Design Principles | Weeks 3 - 6
Week 3-6
-7th September 2021 to 1st October 2021
NAME: Isaac Yaw Wai Zac
I.D: 0343197
COURSE: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Mechanical Engineering
SECTION: 02
Figure 1.1: Week 3's class session (7th September 2021)
In the third week, Miss Jinchi went through all our progress on the first two exercises (Exercise 1- Gestalt theory and Contrast) and (Exercise 2- Emphasis, Balance, Movement, Repetition). Although the class session was 4 hours long, the session took more time than expected because of the overwhelming work/ progress needed to be assessed by our lecturer. Overall, the class session was very productive because of the very interactive learning and also having to learn from other's work after getting feedback from Miss Jinchi. This week is relatively crucial because these tasks assigned were needed to be submitted in the upcoming week (week 4). Other than the class session, I also viewed both the lecture videos 4 and 5 which cover (Harmony & Unity)-Lecture 4 and (Symbol, Word, & Image)-Lecture 5 to prepare myself for the upcoming task (Exercise 3)
Figure 1.2: Week 4's class session (14th September 2021)
In this week's session, Miss Jinchi went through all our blogs individually and gave the necessary feedbacks before the submissions for exercises 1 and 2 this upcoming Friday (17th September 2021). After given out all the feedbacks, she also mentioned that the newest exercise (exercise 3) was just announced and we can start working on it as soon as possible from this week. Exercise 3 is based on the lecture given in week 3 (harmony, unity, symbol, word, and image).
Figure 1.3: Week 5's class session (21st September 2021)
In the fifth week, more and more work are given out, and having a shorter period of time to complete, making our weeks even busier. However, this is a very fun module that I really enjoy because of the ability to use our creativity, especially in the exercises. This week, exercise 3 was assessed by our lecturer, Miss Jinchi by going through our individual blogs during the class tutorial session. Although many of us were not progressing well or not nearly done with our exercise 3, the feedback session was very helpful and informative because ideas were given by our lecturer and we can use the feedback given to other students as ideas to further implement into our designs.
Figure 1.4: Week 6's class session (28th September 2021)
In this week's class session, Miss Jinchi announced that Exercise 3 will be due this week's friday (1st October 2021). Then we proceeded with the consultation session to further look into all our progress on exercise 3. All my feedbacks from Miss Jinchi are documented down below in the feedback section. It was very helpful and informative because Miss Jinchi also gave some advice on which section(s) to work on in our blogs if we happen to leave out any important information, gotten the format wrong, or have room for improvements.
Lectures:
LEC 4- Harmony & Unity
Harmony
-Harmony represents the sense of 'fitting' such that all the elements in a design fit together.
-There are many ways to fit them together harmoniously such as maintaining the same theme, aesthetic style, or mood.
Figure 2.1: Example of harmonious composition (well-balanced and maintaining constant colour)
Figure 2.2: Example of harmonious composition (similar themed shapes & colours)
Figure 2.3: Example of harmonious composition (analogous colour selection)
Unity
-Unity refers to the repetition of particular elements throughout the design whether they are about the colours, shapes, or materials.
- The balance is also very important when it comes to unity in a composition so give the viewers a better sense of togetherness or 'oneness'.
Figure 2.4: Example of 'Unity' composition (grouping of characters)
Figure 2.5: Example of 'Unity' composition (strategic grouping of elements & use of theme)
Figure 2.6: Example of 'Unity' composition (Consistency of colours and grouping)
Figure 2.7: Example of 'Unity' composition (good emphasis on the main subject& use of analogous colours)
Scale & Proportion
-these are both related to the sizing of elements
-scale is the size of an object in relation to another
Figure 2.8: Demonstration of scale upon actual measurement and visual estimates based on comparison
- architectural drawings and scale models are examples of fields using scale
- this feature is also important to specify and illustrate details based on the relative sizes of objects
Figure 2.9: Demonstration of using scale in architecture
Figures 2.10 & 2.11: Demonstration of using scale in scale models
Figures 2.12 & 2.13: Demonstration of using scale in artworks (different size figures)
Figures 2.14 & 2.15: Demonstration of using scale in sculptures (big scale)
Figures 2.16 & 2.17: Demonstration of using scale in tap and watermelon (representation)
-proportion refers to the size of the parts of an object in relation to other parts of the same object
-the comparison can be with respect to size, colour, quantity, degree, setting, and etc.
