Evaluation Report: Digital Portfolio for Sustainable Menu Design

This evaluation report critically examines a digital portfolio focused on the development of a sustainable menu design. The report begins with an introduction highlighting the importance of self-evaluation in design and then proceeds to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the project, including effective time management and creativity in concept development, while also acknowledging weaknesses in presentation and primary research skills. The report details obstacles encountered, such as a lack of PowerPoint proficiency and difficulties in questionnaire design, along with the steps taken to overcome these challenges. It assesses the quality of primary research through questionnaires and secondary research using credible sources. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of continuous self-reflection and skill development, recommending the use of various resources to enhance design capabilities. The references section includes books and journals used for the research.

DIGITAL
PORTFOLIO
(Evaluation Report)

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
What were your strengths and weaknesses?...........................................................................1
Did you encounter obstacles and if so, what did you do to overcome these?........................2
Did you conduct strong primary / secondary research?.........................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERNECES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Completing evaluation on past performance is essential for continuous development of
individuals. In case of building creative designs, evaluation of past work helps individuals
critically review their overall performance and uncover their capabilities so that they are able to
improve the designs and their skills in the future (Ward, 2019). This evaluation report is based on
the portfolio of sustainable menu design development. The questions which are answered in this
evaluation report are identification of strengths and weaknesses, determination and overcoming
obstacles and evaluation of primary and secondary research.
MAIN BODY
What were your strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths
During the completion of my portfolio for sustainable menu design development I was able
to divide my time effectively for various activities which showcased my strength as time
management. The concept of time management plays an important role in completing design
project because it helps ensure that the labour and effort for each activity is designed according
to time needed for completion of the specific activity. This reduces time wastage and helps
individuals attain their objectives for the project without reducing quality of the project. Time
management is an important skill which has helped me manage my daily time to the specific
design project, other academic activities and my personal commitment so that I am able to focus
on the task at hand.
I have also understood that my creativity is another strengths when it comes to completing
design related project. This is because I am able to use available resources, existing knowledge
and data n the subject to develop original ideas. In case of developing new designs, creativity is
an important skill because it helps individuals develop innovative solutions for existing problems
in the field (Bakhshandeh, 2021). It is because of my creativity strength that I was able to find
the idea of producing environment-friendly physical menu along with sustainable digital option
of a scan and go menu. I was able to attain the UN SDG of industry, innovation and
infrastructure.
Weaknesses
1

My primary weakness is low presentation skill. Upon looking back at my power point
presentation and evaluating its effectiveness I have come to understand that I have low
presentation skills. I could have used creative templates and backgrounds to showcase my
creativity while developing the presentation but the lack of my knowledge about this impacted
the creation of a good power point presentation. Presentation skills of individuals can be
improved by using online tutorials (Rajasekaran, 2020).
I have understood that one other weakness I have in context of developing this menu deign
is that I struggle while conducting primary research. I do not have experience in using different
types of research instrument and mostly use questionnaire in order to complete the primary
investigation. Even then I face challenges when completing primary investigation. These
challenges include construction an easy to understand questionnaire so that I am able to collect
accurate primary data.
Did you encounter obstacles and if so, what did you do to overcome these?
The main obstacle I faced during the completion of the design project was effective usage
of power point presentation tools. I do not have extensive knowledge of the power point software
which reduced the application of my creativity skills. I mad slight improvements by learning
more about basic power point usage from online sources so that I am able to make my
presentation more appealing. Looking back this was not a major improvement an I still need to
improve my presentation skills in order to make more creative presentation in the future.
I faced obstacle while preparing a questionnaire because I was not able to determine which
questions need to be used to ensure that respondents are able to answer the questions clearly
without causing confusion. This was a time consuming obstacle because I was not able to
determine the perfect set of questions for completing the investigation and finishing the primary
research. Finally I decided on using close ended questions with multiple choice answers to
ensure that the respondents get clear understanding of the question and are able to provide
accurate data. I have understood that this challenge was resolved for this research but there is
requirement for improving my primary research skills to get better results in future academic
projects.
Did you conduct strong primary / secondary research?
Primary research involves collection of first hand data with the researcher being heavily
involves in the investigation (Williams and Reddish, 2018). I conducted primary research by
2

using the research instrument of questionnaire. I faced difficulties in creating a suitable
questionnaire for the investigation so that respondents are able to easily understand the given
questions. In addition to this I also faced challenges with respect to analysing the data because I
was not able to divide and interpret the data effectively during the initial stages of design
development.
Secondary research involves collection of already existing data and requires lower
involvement from the researcher a data can be collected from magazines, journals, articles, books
and online sources (Largan and Morris, 2019). I completed my secondary research in an
effective manner. I used the CRAAP for identification of useful relevant sources for the
investigation. My experience with completing secondary research is that I am easily able to
identify and use resources so that reliable data is extracted and used for my project.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that developing creative design for a specific them requires
presence of different skills including presentation skills, time management skills and research
skills. Creativity is another skill which supports completing of project revolving around
development of sustainable design. In addition to this, individuals also need to continuously
reflect on their past work to determine obstacles and make appropriate changes to their work. It
is important that different sources such as online tutorials and books are used for improving
skills so that the best work is produced. Evaluation of skills after completing a project is also
required because it helps them develop their current skill set for any future projects.
REFERNECES
Books and Journals
Bakhshandeh, B., 2021. Perception of 21st Century 4CS (Critical Thinking, Communication,
Creativity & Collaboration) Skill Gap in Private-Sector Employers in Lackawanna
County, NE PA. The Pennsylvania State University.
Largan, C. and Morris, T., 2019. Qualitative secondary research: A step-by-step guide. Sage.
Rajasekaran, V., 2020. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Techniques: A Therapeutic
Approach to Enhancing the Presentation Skill of Engineering Students. IUP Journal
of English Studies, 15(1).
Ward, L.C., 2019. Bioelectrical impedance analysis for body composition assessment: reflections
on accuracy, clinical utility, and standardisation. European journal of clinical
nutrition, 73(2). pp.194-199.
3

Williams, L.C. and Reddish, M.J., 2018. Integrating primary research into the teaching lab:
Benefits and impacts of a one-semester CURE for physical chemistry. Journal of
Chemical Education, 95(6). pp.928-938.
4