Look for areas that you could make
better if you went back to them. Be specific about what you would improve.
Add additional slides as you need to. Don’t be restricted by what is here.
Any blank slides should be deleted before submission.

3. Does your final product reflect your
original intentions?
• Compare your planning/digital flat plans/
storyboards to your final product

4. Looking at my original planning documents, ranging from my digital flat plans and
storyboards to the script that I wrote, I feel my final product reflects my original
intentions very well. The digital flat plans when compared to the page relevant to each
plan shows just how similar my original ideas were when compared to the final page.
As shown by the 2 images, the original
idea on the left can be clearly related to
the final version of this specific page in
the book, which is the right image. This
shows just how similar my original idea
and my final products were, and how I
added in more little details and created
my own graphics. The use of my own graphics allowed me to truly get the detail that I
wanted to achieve in the pages, and also meant my book’s imagery was not going to
have similarities with other products available as I created the images myself. With my
storyboard, I had originally scripted 9 pages in the book, and only created 9 digital flat
plans as well. However, when it came to my final production I decided to create 11
pages, as when I had made the pages I decided that I had enough time to flesh out the
final product with extra pages for the storyline. I think I conducted my planning
process well, as I came up with an idea which was unique but had a good and easy
story for my target audience to understand and enjoy. I think that it wasn’t too big of a
project that I had to rush through any pages or other parts of the work, but at the
same time there is enough of the final product that the book isn't too small or short
for a child to not be entertained with reading the book.

5. How well have you constructed your
images?
• How well have you constructed your images?
You could talk about the overall visual
appearance and well as the use of texture and
colour.

6. I feel I constructed the images in the book well, as they were of a similar design and
style to what I was originally aiming for. The characters are suitable for a children’s
book, as they are not serious and easy to remember and enjoy for the target audience.
The style of the images, ranging from the backgrounds to the spaceships, is fitting for
the theme of the book. I constructed my images in a variety of ways, ranging from
using basic shapes to eventually create a character like I did with the space monkeys,
to taking ideas from existing products and changing them so it fitted the ideas that I
wanted to achieve when I first had the visual image in my mind. As shown in the
image, I have created unique characters for the book in 2 different
forms, both with the characters themselves and also their spaceships
which both have their own slightly different personalities to the other
characters. For example, the oldest monkey who likes to show off has a
flashy spaceship, with a bright red color and a lightning stripe on it’s
side, which just shows his attitude to the audience in a visual way. I
made good use of the color scheme throughout the book as well, as the
colors in each different location of the background help to show the child
who is reading the book what kind of environment they are in without
having to specifically describe it. I have implemented a simple smooth texture on
some of the visual features, such as the spaceships and some backgrounds. However, I
also used a slightly different texture to make some of the pages less boring and to
create an effect which makes them more unique. Overall, I feel that the visual style I
created for my work is suitable and matches the story of the book very well. It features
appropriate colors, well made characters, and interesting visual effects throughout.

7. How well have you used text to anchor
your images
• You should talk about the combination of
words, images and text.

8. I used the text for the story well as it fitted in directly to what the page was showing
visually as well as with the overlaying storyline provided by the text I wrote. The text
was written and placed so it was out of the way from the image and didn’t obstruct or
distract the audience from anything visually, but it was still placed
where the reader could easily find and read it. This then allows my
audience to easily see both the visual and the written information
without anything distracting them. As shown in the image, I have
placed the majority of the visual information on the bottom half of
the page, such as the spaceship, the background detailing, and the
main character of this specific page. In contrast, I have placed the text for the page on
the top half of this page, against a simple grey background in order to make the black
text stand out and be easily legible by the audience. The use of the 2 halves of the
screen means that the reader can easily focus on the text and then the visual
information, or the other way around if they would prefer. The second image is again
another example of using 2 halves on a page. The left hand side of
this page has little visual information, and only has the background
which isn’t a key visual element and so can be placed behind the
text. The stars directly behind the text were rubbed out in order to
make the text easier to read, as the stars would mix with the text as
they have a similar color scheme, and so the text would be harder
to decipher. I have used the visual information of the spaceships on
the right side of the page, which is a similar technique to the first image, as this allows
me to have the 2 elements of the page on separate sides but still being related.

