Design Principles - Project 2: Sense of Place

12 Oct 2022 - 02 Nov 2022 (Week 7 - Week 10)
Vincent Lee // 0359386
Design Principles // Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media // Taylor's University (TDS)
Project 2: Sense of Place (The Importance of Observation)

LIST / JUMP LINK <span id="LIST"></span>
Task

INSTRUCTIONS

Module Information Booklet

LECTURES

Week 7

A pre-recorded lecture video are posted on TEAMS and assisting materials are posted in MyTIMeS for us to have the concepts on the importance of observation. From the video, I had learned that being observant means to be attentive to our surroundings, to pay attention to the details and to be analytical about them. The sources of observation can stem from artefacts, daily happenings, physical surroundings, and such.

Figure 1.1 - Observation of nature is applied into design.

Figure 1.2 - Hint of an island life of the designer.

Besides that, a few steps on improving our Powers of Observation.

Know your subject - we need to understand to notice more.
Slow down and look outward - aware of our surroundings.
Try something new - to engage our senses and heighten our awareness.
Improve concentration by cutting out distractions such as avoid multitasking, quit social media, and go somewhere quiet.
Challenge ourself to a mutual workout as a smarter, more agile brain help us to observe with greater insight.
Test our observation by playing a memory game such as describe a photograph, to list everything in the room without looking.
Record and consider our observation - note down any tiny pieces of information such as smells, sounds and experience.
Stay Curious - question and analyse our observation.

Then, we are instructed to document (mind-map) our observations by any means such as photographs, diary, talking to relevant people and etc. In the mind-map, we can include:

the place we are in now,
or a place we had spent some time at previously,
or a place that had created a lasting memory in us.
how do we express your sense of that place

Last, there are other mediums we can explore, such as collage, illustration (manual/ digital), scale model, and other.

Class Summary

For this project, we are required to select a "Place" and the "Sense" it gives to us.

After Dr. Yip has finalise ideas of Project 1: 👉🏻Self-Portrait. She had briefed us on Project 2: Sense of Place. In this project, we are asked to apply and consider carefully the design principles in our design work in every project and below are the 3 options for us to express the place:

the place we wish to be at (our dream place, in fantasy, reality or fictional)
a place that we been before it can be a place where we makes us feel happy or sad
the place we currently at and what is the sense/ feelings of that place

Dr. Yip has further explained that this project may be as specific as a certain period of time that we have more feelings about that place and we are encouraged to walk around to the outer world, beyond school and home. After brainstorming and the "place' is determined, we are instructed to look for visual references of that particular place or visual that reminds us of that place. We are advised by starting this project by observing our surroundings, such as people, plants and buildings that we did not observe usually. Dr. Yip suggest to not just record with our eyes and mind but our phone by recording it or take a picture of it. Besides, she also encourages us to sketch more as idea exploration and for us to have a range of selection on which to represent the "place" and "sense". Last, she did highlighted the importance of balance principle in every of our projects then comes the other design principles such as contrast, emphasis and repetition.

Week 8

During the independent learning week, I followed the instructions given in Week 7, such as brainstorming of my "sense" of a place, conduct visual research and produce 2 - 3 sketches for Week 9 class.

Week 9

Dr. Yip gave feedbacks to our design individually in the meantime, Dr. Yip also stated some parts that we should be aware of when choosing the "place" and the arrangement of our blog for this project. In Week 8, I was too obsess with the meaning of a place, thus ended drawing the exact structure of the place that gave me sense. However, in today's class, Dr. Yip clarify that student can be more creative in doing this project such as depict that memory/ moment or sense of the place, as we are not restricted to just drawing the exact same structure of the place. In addition, Dr. Yip advises us to apply the design principles to our sense of place, through colours or shapes. We were encouraged to capture different angles and perspective of the place that we chose so it allow us in reinforcing the sense of the place by the elements of the surroundings. The arrangement and colour used must same with the feelings that we have of that place. Last, the class was dismissed.

Week 10:

Before starting the feedback session, Dr. Yip instructed us to complete the TES evaluation, be aware of the submission for this project and then she gave us a short brief on the 👉🏻 Final Project: Visual Analysis. After that, Dr. Yip have provided feedback individually and we were dismissed after the discussion sessions.

