Intercultural Design - Visual Culture (Projects Compilation)

10 Jan 2023 - 29 Feb 2023 (Week 1 - Extended Week)

Vincent Lee // 0359386
Intercultural Design // Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media // Taylor's University
Visual Culture

Group 6

LIST

Instructions

Project 1: Proposal
Project 2: Data Collection
Project 3: Visual Design

Feedback

Reflection

Instructions

Project 1: Proposal

Requirements

- The theme is "Visualism - Visual Culture". We are required to choose a cultural phenomenon or subculture to study within the theme. Besides, present our interpretation of the culture through visual means without changing the actual facts.

Moreover, come up with preliminary visual ideas and a 200 words explanation for each. We should conduct visual research to help develop our ideas.

Submissions

- Prepare our research/ proposal in slides/deck/Miro format and present in Week 4.

Week 1: Topic Selection & Prewriting

Topic Selection

Members proposed various options related to the assigned theme, Visual Culture. We then listed the possibilities and obstacles of each specific topic, briefly discussing them to filter out the best fit for the theme. Following this, we sought advice from Ms. Anis to ensure that our chosen topic was appropriate.

Figure 1.1 - Topic Selection - pdf, Week 1 (10 Jan 2023)

Prewriting

Members are separated into three groups. Each group is assigned a specific topic to do preliminary research. The topics assigned to each group are:

Tea Culture - by Yap Wai Kei
Japanese Charms - by ME and Chris
Graffiti Arts - by Xinyi and Rui Ying.

Below are the information documentated:

Figure 1.2 - Preliminary Topic Research, Week 1 (13 Jan 2023)

Week 2 to Week 4: Research Process & Proposal

Chosen Culture - Graffiti Arts

After reviewing the information gathered during Week 1, we engaged in a group discussion and ultimately decided to choose Graffiti Arts as our proposed topic. We then consulted with Ms. Anis to further refine our research direction.

Below are the outcome of week 2 & week 3 research:

*the document have been updated with revised sketches (ideas) added after Week 4 presentation and can be found from page 28 to page 29.

Figure 1.3 - (Updated) Final Proposal: Graffiti Arts - docs, Week 4 (31 Jan 2023)

*the slides have been updated with revised sketches (ideas) added after Week 4 presentation and can be found from slide 53 to slide 57.

Figure 1.4 - (Updated) Final Proposal: Graffiti Arts - pdf, Week 4 (31 Jan 2023)

Project 2: Data Collection

For this task, we will conduct a data collection process about the culture with relevance to the theme and our research objectives.

Requirements
- All collected artefacts and materials must be recorded, kept and documented, accompanied by necessary information such as the type of artefact and material, its purpose, its symbolism, its cultural/historical background, and more, depending on the kind of artefact and material.

Data Collection Methods
- Interview of relevant stakeholders (from the lecture series, we may approach any of the guest speakers for an interview, if we deem their presentation useful for further research).

Submissions
- Accompanying descriptions that properly and clearly informs about important information of each artefact and materials

Week 5: Data Collection

During our discussion through Google Meet, we discussed and agreed on several approaches to gather relevant artefacts and materials, which include:

1. Online Research
- by ME

We have decided to conduct further research on graffiti culture in order to better understand the codes of conduct that govern the community and ensure that there is no chaos. Through this research, we have discovered several unwritten rules that are followed by members of the graffiti community to prevent unintentional offense.

In addition to these rules, we have also studied the terminology of graffiti that is used by graffiti artists to communicate and connect with one another. By understanding these common terms and phrases, we hope to gain a deeper insight into the culture and foster a greater appreciation for the art form.

2. Google Form Survey

- by Yap Wai Kei

We created a series of questions designed to investigate the public's perspective on the topic of graffiti art. In addition, we allowed our surveyors (target 60 respondents) to provide input on which ideas that they think best promote graffiti arts and would make them interested in owning the "items". The data collected are as presented below:

Figure 1.5 - Summaries of data collected through survey- docs, Week 5 (12 Feb 2023)

3. Field Study

- by Lim Rui Ying

Our team member, Lim Rui Ying, visited several locations including Ara Damansara, Taman Mayang, and Subang Jaya to better understand the structure and elements of graffiti art. During these visits, she took photos of various graffiti pieces and categorised them based on their types and arts pieces created by the specific artists. This process allowed us to gain valuable insights into the complexities of graffiti art and its cultural significance.

Drive Folder: http://bit.ly/3Kdnf7I

Figure 1.6 - Artefacts collected through field study, Week 5 (12 Feb 2023)

Week 6: Finalised Idea & Compilation of Data

Finalised Idea

Figure 1.7 - Sketching and Ideation, Week 6 (14 Feb 2023)

sketched by Lim Xinyi, Lim Rui Ying and Yap Wai Kei

After consulting with Mr. Asrizal regarding our final visual design, we decided to follow the survey results, choose merchandise for promoting graffiti arts. While Ms. Anis has signified the importance of rationale behind of our designs because it provides a strong foundation and justification for our creative decisions.

Compilation of Data

After conducting data collection using three different methods, we finalised our idea for the final visual design of Graffiti Arts and developed a rationale to keep us focused on the purpose and research objectives.

