EXERCISES

31 August 2022 - 21 August 2022 / Week1 - Week 4
Sim Jia Min 0349784
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Exercises

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INSTRUCTIONS (MIB)

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LECTURES

Week 1: Public holiday - no class. Lecture recording for building e-blog is given, also lecture recordings of design principles. 

Week 2: Since week 1 class is on a public holiday, we start our first class on week 2. Ms Yip taught us some basics of using the Teams app, where to find the files, how to share screen, etc. Ms Yip also did some introduction by briefly explaining the module information booklet, we are going to learn about design principles by exploring different materials while developing the design works. We are given task to do the first exercise, which is choosing 5 design principles to create our own designs. She mentioned that it is important to show references with credits for our works when posting them on e-blog. We are also highly encouraged to record our progress on e-blog while doing all the exercise works. 

Week 3-Week4: Ms Yip gave feedback on everyone's work. (Feedback is written in the below section)

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Exercise 1

1. Gestalt theory
2. Contrast
3. Emphasis
4. Balance
5. Repetition
6. Movement
7. Harmony & Unity
8. Symbol
9. Word & Image

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 1 - CONTRAST

Figure 1: https://blog.shillingtoneducation.com/graphic-design-basic-principles/

Contrast is the combination of opposing elements, it can be contrast in colours, scales, textures, shapes, etc. The purpose of contrast in design is to distinguish one thing from the other, which creates visual interest and impact for the viewers.

1.1 VISUAL REFERENCES

Figure 1.1.1: Work by Cristiana Couceiro 

The contrast value of this image is strong, which is the colour contrast - green and red. It seems that it is a minimalistic work, but somehow can catch viewers' attention because of the interesting contrast, simple yet strong content given.

 

Figure 1.1.2: Illustration by María Ramos

This illustration contains three layers, which are the land, sea & dark blue sky. Each layers have a strong contrast in colours, which make the lines between them look clean and obvious.

Figure 1.1.3: Photography by Rosanna Jones

The tapes on both photos present the contrast in colours. Even if there's just a single photo, contrast in colours will still be present because of the black and white photography & coloured tape.

1.2 IDEA EXPLORATION & DESCRIPTION

Figure 1.2.1 : Contrast design #1

My first attempt for contrast design, the idea is to make two typewriters in different colours and added texts in different colours to show contrast. But I am actually not satisfied with this design, I also don't really like the idea of it. So instead of doing refinement for it I end up decided to drop this and remake another one.

Figure 1.2.2: Design is done in Photoshop. 

Figure 1.2.3: Original image of contrast design #2
Photography by Daniella Midenge

Figure 1.2.4: An initial stage of trying out the photo as a part of design.

This has shown contrast, but as Ms Yip has suggested, it clearly needs to add more things in it to make the design looks meaningful, right now it just looks soulless.

Figure 1.2.5: Contrast design #2

I make the design in all black and white to show an obvious contrast, and add some texts that conform to the design. 

Figure 1.2.6: Design process on photoshop

1.3 FINAL DESIGN

Figure 1.2.7: Final contrast design

The concept of this design is about two sides of a person, black and white colour theme in this design is to indicate that black is the dark side, while white is the bright side. But the design doesn't show a full half black and full half white, there are some combinations of black and white colours happening, it is to indicate that whether the dark side or the bright side of the person shown, both of the sides will still be existing simultaneously. 

  

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 2 - MOVEMENT

Figure 2: https://vanseodesign.com/movement/

Movement is what an artist uses to guide a viewer's eye in, through, and out of a composition, it is the path a viewer's eye takes through a composition. It can be directed by lines, shapes, forms, colours, etc.

2.1 VISUAL REFERENCES

Figure 2.1.1: Illustration by Jon Vio

Repeated lines created the illusion of movement, the thickness of the lines also gradually become thicker from the top to the bottom, which also shows a sense of movement.

Figure 2.1.2: Design by Götz Gramlich (https://gggrafik.de/)

The movement of lines in this design is very interesting, the illusion of movement turns into a vortex in the middle, which also can make viewers feel a little bit of dizziness if keep staring at it.