Figure 2.18: Demonstration of well-proportioned composition (character, title, objects)
Figure 2.19: Demonstration of well-proportioned composition (various elements and sizes)
Figure 2.21: Demonstration of well-proportioned composition (strategic placement of characters)
Figure 2.22: Demonstration of well-proportioned composition (emphasise on product)
LEC 5- Symbol, Word, & Image
Symbol
Figure 2.23: Illustration and examples of symbols/hieroglyphics used in previous generations
Throughout civilisation, humans have been using symbols and hieroglyphics in caves or other mediums. In the modern days, symbols are used and represent brands that can be in the form of icons as a representation of the meaning and story behind the brand. Signs, shapes, or objects are used to represent something else, for example, a brand.
Figure 2.24: Various examples of logo/symbol
Figure 2.25: Chart demonstrating the types of symbols
-pictorial symbols are image-related and simplified pictures
-the objects are there to represent the brand (can be modified or simplified)
Figure 2.26: Example of pictorial symbol
Figure 2.27: Example of pictorial symbol
Figure 2.28: Example of pictorial symbol
Figures 2.29 & 2.30: Example of pictorial symbol in posters/educational/informational template
-abstract symbols can look like the objects that they represent but have fewer details
-the examples are such as symbols representing the washrooms, basin, call, or road.
Figure 2.31: Example of abstract symbol (toilet)
Figure 2.32: Example of abstract symbol (food/fish)
Figure 2.33: Example of abstract symbol (plants)
Figure 2.34: Example of abstract symbol (accepting and declining calls)
Figure 2.35: Example of abstract symbol in brands (together with their inspiration)
-arbitrary symbols are symbols that have no resemblance at all to the objects or the ideas they represent
-the creation of the symbol itself represents its meaning
-most of them are based on geometric shapes and colours
Figure 2.36: Examples of arbitrary symbols (lock)
Figure 2.37: Examples of arbitrary symbols
Word and Image
- imagery is very important in design, whether it be printed or digital
- users and viewers will understand and enjoy viewing a brand if they have good use of images in a work of design
- suitable and relevant images are important to represent a theme/topic/brand/story
- to add on, it is also important to use the right words to pair with the imagery to further enhance the meaning of the design
- suitable typeface and positioning of the type will allow good visual hierarchy and balance in a work of design
- typography is the design and arrangement of text to convey a message or concept
Figure 2.38: Example of word and image in designs (traditional aspect)
Figure 2.39: Example of word and image in designs
Figure 2.40: Example of word and image in designs (advertisement posters)
Figure 2.41: Example of word and image in designs
Figure 2.42: Example of word and image in designs
The task (Exercise 3) was introduced and is due in week 6 as noted in the module information booklet. Exercise 3 requires us to create 2 designs, out of the 4 principles learned in week 3 which were harmony, unity, symbol, word, and image.
Design process:
-Visual research
In the visual research process, I had researched on all the 4 topics (harmony, unity, symbol, word & image) briefly to get some idea inspiration before finalising and choose the 2 topics to further work on. For the research on the 'unity' artwork, I like the idea of doodle art as shown in Figure 3.2 below because we can have multiple doodle elements drawn or illustrated to fit a consistent theme or colouration. The image labelled as Figure 3.3 is another idea of my past work which I did when I used to customise shoes and it seemed to be similar to the artwork shown in Figure 3.2. If I were to choose the Unity design to work on, I would implement the same style of doodling that I used to customise the shoes in digital format.
Figure 3.1: Unity research design examples
Figure 3.2: Unity research design examples
Figure 3.3: Unity research design examples/inspirations
For the research on the harmony design, I really like the examples shown below which are vector animated art commonly used in desktop wallpapers because they look soothing because of the use of analogous colours and the sizing/composition of elements that look fitting with one another.
Figure 3.4: Harmony research design examples
Figure 3.5: Harmony research design examples
Figure 3.6: Harmony research design examples
For the symbol design, this is a very straightforward design that can either fit under the pictorial, arbitrary, or abstract symbol design. In Figures 3.7 and 3.8 below, these are examples that I developed sometime back and I thought of further developing it if I were to choose this design to further work on. This would be an example of an arbitrary symbol. Figure 3.9 below is an example of a pictorial symbol in a cute way and using a short title which I like.
Figure 3.7: Symbol research design examples (personal logo design)
Figure 3.8: Symbol research design examples (personal logo design)
Video demonstration of my personal logo design
Figure 3.9: Symbol research design examples (pictorial logo design)
For the word and image research, I went back and took some inspiration from my previous work. Figure 3.10 below was done during Malaysia's National day in the previous year in a video form but a screenshot of the title was taken. This got me inspired to look back at some of my own pictures that I took previously outdoors, before the pandemic and restrictions in our country. Unfortunately, this had to be done indoors because we still could not go outdoors to explore and take pictures. Figure 3.11 below is an example of a 'word and image' related design which I made during the quarantine period before going back to campus physically previously. This actually got me inspired to take some photos at home for this 'word and image' composition and also using past pictures as collages or elements in the background.