9. Is your product suitable for your
audience?
• Reference your proposal
• Give an audience profile and describe
suitability in reference to content

10. I feel that I have made my product suitable for the audience that I am making it for. In
my original planning, I stated that I was going to make a book which is suitable for
children aged 3-6, which I think that I achieved very well. ‘My audience is going to be
primarily aimed at children aged 3-6 years old, and both genders will be attracted to
the storyline, though due to the space theme, which is stereotypically associated with
boys rather than girls, it may be more popular with a male audience.’. I feel that I
made my work appropriate for this audience, as I stuck with the space theme but
included more features in the story to appeal to a female audience in order to make it
more popular with both genders. For example, I included a very stereotypical
spaceship which would appeal to female audiences. I attracted these members of my
target audience by making my spaceship bright pink, which stereotypically attracts
a female audience as it is seen as a ’girl’ colour. I wasn’t aiming the book at
any specific social class of families, though I did predict that it would be
more popular specifically in middle class families, as they tend to prefer
traditional stories rather than branded cartoons etc. I think my prediction
was accurate as I stuck with the classic storyline from 3 Little Pigs but just
altered it to make it more relevant to younger generations today. I also
predicted that due to the theme, language, and visual style of the book it
would be most popular in English speaking countries, specifically ones like
the USA or Britain. I feel like my visual style would be more suited to a
British household, as the classic fairytales are most commonly found in the
UK rather than any other countries. This means that the families will be
able to understand the original story and see the modern version as well.

11. What do you like/dislike about the
techniques you have used?
• Reference specific tools you used with images

12. I used a variety of techniques on Adobe Photoshop in order to make my book more
unique and visually appealing to my audience. For example, I used the Gaussian Blur
tool in order to blur some of the stars. This creates a deeper background
and makes it less like just a sheet of paper and creates a sense of depth in
the space. I also used the Clipping Mask tool in order to make different
textures so it stands out from the plain textures also used in some parts
of the book. As shown in the image, I have included a screen texture so it
fits the theme of the page. I also used a Gradient Overlay effect for when I
made the space background, and altered the coloring so it looked like it
was supposed to so it fitted in with the story. I also utilized the Stroke tool
in order to make each section of the imagery stand out and have a clear
outline, therefore making it easier for a child to see each separate image.
I used the Custom Shapes tool, specifically when making the main characters, such as
for their hair or their arms, but also for little aspects of the backgrounds for each page.
One technique I wish I would have used to add further detail and depth into the page
is the Filter Gallery tool, where I could have altered various images in little ways to
make them more suitable for a children’s book. One main example of this bit is the
galaxy backgrounds when the characters are still building their own ships. I simply
altered the pictures by altering the patterns and star shapes in order to make it more
unique, before changing the Hue/Saturation in order to make the coloring more
suitable for what I was trying to achieve. The Filter Gallery would have made the space
aspect look more suitable for the style of the rest of the book, and make it fit in with
the way I created all the other imagery and visual elements on each of the 11 pages.

13. What do you like/dislike about how
your final product looks?

14. I like the visual aspects of my final product in various ways. I enjoy the colors I used,
ranging from the monkey’s faded blue fur and the alien’s bright green skin. I also think
I suitably created the spaceships in order to try and further portray each character’s
personality. For example, the oldest monkey who finished first had the flashiest
spaceship because he wanted to show off, while the youngest monkey had a simple
spaceship which he didn’t paint because he spent the longest building it. I also think
that I appealed to my target audience with each character’s design as there is a
character they can relate to depending on how old they are in my target age of 3-6.
The backgrounds for each page’s location were appropriate, and different enough that
it would not get confusing for the audience as they progress through the book’s story.
There are a few areas where I wish I could have altered the design of them, such as
the planets and other elements of the backgrounds, in order to give them more detail
and extra little features for the audience to enjoy. For example, if I was to change my
final book now I would have redesigned the garage background, by including more
little details and objects which would make it more obvious to both the audience
where the characters actually were on each page. However, I feel the other
backgrounds I designed were made very well, like the space background which is a
very simple yet effective design, and the inside of the spaceship which looks simple
enough to not over confuse the reader but it is still clear what the page is showing.