2.2 IDEA EXPLORATION & DESCRIPTION

Figure 2.2.1: Movement design #1

For this design, I used some wavy lines to create the illusion of movement, and added the distorted "wave".

Figure 2.2.2: The design is done in photoshop

Figure 2.2.3: Movement design #2

Since I personally don't like the first design, I create another design for movement. This is also using lines to create an illusion of movement going into a deeper depth, which is the round shape in the middle. 

Figure 2.2.4: Refinement of design 2

As Ms Yip suggested during feedback session, I remove the photo at the corner and did some other refinements for developing final design.

2.3 FINAL DESIGN

Figure 2.3:  Final movement design

The "hallucination" distorted into the lines to make a type expression of it. To create an illusion of movement going downward, I make the lines at the bottom distorted downward and apply warp effect to the texts.

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 3 - REPETITION

Figure 3: https://arturth.com/graphic-design-basics/

Repetition is repeating a single element often in a design, such as colours, fonts, lines, shapes, sizes, texture, etc. Repetition of certain design elements in a design will bring a clear sense of unity, consistency, and cohesiveness.

3.1 VISUAL REFERENCES

Figure 3.1.1: Movie poster by Piper Gates

Repetition of the portrait photograph is shown, also repeated in different colours, which make the repetition became much more interesting.

Figure 3.1.2: Flower pattern (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/819092250995246230/)

Figure 3.1.3: Flower pattern (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1125968649022495/)

Flower patterns (Fig 3.1.2 & 3.1.3) show the repetition of shapes & colours.

3.2 IDEA EXPLORATION & DESCRIPTION

Figure 3.2.1: Original photo of repetition design #1
Photography by Yosuke Onishi

Figure 3.2.2: Repetition design #1

Since the concept of the original photograph seems like retrofuturism, so I use it as the main element in the design. I refer to figure 3.1.1 making the repetition in different colours. 
Miss Yip said this design relied on the original image too much, so I decided to drop this design and make another design without any original image.

Figure 3.2.3: Repetition designs #2

For these 3 flower pattern designs, I only used circle shapes for making all of them present the repetition in shapes.

Design 1: It is actually my favourite out of all, but after consideration, I found that even though it has the repetition in circles, it doesn't really show repetition that much because of the different patterns of all 4 of them.

Design 2: Since the first design doesn't really show repetition in general, I decided to change the colours to two colours only, maybe it can make the repetition in circles more obvious. 

Design 3: I remove the other two patterns on the bottom, and repeat the top patterns. I found that this design is the most representable design in repetition out of all three because colours, shapes and patterns are all repeated, so I chose it for my final design.

Figure 3.2.4: Design is done in Illustrator by only using circle shapes

3.3 FINAL DESIGN

Figure 3.3: Final repetition design

Repetition in shapes, colours & patterns.

Shapes: Circle

Colours: Warm colour palette - to create some certain unity in the design. I think that warm colour also suits flower patterns because most flower varieties have warm colour.

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 4 - EMPHASIS

Figure 4: https://www.invisionapp.com/defined/principles-of-design

Emphasis is a design principle that can catch the viewer's attention to the focal point. The designers will usually make one element stand out by contrasting it with other elements, the purpose of it is to make that particular element stands out and become the focal point. The elements could be the difference in size, colour, texture, shape, etc.

4.1 VISUAL REFERENCES

Figure 4.1.1: Unknown photographer
 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/572238696379619764/

Black and white photograph with partial colour can emphasise a single object in the image easily, able to make people directly focus on the focal point.

4.2 IDEA EXPLORATION & DESCRIPTION

Figure 4.2.1: Original image of emphasis design
 https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/35074/1/grimes-music-has-been-reworked-for-a-classical-concert

The red latex gloves are very eye-catching, so I edit the photo to black and white and only keep the red latex gloves. 

Figure 4.2.2: emphasis design

I use the technique as the visual reference (figure 4.1.1), keeping the colour of an object to emphasise it as the focal point, while the rest of it just black and white. I also added some repeated headline words "latex gloves" and edit one of them into red colour to emphasise that the red colour in this design is the focal point. 

Since the original photograph is directly shown in this design, it is not fulfilled the requirement of the assignment, so I extracted the latex gloves as Miss Yip suggested.