Figure 1.8 - Final Data Collections - pdf, Week 6 (17 Feb 2023)

Final Project: Visual Design

Requirements

- Be prepared to showcase your final project beyond the poster presentation in a 10-minute presentation and provide a PDF or other relevant format of the final product, while being creative in how you present the information on your poster.

Submissions

- The depends on the critical thoughts in visual form.

Week 7 & Extended Week: Visual Design and Poster

Visual Design

Follow the task delegation, our team members, Lim Xinyi and Chris are responsible for the design of four basic graffiti letter styles: Bubble, Wildstyle, Sharp and Blockbuster. The graffiti letter styles will be featured it on a plain black t-shirt, tote bags, and phone cases.

Figure 1.9 - Final Visual Design (Merchandise) - jpeg, Week 7 (25 Feb 2023)

Poster

For this section, Lim Rui Ying, Yap Wai Kei and ME are responsible to design a poster that finalise our explorations journey on this particular culture. In our meeting, we had determine the content that wanted to be included, then we planned each of us create one poster and compare with each other.

Figure 1.10 - Meeting Summary - docs, Week 7 (21 Feb 2023)

Figure 1.11 - Poster Layouts, Extended Week (27 Feb 2023)

Fig. 1.11 shows the poster layouts created by ME.

Figure 1.12 - Poster Designs, Extended Week (27 Feb 2023)

Fig 1.12 shows the poster designs created by Yap Wai Kei (left) and Lim Rui Ying (right).

Figure 1.13 - Final Poster - jpeg, Extended Week (28 Feb 2023)

Feedback

Week 1

Ms. Anis gave feedback on our preliminary proposed ideas and provided her thoughts on each specific idea.
She suggested that combining Tea Pot + Tea Ceremony would be a great combination to bring out Tea Culture.
Ms. Anis advised us to start from the basic assumption of luck in Japan to expand our research on the topic, and to use the design system to break down graffiti and street art.

Week 2

Ms. Anis commented on the lack of research
She advised us not to be overly influenced by senior's research directions, as the assigned theme is different.
Ms. Anis suggested following the design process that Mr. Asrizal had taught us since the first lesson.

Week 3

As tasks assigned were incomplete, Mr. Asrizal could not provide feedback on our selected visual culture.
The PowerPoint slides were empty, and the Google document looked like copy and paste links from everywhere without any clear coherent plan of what our proposal is all about.
After completing the slides, Mr. Asrizal commented that there were no issues for now.

Week 4

After the presentation, Mr. Asrizal advised us to utilize our research on graffiti letter styles and apply it to our sketches.
Ms. Anis questioned the purpose of our sketches (product) and urged us to think about what would make people need it, as well as the message our idea wanted to convey to the public.

Week 5

- data collection week, no feedback given.

Week 6

Mr. Asrizal advised against using a pop-up booklet due to a lack of clear purpose.
Mr. Asrizal raised a question on how to visually represent graffiti on the merchandise.
Ms. Anis suggested that we need to carefully consider the rationale behind the merchandise concept to effectively convey and enhance our design message to others.

Week 7

- preparation of final visual design and poster, no feedback given.

Extended Week

- presentation, no feedback given.

Reflection

Experience

The overall experience of this module is quite simple and easy, as it allows us to explore the outside world without specific guidelines on how to conduct our research. When I learned that the module focuses on researching a culture related to our assigned theme, Mr. Vinod's words came to mind: we need to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. This makes me a little nervous because I want to represent the people in the community well, which requires a deep understanding of their history and values.

In conclusion, working as a team is fun because I enjoy interacting with people and engaging in the brainstorming process with my peers. We are grateful that both lecturers provided good guidance and patience when we faced obstacles due to our limited perspectives.

Observation

In these projects, I noticed that my role was crucial because my group mates were one year younger than me and often relied on my guidance. Additionally, I realized that the progress in the beginning of this module was slow, and members were not united. Some found the chosen topic hard to interpret, leading to differing expectations and confusion.

To overcome these challenges, I always encouraged open communication among the group members. We worked together to define our objectives and clarify our understanding of the topic. By breaking down complex concepts into smaller, manageable parts, we were able to make steady progress and achieve our goals.

Findings

I have noticed that the pace of short semesters is better than that of long semesters. In longer semesters, when tasks are given a longer due date, there is a tendency to procrastinate until the deadline is close. However, when tasks are given a shorter period, say a week, and we have to move on to the next task, we become more actively involved in the progression.

I have found that this approach is more effective for me because I am motivated to complete the task within the given time frame, rather than postponing it. This also helps to reduce stress and allows me to manage my time better, as I can focus on each task individually, rather than having to juggle multiple tasks at once.

In conclusion, my study on graffiti arts in Malaysia has revealed several interesting findings. Firstly, I have observed that Malaysian graffiti artists tend to work on commission-based projects, unlike their counterparts in other countries. Additionally, the community of graffiti artists in Malaysia is relatively small compared to other countries or less popular art forms.

Furthermore, I discovered that creating even a simple or basic graffiti artwork is not an easy task. The artist needs to control the amount of pressure on the spraying surface to achieve the desired effect and have a clear vision of the final artwork. This requires a high level of skill and creativity.

Quick Links

Project 1: Proposal

Project 2: Data Collection

Final Project: Visual Design

Vincent Lee | 0359386

Intercultural Design - Visual Culture (Projects Compilation)

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