15. Why did you include the content you
used?
• Images, fonts, effects, colours

16. For the content I included, there were various reasons for each different part of the
pages were created. To start with the images, I needed to fit with a space theme fit for
children, and so I created various friendly characters which fitted the space theme.
All 3 of the characters are drawn slightly different so they can be
easily distinguished, and all of them have their slightly different
personalities which all fit with the story’s message quite well.
I chose the ‘Times New Roman’ font for my text, as it is easy to read and suits a
children's book very well, and it also doesn’t distract the audience from the rest of the
page and just simply blends in to the background. I think I made the right choice with
my font, because I didn’t want anything in the text to distract from the visual elements
and so I picked a simple font, which is easily legible and fits with the book’s theme.
For the effects and styles I used, I wanted to create a visual effect that made the
audience feel like they were in the same setting as the character. To do this, I created a
simple and smooth space theme by using the gradient tool in a very simple way which
was effective for my final product and the theme, style, and design I was aiming for.
The colors which I used in my book were all specifically chosen
in order to sub-consciously further portray the mood of each
page in the book. For example, in the image shown I have the
3 main color elements in one screenshot; the green shade is only seen in the ‘alien’
aspects of the book, the silver/grey colors are shown in association with the monkey’s
and their spaceships etc. and finally the darker blue and purple shades are always
seen when the characters are in space. The colors essentially are portraying the
theme, location, and the mood of the page to the audience without specifying it.

17. What signs, symbols or codes have
your used in your work?
• Choices of colour, style, locations, character
design and tone all give additional meaning to
your work.

18. Audience Responses
Cultural competence:
Media texts require us to have a certain level of cultural understanding to
be able to interpret them.
At a basic level, this could mean being able to read the language that a
magazine is written in.
At a deeper level, it means being able to interpret signs and symbols that
we use a visual shorthand to communicate ideas.
We recognise these signs in our own culture but find it harder to
understand when looking at others.
We create and attach meaning to signs and symbols in many different
forms.
18Creative Media Production 2012

19. Audience Responses
Cultural competence:
What is this?
This is a Norwegian Pine tree, covered in
snow and with a red ribbon on.
Our cultural understanding allows us to
interpret its meaning.
To us, in British society, it means
Christmas, presents and family.
This is because we share a cultural
knowledge.
19Creative Media Production 2012

20. Audience Responses
Cultural competence:
There are many other signs and symbols
that we attach meaning to.
A leather jacket can imply rebellion.
A sports car can imply wealth and power.
A cross can represent religion.
20Creative Media Production 2012

21. Audience Responses
Cultural competence:
Visual representations of everyday objects are often the same the world
over. A car appears as a car, no matter what country it appears in.
What that car means however, can be very different depending on your
cultural background.
21Creative Media Production 2012

22. I used a few different symbols in my book to provide an extra message. There are
various examples of this, ranging from the colors of the spaceships to the monkey’s
personality. One example of this is the oldest monkey’s spaceship; it has a very flashy
design with the bright red design, the streamlined build, and the lightning stickers help
to portray the personality of the monkey. The red coloring is bright
and flashy indicating that he is confident and likes to show off and
the sticker helps to portray this to the audience. The use of these
messages helps to portray the character’s personality in a way that
is unique to each individual character. I also used another symbol to further portray
the character’s personality through the use of their hair; the oldest monkey has spiky
hair which is generally associated with males, the girl has her hair in a ponytail which
is associated with females, and the youngest monkey has no hair at all, which still
shows his youth. Another sign I have used is the fact that in the start of the story, the 3
monkeys are all living with their mother still but they are about to leave and start their
own lives. This gives the audience an indication to the 3 main character’s age in an
innocent and playful way, and portrays the characters as being still young, which is
similar to the age of the children who will be actually reading the book as the final
product was planned, designed, and produced for children aged 3-6. The main
message which I included in the story is shown by the end, and is portrayed by how
the 3 monkeys built their spaceships. The oldest one wanted to show off and so
rushed to finish first, but he was caught by the alien first, the next monkey also rushed
to show off but she also got caught, but the youngest monkey spent the longest
building it instead of rushing to play with his siblings and had the fastest spaceship.

23. What representations can be found in
your work?
• How are men, women or children shown in
your work? Does your work feature different
ages, races, social groups or religions? Does a
lack of any variety of character types create its
own representation?

24. In my story, I have a mother character and 3 children, who are the main characters of
the book. The mother character isn't a main role in the story, though she appears old
but caring from her parts in the book. The 3 children are all shown as young and
playful, but with their own personalities which affects the events of the story. For
example, there is the older monkey who wants to show off to his siblings, the middle
monkey who wants to have a fancier ship but still worked on hers so it worked, and
then the youngest monkey who was sensible and made his ship the fastest but didn’t
manage to decorate it. This says that in the story, the age doesn’t always determine
how wise the characters are, which is shown by the youngest being the smartest and
the oldest being the most childish. There is also the gender ratio
which in the monkeys family is 2:2, but the mother figure doesn’t
count as such to the ratio as she isn't a main character. I chose to
specifically choose the different genders because in the original
fairytale, 3 Little Pigs, the main characters don’t have a specific
Gender and I wanted to change that so it would be easy for my
audience to relate to a character from the story. The 3 characters
are stereotyped in small ways to further portray their gender roles,
such as the coloring of their spaceships, which I have completed
in a way which shows their gender at a first glance from the audience. For example,
the 2 male monkeys have red and a blue spaceship, which are both male colors
stereotypically, while the female spaceship is in pink which shows that she is a girl
character as pink has always been a feminine color rather than a male one. These
stereotypes aren't as accurate in modern times but they are still used often today.