4.3 FINAL DESIGN

Figure 4.2.3: Final emphasis design

After extracting the gloves, I change the composition of the design to make it looks like a page in a magazine. The first thing that the viewers will see is definitely the latex gloves because of the bold and sharp red colours and also the interesting placement of them looking like almost holding hands, which immediately makes them become the emphasis of the design.

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 5 - BALANCE

Figure 5: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/06/design-principles-compositional-balance-symmetry-asymmetry/

Balance is one of the most important principles in design because it helps the design gain stability in the way it looks and makes the design seem pleasing to the eye. It refers to the way visual elements are arranged so that their visual weight harmonizes with the other elements in the design, and the composition gives an appearance of properly distributed elements.

5.1 VISUAL REFERENCES

Figure 5.1: Design by Linnette Vasquez

The design shows the asymmetrical balance in the placement of rectangle facial features.

5.2 IDEA EXPLORATION & DESCRIPTION

Figure 5.2.1: Original image of balance design
 https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/26282/1/grimes-weird-science

Figure 5.2.2: Balance design

I added filter on the photo and then cropped out the facial features of the person, and make them into squares and rectangles to balance with other coloured squares. The coloured squares are the colour range of the edited photo, the colour range is between blue and violet colours, which also creates some harmony in this design.

5.3 FINAL DESIGN

Figure 5.3: Final balance design

I keep the eyes and remove the other facial features as Ms Yip suggested, also because I think that just the eyes already look fine by themselves, the other features might not be necessary to add in. The placement of the eyes and squares is to show some asymmetrical balance between them. I also leave a white space around the design to make the overall layout look balanced and clean. 

FEEDBACK

Week 2 

Need to be faster with the progress, start searching for visual references and make sketches for designs.

Week 3

Contrast design: It is not really showing contrast, should change the colour of both typewriters to have a stronger contrast with the background colour. The "typewriter" should be in all capital letters, and its gradient colour is not really fit for the design, perhaps a basic colour is enough.

Movement design: The word "wave" should follow the flow of the line.

Week 4

Contrast design: Make the design more meaningful, add some text in the design(maybe in the yellow rectangle.

Movement design: Can make the word description a part of the movement lines (place them in between the lines). Take out the image. 

or

make the words longer and then bring the design down, and can make the words from dark to light.

Repetition design: Can see that the photo is edited in many colours but still shows the original photo, better do more editing for the photo.

Emphasis design: Can extract the hand, or illustrate the outline of the photo.

Balance design: not so strong showing balance, but can see harmony from it. The range of colours can repeat and put it on the side of all photos, so it's not showing too much of original photo. 

or

The other facial pieces are not necessary, can focus on the eyes only, and then create a balanced piece of eyes. Use more squares to form balance so that can see that you are trying to create a balance with the eyes.

*Most of the designs tend to source photos, there's not much own creation. Can use photos but would be better if edited in an abstract way that cannot see the original photos.

SELF-REFLECTION

Contrast: After the first attempt, I have learned that when it comes to contrast in colours, it is important to present a very strong contrast between them, such as black and white, neon blue and neon yellow, and pastel colour is definitely a no because they are all in the same range of colours, weak contrast will be shown in pastel colours. 

Movement: Since I am not satisfied with the first attempt, I make a second one. It did take some time to adjust the lines for making a presentable movement illusion, which makes me a little bit burnout but I am happy with the final outcome. 

Repetition: I was not very happy with the first design even though it does show repetition, but it just generally looks plain. So I moved on the make the second one, which is the flower pattern design and I enjoy doing it by making some experiments of creating flowers only in circle shapes, also playing with the warm colour palette. That is why I end up having 3 versions of them.

Emphasis: The final design for emphasis is probably my favourite out of all 5 because I really like the placement of two latex gloves to make them look stand out and become the focal point, also I feel quite satisfied with the overall layout. 

Balance: Since I feel like making symmetrical balance will be a little bit boring (also because this is something that I always do), I decided to try out making asymmetrical balance on the placement of eyes and squares. The final outcome didn't really come out as I expected, but I am also fine with it.