I need to start thinking about what I want my major project to be about.

To do this I created a mindmap of all the initial ideas that I had.

Looking at these different routes there are two that I am very interested in.

1. Medical illustration

2. Packaging design and branding

Medical illustration has been a significant topic for me as I looked into it a lot when writing my undergraduate dissertation 'Is there a future for medical illustration?'. As well as designing an information pack for neurodivergent children entering hospital for one of my undergraduate final projects.

There are different directions I could go in for medical illustration such as creating anatomic images for the teaching of medical students - I found that as new surgeries are developed and more information on the different symptoms displayed on different body types is found, there is more need for updated medical illustrations.

Another direction I could go for medical illustration is looking into poster design, leaflets, wall murals etc. used within a hospital setting to help patients feel more comfortable and give them more information. This would be a really interesting project as I would have to think about the end user and what they are thinking / feeling in what is probably a stressful time for them. I would also have to think about it from the side of the medical professionals as well as they would be the ones using my designs to help convey information.

Packaging design and branding is another topic I find very interesting as I would love to develop my graphic skills to become a graphic designer, using my illustrative skills to enhance projects.

My major project could be redesigning a packaged product which is quite plain and boring to make it stand out much more. This could be packaging for special festive seasons such as Christmas or Halloween etc. or just rebranding a product so it fits the target audience better. This could involve making the packaging so that it has no plastic or is easy to recycle; or folds in a certain way in which no glue is needed. I would also want to 'show off' my graphic design and illustrative skills by creating a design which will catch the attention of the target market and make them more likely to buy the product.

This project could also include a poster design or some kind of advertising design which can go alongside the product and promote it.

things to consider

- Size of project, how much is realistic to achieve in the timescale

- Is this a viable thing?

- what research can be done for the project to get the best outcome?

- look at how this helps me get my ideal job in the future.

- I know I want to work 'in house' - research what I need to do to get to this point and see what I need to develop in my portfolio to show the skills needed.

To decide what project I want to do I am going to have to research into both subjects and see which one influences me more and would work best with my creative practice.