Tasks

1. Recap of Project 2 Brief

We are required to utilise and apply the design principles we have learnt to date in order to express a location of our choice. The place will becomes the subject of our composition in which the design principles are applied to capture the social and environmental aspects, and even the time/s effects that will best express our intention/interpretation for a particular location. This requires the us to move beyond the classroom to the outer world and to employ our skills in capturing and communicating a complex relationship.

In this project, we are required to observe our surroundings – people, vehicles, buildings, plants, signages, nature, activities. Then, we need to record these in sketches, photography and/or video recording and study all the visuals that we had collected. Next, select visuals that we find relevant and interesting to us, which we can translate into a design work that reflects our interpretation of a place. Aside from that, we are ordered to apply design principles in our work.

Therefore, the top three places that I choose where I think had impact to my life is coffee shop, my secondary school and Sunway Lagoon. From these three places, I am require to choose one place that give me the most impactful memory and experience to represent for this project.

Below are the requirements that needed to include in this blog during the whole semesters for this projects, as stated in bold:

2. Design Process:

2.1 Visual References (designs that have inspired me)

Figure 1.1 - Farmhouse_Gestalt Theory
(by Nathan Holthus)

Figure 1.2 - This collage illustrating the cars are entering the tunnel to travel to somewhere else.
(by Coeval Magazine)

Figure 1.3 - This image illustrating futurism, the combination of subway station and space.
(by fakealbumcovers)

Figure 1.4 - Combining a sleeping women with her mouth open wide big then connect it with a draw bridge, it illustrating people are discovering a cave but then using the women mouth as the entrance make it more interesting.
(by Sammy Slabbinck)

Figure 1.5 - Dispersion of light showing a city
(by Adam Hale)

Figure 1.6 - Collage Artwork - using coupons, newspaper and magazines
(by Andy Burgess)

Figure 1.7 - Supergraphics
(by A Peasant)

More Inspiration References 👉🏻 My Pinterest Board

2.2 Idea Exploration and Description

(i) Mind-Map

Figure 2.1 - Mind-map #1
This mind-map is documented according to the pre-recorded lecture video, Week 8, 19 Oct 2022

Figure 2.2 - Mind-map #2
This mind-map is documented according what had been guided during class, Week 8, 19 Oct 2022

(ii) Sketches (Draft)

Figure 2.3 - Daydreaming at Coffee Shop, Week 8, 19 Oct 2022

Elements of the place

The element/ sense I could think of:

Coffee Shop

Mint Chocolate and Various Coffee
Cakes
Western and Asian Foods
Chilly
Crowded
Single or Partnered
Crying Baby/ Child
Laptop
Youngster

Emotion

Happy and Excited when talking nonsense or gossiping, Loved and Appreciation when surrounded by foods and friends.

Feelings

This idea is illustrating me always hanging out with my friends. Thus coffee shop is one of my sense of place - place I spend time at. When we at coffee shop, we also like to discuss and think of our future, such as career, education, and wealth. So the illustration of the house is actually kind of my sense of place - a place where I wish to be at.

Figure 2.4 - School Waiting Shelter, Week 8, 19 Oct 2022

Elements of the place

The element/ sense I could think of:

My Secondary School

Gangster and Bullies
Food - Footlong Sausage, Nasi Lemak
Lots of Signages and Speed Bump
Frangipani
Skip Class and Gambling
Failed on My Exam
Confiscated of Belongings
Dirty and Flooded Toilet
Graffiti
Scary Computer Lab
Vending Machines
Business-Minded Teachers
Exam
Cheated during Exam
Fight

Emotion

Anxiety when attending school, Nervous when exam is around the corner, Excited and Happy when almost recess and absence of teachers. Panic and Unsure when playing cards. Demotivated and Angry when forced to attend a talk or activity.

Feelings

This idea is me trying to illustrate the waiting shelter of my secondary school. While I had decided on expressing the "sense" of a place. I think my secondary did give me huge impact to my life. It taught me to be humble and be low profile. On top of that, this place also let me make thoughtful and caring friends. In addition, this place is also one of the scariest place while I'm in Form 2. This is the place where those gangster and school bullies like to gather before and after the school. This is the entrance of the school, thus causing me to have difficulty in entering the school.