Figure 3.10: Word and Image design idea
Figure 3.11: Word and Image design idea
-Idea exploration
After some decision and extra exploration, I had chosen to further develop the Harmony and Word and Image designs.
For the idea exploration of the Word and Image design, I found some of my past pictures that I took for thumbnails and also for product photography. I found a picture of my phone and also a few other pictures of my cameras which can be used for further development of the Word and Image design.
Figure 4.1: Inspiration for the development of Word and Image design (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 4.2: Inspiration for the development of Word and Image design (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 4.3: Inspiration for the development of Word and Image design (as of 25th September 2021)
The harmony design is inspired by the combination of the artwork and elements shown in Figures 4.4 to 4.8. I want to recreate a scenic view in the vector art form in which it is a view from the top of a mountain of a Japanese city and mountain view. To create this scenic effect with depth, I need to create and combine multiple layers such as foreground, multiple middle grounds, and background. To further enhance this effect, I went with using tree elements such as the Sakura tree in the top section and having the Toyota AE-86 (a vintage/popular JDM car) in the foreground.
4.4: Inspiration for the development of Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
4.5: Inspiration for the development of Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
4.6: Inspiration for the development of Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
4.7: Inspiration for the development of Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
4.8: Inspiration for the development of Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
For the selection of colour palettes, I explored on Pinterest and also Adobe Colour which can be found online and I searched for a Japanese pink theme as a start. To further develop the design in the upcoming stages in terms of colour combinations, I tried to go with an orange/yellow colour wheel to try out as they seemed to be analogous colour families.
4.10: Selection of colour palette for Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
4.11: Selection of colour palette for Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
-First draft
When creating the design for the topic of 'Word and Image', I used to take a lot of pictures and I am into photography. However, I do not have the chance to go out to take pictures in this period of time due to the pandemic. To create the Word and Image design, I chose this image as shown in Figure 5.1 below that I took to be used as a thumbnail for my camera that I bought recently which can also be seen above in Figures 4.1 to 4.3. This composition fits very well for a title/word because there is focus on the camera and the main title with proper visual hierarchy due to having other elements at the side acting as background items.
Figure 5.1: Progress #1 for Word and Image design using Adobe Photoshop software
(as of 21st September 2021)
Figure 5.2: Progress #2 for Word and Image design (as of 21st September 2021)
However, I did not feel confident with the composition (Progress #2) as shown above because the title/word 'Capture Every Moment' is not supported well by the background. To make a better composition, I thought about using pictures I took in the past and cutting them to be placed in the background, creating a collage-themed composition. I was very happy with this approach because it looks better in terms of composition, fitting well with the word title, while showing good visual hierarchy, and brings in a lot of meaning/stories.
Figure 5.3: Progress #3 for Word and Image design (as of 21st September 2021)
Figure 5.4: Progress #4 for Word and Image design (as of 21st September 2021)
After getting some feedback from Miss Jinchi, a few minor changes and placements can be done to some of the elements in the background to further improve the visual composition. Other than that, I agree with her comment on the title because, in progress #4, the title was made so that it would fit in well with the overall 'vintage' feel, but it would look like it does not stand out and is not the main focus in the design. Then, I worked on the changes based on her feedback and some other changes that I would like to make along the way.
Figure 5.5: Progress #5 for Word and Image design (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 5.6: Progress #6 for Word and Image design (as of 25th September 2021)
For the harmony design, I started off with a simple sketch in landscape form because of the scenic view chosen. Then, the sketch was brought into Adobe Illustrator software to be digitalised. I chose this software because I can play around with the layering and also sketching over the sketch image. For the colour palette, I initially went with an overall 'pink family' colouration because it fits in well with the Japanese scene and view. However, the feedback from Miss Jinchi is that I could try out different colour combinations for the elements such as the mountain and other background elements.
Figure 5.7: Progress #1 for Harmony design in physical sketch (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 5.8: Progress #2 for Harmony design in Adobe Illustrator software (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 5.9: Progress #3 for Harmony design in Adobe Illustrator software (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 5.10: Progress #4 for Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 5.11: Progress #5 for Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 5.12: Progress #6 for Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
Figure 5.13: Progress #7 for Harmony design (as of 25th September 2021)
-Feedback from lecturer
Throughout the weeks, I had gotten feedback from Miss Jinchi in private message and also in class consultation sessions. For the Word and Image design, my Progress #4 in the first consultation needed some changes in terms of needing the title to stand out more. I was advised to increase the size of the font and also avoid blending the words with the background elements because the title will appear to be camouflaged. Other than that, I can try out different placements of the elements because they looked weird and may affect the visual hierarchy or composition of the overall layout such as the building and signboard elements. After all these changes from the feedback given, Miss Jinchi was happy and positive with the progress (progress #6) coming into week 6's consultation session and she mentioned that it is ready to be submitted. I was very happy about it but I added a few more elements in the end which would add some touch without affecting the overall composition of the design and then it was done and ready to be submitted.