25. What style have you employed in your
products?
• Discuss influences/ existing products
• What visual style does your work have and
why did you choose it?

26. In terms of existing products, I took inspiration for the basic storyline from the classic
fairytale, 3 Little Pigs, and adapted it to a more modern and up to date theme. For
example, instead of using Pigs I used Space Monkeys, instead of houses I used
spaceships, and instead of the Big Bad Wolf I used an Alien. These adaptations of the
original storyline make my book seem more unique and original, but still has the same
basic storyline which is just as popular these days as it was when it was first written. In
terms of the visual style, I didn’t take any inspiration from any existing products in
particular, though I did get inspiration from some amateur designs for my characters
and spaceships, before just putting on my own twist to make them fit in with my book.
For example, in my spaceship design I took a different idea for each one.
For the red spaceship, I took inspiration from some modern day cars and
then changed the style so it looked more like a spaceship rather than a
car so my product would fit with my space theme. The pink spaceship
was based on the classic and basic drawings of spaceships and real life
spaceships, and the final one was based on spaceships in fiction based
texts but with my own alterations so it was my own creation and not
based on someone else's. For my character designs, I took my inspiration
from various cartoon drawings of monkeys on the internet, before I then
created my own version for my main characters. I created all of these by
using the shapes tools on Photoshop and building up and merging layers until I had a
character I liked for my story. I used custom shapes for the arms and legs on each
character, and altered them slightly between each page, as well as their facial
expressions, in order to make the final product look more professional.

27. What were the strengths and weaknesses
of the pre-production and planning
• How did the planning and research help
• How well did you manage your time
• Reference specific examples

28. I think my planning and research helped me get my work completed to a good
standard. This process helped me get inspiration and a good visual idea for how I
wanted my work to look, ranging from the character designs to even the layout for
each page. I planned on many of the visual elements before I even begun production,
and made folders for inspiration which have ideas about textures, backgrounds, and
main characters. I feel like I managed my time very well, as I laid out a good clear plan
which I followed closely, and this allowed me to have my book completed by the
deadline. (See Planning Booklet) I created an in-depth plan for my book, ranging from
the time usage to the target audience and age range, which helped me greatly when I
was creating my final product. I also created mood boards in
my pre-production planning, as shown, which gave me some
basic ideas on how I want my work to look visually, and gave
me some ideas on how to visually portray the space theme
rather than just writing about it. I think something that would
have helped me in my production was a more in-depth visual
mood board, rather than the one I created which was very
basic. I could have created a mood board which had a better
color range and more relevant ideas for my product which I could have then altered.
This may have made my final product better, as I would have been able to look at my
initial ideas and think about how I could improve my current ones so the final product
was close to what my original visual design was like. However, I think the majority of
my pre-production process went very well and was very beneficial for my final
product, as it allowed me to plan out my ideas and time in a clear, organized way.

29. Historical and cultural context
• How does your work compare to what has
come before? What other similar products
have existed in the past? What current
products exist?

30. My work was based on the classic fairytale 3 Little Pigs, in relation to the story
structure and character models. For example, I have the 3 main characters leaving
their mother to build their own places to stay, before a villain comes and they have to
flee until they all survive in the final character’s creation, where the villain fails and
the characters live happily ever after. I couldn't find any other fairy tales which had a
similar theme to mine from the past or present, which shows that my space idea is
fairly unique and will bring something new to the market. There are similar fairytales
which relate to the basic story structure that I have used, but there are no existing
products on the same market as my book. My product is a very original idea as the
majority of themes for fairytales are set in fantasy settings or modern day times, not
very often are fairytales set in futuristic times. An example of this is how many
fairytales that are popular nowadays were all written in the past and set in fantasy
worlds with dragons and fairies etc. while mine uses real animals just with a modern
twist so it is more popular with children of my target range in this modern day and age
where kids generally prefer futuristic ideas featuring spaceships and aliens rather than
dragons and dwarves etc. I know this from my research that I did before I began my
production process, and so I know that my product is a very unique idea and would be
a different to many other existing books in the same genre and target age range.