I try to create a depth effect of design (3D). However, I ended up utilise the technique of architecture drawing, the most front one have thicker line then the back one will be lighter. The colour used have no relation to my final design.

Figure 2.5 - Time Travel to Sunway Lagoon, Week 8, 19 Oct 2022

Elements of the place:

The element/ sense I could think of:

Sunway Lagoon

Lots of Signages such as Wet Floor and Age Restrictions Board
Crowded
Fighting Over the Queue
Wave
Song
Restaurant
People are mostly grouped to there
Transaction
Blood
Loss of Belongings
Cardio
Fun
Adrenaline Soaring
Swimming Ring

Emotion

Delighted, Energised, Cherish, Careful, Awkward, Fear and Satified

Feelings

This design is me trying to depict me time travelling back to one of my must-go-to place. The first time I went to Sunway Lagoon is with my sister and her friends. Then successively I visited it with my family and friends. So much fun there, where I remember the second time I visited there, they got a DJ sessions and the man-made wave is huge. In addition, this place kind of remind me of youth, where I can be playing and running up and down and still energetic after that.

(iii) Sketches and Progressions

Week 9, I have chosen Fig. 2.4 - School Waiting Shelter as my final sense of place.

Figure 2.6 - Sketches of School Entrance, Week 8 (19 Oct 2022)

After received feedbacks from Dr. Yip, I tried to change the structure of the entrance. Initially, in Sketch #1, I tried to make it less complicated and make it wider as compared to what had shown in Fig. 2.4. Unfortunately, it still looks almost the same. Thus, in Sketch #2, I tried to create a shelter based on my creativity but I still think is not representing the sense I wanted to show. Last, in Sketch #3, I referred to my visual research and I think that maybe the main entrance of my school would be better as it is less complicated and have wider space so that it will not look so squeeze.

Figure 2.7 - Images that I used for my design, Week 8 (19 Oct 2022)

Due to untalented, I first think of the element and symbols that I want, then I use browser to look for the suitable image for my design then redraw it using the drawing app I used for my design work.

Figure 2.8 - Progressions, Week 8, 22 Oct 2022

Concept

As mentioned above, as I referred to my visual research, thus I got the idea on how my entrance want to look like. Furthermore, I got to find my school uniform, thus I decided that my design are going to replicate by combining it with the shapes - Circle, of my school badge.

Elements

Signages

Shark = Gangsters and Bullies

Ruler = Long Jump and also when use for Mathematics and Drawings

Flower = Frangipani

Poker Card = Gambling

Failed = Failed in Exam

Pocket = Replicating My School Uniform that sew with my name and school badge

Design Principles

Balance = Symmetrical Balance

(iv) Attempts on the background

Figure 2.9 - Several Texture Tested, Week 10 (02 Nov 2022)

As I think my design would be more interactive, thus I think of applying texture to my background. Several attempts on different textured for background were as shown above.

Figure 2.10 - Comparison with and without filter on the grass texture, Week 10 (02 Nov 2022)

As the effect loses the original textured of the grass, thus I had provided the unfiltered image of the grass textured and to show to show the differences of with and without the filter.

2.3 Final Outcome in JPEG

Figure 2.11
Final Design of Project 2: Sense of Place, Week 10 (02 Nov 2022)

Place: My Secondary School, SMK SETIA ALAM
Sense: Anxiety, Nervous, Excited and Happy, Panic and Unsure, Demotivated and Angry and Appreciation

Mediums: Procreate

Concept

This design is inspired by visual research conducted previously. It can be seen in Fig. 1.2 and Fig. 1.4.

When looking to this design, it directly tells the audience, especially me, that the time in my secondary school is very different from others. It does not show an positive image of a student. However, in this design, it also show contrast. To further explain, from the design we can see poker card, usually people who play poker cards gives will leads to bad impression from others. However, although I was playing card games and violating the school rules, but the inner of me is a timid student as the shark representing a part of my time in secondary school were bullied and threaten by gangster and bullies.