For the harmony design, Miss Jinchi was very positive with the progress (Progress #7) as shown during the class consultation week 6. However, it can be improved in terms of colour selection and colour combination. I was advised to try out different colour combinations instead of just the 'pink family' / colour palette so that it can look 'less boring'. After trying out many different colour combinations, Miss Jinchi gave some feedback that I should go with the more orange/yellow themed background whilst maintaining some of the pink elements in the background such as the sky and the sunset. Other than that, some elements can have texture to it such as the road, mountain slope, and tree branches. With these few minor tweaks, I managed to complete the Harmony design a few days before the deadline.
- Final Draft & Submission
As mentioned in the feedback section above, I then proceeded to come up with the final draft to then be submitted as the final submission. All these final changes and tweakings were documented down below.
Figure 6.1: Progress #7 for Word and Image design (as of 28th September 2021)
Figure 6.2: Layers used for Word and Image design (as of 28th September 2021)
Figure 6.3: Final work/submission for Word and Image design (28th September 2021)
Figure 6.4: Final work/submission for Word and Image design in pdf (28th September 2021)
Description for Word and Image design:
For the Word and Image design, it is entitled 'CAPTURE EVERY MOMENT' as shown in the large title in the design composition itself. The reason it is entitled this way is because camera is a very good device that allows us to capture pictures as moments and memories to reminisce. To add to that title, I enhanced it with many collages or cutouts of elements in pictures that I took in the past to give it a combination of many different meanings and stories represented by each element. In terms of design principles, this design composition is very well composed because of having the individual in the middle which is walking towards the camera and the title which will immediately bring the focus and attention of viewers to the main subject (the camera and title). The title is big in terms of font size to further enhance the focus of it and I have chosen the Gill Sans Std font in Italic form for the word 'CAPTURE' and non-Italic form for the word 'EVERY MOMENT' because it fits in well with the theme and conveys this message in a suitable manner. Then, they would proceed to look at any other background elements because of the good flow of elements throughout the composition and would circulate around to look at all individual elements which create a very creative way of obeying visual hierarchy. It also obeys both rule of third and golden ratio rule to further enhance the visual hierarchy.
Figure 6.5: Progress #8 for Harmony design (Trying out different colour combinations)
(as of 28th September 2021)
Figure 6.6: Final work/submission for Harmony design (28th September 2021)
Figure 6.7: Final work/submission for Harmony design in pdf (28th September 2021)
Description for Harmony design
For the Harmony design, I went with an overall animated minimalistic graphic form of design because this type of design looks very enjoyable and pleasing to be viewed by all viewers when it is tackled in the right way. I composed it in a way that there are multiple foreground, middleground, and background elements which will create this harmonious combination of elements in different depths of feeling. I will title this design as 'THE SAKURA VIEW' because it is a view from the top of the mountain in Japanese with the foreground elements of the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) car and the sakura trees at the top to create a circular or radial foreground which does not cover the center elements which are the middleground and background elements such as the view of the trees and cityscapes and the Fuji Mountain. These elements of course appear to be smaller because they are further in the background in terms of perspective to enhance the depth effect. To me, I am very happy with this design composition because it is in 2-dimensional form, but appears to be in 3-dimensional form due to the depth effect and having this colour combination, which is a combination of a few families of analogous colours such as turquoise, pink, and orange/yellow. They appear to be very pleasing to be viewed and also all the elements are not too cluttered and each of them seems to have a place/position to be in rather than seemed to be forced to be there. Other than that, there is a proper visual hierarchy in terms of element size and colours that can draw the attention of viewers to a particular element first, and then to another.
-Reflection
As a reflection for exercise 3, I am happy with all the new skills that I learned throughout the weeks to complete this exercise. I took this module as one of my minor modules and it is definitely not in my realm of career path, but certainly is in terms of interest. Therefore, I had to brush up on my creative skills and skills in sketching and designing. Other than that, this exercise gave me the opportunity to explore many different design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop which can be very useful in the future. From my perspective as a student, I got inspired by all the work created by my classmates because everyone has their own taste in designs and artwork and their own style of creativity from all the consultation sessions from week 4 to week 6. This is a very good opportunity for me to brush up and improve in my creativity because of the inspiration that I can get from my peers' designs.
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