For the signages, the placement is kind of meaningful. This is due to that I passed by my secondary school everyday, thus the signages are somehow telling me to slow down and look back all the wonderful memories that had created in this place. Other than that, it also make me recall of what my teacher had said on my graduation day, which is: "Remember this school, remember to visit us (teacher) often, don't forget about us, we always welcome you guys".

Other than that, the black and white stripes are showing the divider that can be seen in every corner of my school. Instead of using bricks to make an island for greening, my school use the divider for greening. I remember when we have the communal work, I used to skip my duties and just sit at the divider and chatting with my friends. In addition, the frangipani is representing the section where I was asked to loosen the soil and paint the concrete pot.

For the background, I remembered that Dr. Yip has suggested a textured background to help guide a viewer's eye through a work of art and enhance the overall design. I did tried on several texture for my background however, I think the grass texture are better to be applied in this design. I tried the filters in my drawing apps then I decided to apply the filter named Hard Mix as the effects is like space, the stars are twinkling.

Symbols

Flowers and Divider - place I skip my duty and gossip with my friends
Signages - Speed Bump, leads me to think of all the memories created
Poker Cards - my motivation to school, gambling
Sharks - gangster and bullies
Words - my name and the school name
Entrance - replicating my school entrance, school uniform and school badge
Semi Circle - Sunrise and Sunset

Design Elements and Principles Applied

Contrast: the background in black and the yellow semi circle
Emphasis: The pocket (entrance)
Balance: Symmetrical Balance - side to side
Movement: The poker card from wide to narrow showing distance
Repetition: Frangipani
Proportions: The yellow semi circle and cards are having bigger proportions than other symbols.
Words: Name and school name
Symbol - The signages and divider

2.4 Feedback

Week 9

Take down all the images that taken from the lecture notes.
Different angle of the "place" I had chosen are required.
Don't have to depict the architectural structure of the place, part of it such as the grass, or shapes
Describe (list down) the memory and sense/ feelings of the place able to guide me in expressing that sense of the place to assist me in designing for this project
Part of the badge design to represent the school
utilise colour or symbol to express my feelings

Week 10

Progression 2 has stronger indication of place with the intention of including the symbolism inside
Frangipani should place at the top, around the two corner or at the centre
The signages both should be poker cards
Symbolise the Failed to something like F or anything that embed my experience of failure in school
the long jump/ ruler is not clear
Only add things that included in my list
Advise on changing the ruler to speed bump or the relevant tools of my stream.
insertion of "Nasi Lemak" will added extra fun to this design

2.5 Reflection on the particular week

Week 7

From the video, I am excited to explore more on the ways to improve my powers of observation. As in this project, we are required to pay more attention on our surroundings. However, before the formal brief of this project, there is still confusion on the requirement of the project. Besides, I am wondering on the final "place" that I will choose for this project.

Week 8

I observe my surrounding and documented (mind-map) what I had observed along the week. Besides, I also look back some old photos to find the "sense" of "place" that I been before and the place that I wish I could be at. I feel so peaceful and chill when I calm down and observe my surrounding and think of what is the "place that give me "sense" so far.

Initially, I thought the expression of the place is just by drawing what the place look like but it is such a wrong thinking after the visual research. After conducting visual research, I am surprise and learned that the expression of the "place" that give "sense" to us are not just limit to what the place looks like. We can by adding what the surrounding of the place have such as statues, signages, people, buildings, and banners. There are so many things allow us to put in this project.

Week 9

After the discussion with Dr. Yip, I am sure where and what I want to design for this project. I also like the idea suggested by symbolising my memory and feeling rather than drawing the actual things out.

During weekend, I started to design on the place that I had determined, which is my secondary school. However, I was lack of technique and ideas on applying my "sense" into my design. There was so much memories during the time but I am loss and I'm going to seek for help from Dr. Yip.

Final Reflection

This project turns to be difficult and I was struggling on the idea and elements applied. I did have strong sense for the place I had chose. However, it just have something in my head and I was distracted by the composition. This design was completed five hours before the deadline, I hope I can have better time management and more responsible for my next task. To be sincere, this design is giving me a feeling that lacking of something important but just that I haven't yet discovered.

QUICK LINKS

Exercises: Elements & Principles of Design

Project 1: Self-Portrait

Final Project: Visual Analysis

Final Compilation and Reflection