Design Principles | Final Project :Visual Analysis
30.01.2022 - 20.02.2022 | Week 4 - Week 7
Yap Sze Ying | 0349172
Bachelor of Mass Communication (Hons) Digital Media Production
Design Principles | Final Project :Visual Analysis
LECTURE
Visual Literacy: Set of abilities that enables an individual to find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media.
Visual Analysis
- Is a method of understanding design that focuses on visual elements and principles
- A description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake
- Recognize the choices a designer had made in creating the design, as well as to better understand the formal properties of a design communicate ideas, content, or meaning
- Is a critical part of visual literacy. Helps people read and critically interpret images, whether in a museum, on social media, in entertainment, advertising, or the news
- It sharpens critical judgment skills and helps people seek out answers instead of passively receiving information
Three phases of visual analysis
1. Observation
- Closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design
- Describe them carefully and accurately in your own words
- Do not read beforehand about the design
- The observation phase is about looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what you notice
2. Analysis
- Requires to think about observations
- Make statements about the work with the evidence of the observations
- Think about the specific visual elements that were identified combined together to create a whole and the effect it has on the viewer
- How the eye is led through the work and why?
- Apply the Design Principles knowledge that has learnt throughout these weeks
3. Interpretation
- Include observations, description, and analysis are fused with facts about the design (and sometimes, the designer) and historical context that is found in trustworthy published sources
- What is the meaning of the design? What was the purpose for it to be created?
INSTRUCTIONS
Final Project: Visual Analysis
1 Final Project brief -Recap
Description: Utilise your understanding of design principles found in the design work. This project requires assessments, investigations, documentation and analyze a design material of their choice. Should notice, size, placement, purpose, effectiveness, as well as aspects of design principles. Produce a work of design, inspired/influenced by the one that studied, or as a reaction to it. Apply knowledge of design principles into design.
- Pick one goal from United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG)
- Select an art/design work that revolves around the goal of your choice
- Explain in about 50 words, why chose that design and how it related to UNSDG goal
- Write a 300- to 350-word visual analysis of the selected design
- Create a work of design, inspired/influenced by/reacting to the one you had analyzed
- Write a 50- to 100- word rationale explaining and defending the decisions made
Visual Analysis
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| Figure 1.1 Career perspective -Nahid Zamani | Source: shorturl.at/nzGOW(5th Feb 2023) |
Title: Career Perspective
Artist: Nahid Zamani
Year: 2021
Medium: Digital Art
Dimensions: 800x1017
Rationale
Reduced inequality is the UNSDG I've chosen. I've decided to analyze an illustration from Cartoon Movement by Nahid Zamani. I choose this design as it seems the most intriguing among the author's other designs. Gender inequalities are still deep-rooted in many societies. In my opinion, I believe that this illustration will demonstrate the gender inequality that exists in this world.
Phase 01: Observation
This artwork was created using a portrait format. At first sight, the artwork seems to be colorful, with brightly colored professional uniforms on the right side, whereas there is only one on the left, with colors including red, orange, green, and blue that stand out against the plain background. Two central characters, a boy and a girl are the main subjects, who are placed at the bottom of this artwork. In addition to this, the wall space is divided with lines to clearly separate the main subjects.
Phase 02: Analysis
In this design, an asymmetrical balance was applied. Next, this design holds emphasis by placing the two main subjects in a bright area compared to the other elements. Contrast is another design principle in this design. The visual elements have a weight ratio of 1:2, with the right side appearing heavier than the left. Besides that, this design applies repetition design principles through the repetitive placement of the uniforms on the right side. It also created a movement in this composition, with the two main subjects facing and looking in different directions, shifting the viewer's attention from left to right.
Phase 03: Interpretation
This design was created by Nahid Zamani, an Iranian cartoonist, and published on November 18th, 2021. I observed that this design emphasizes the inequalities between the two gender's career opportunities. In this design, inequality was implied difference between the boy and the girl. Observe how the right side was filled with different uniforms whereas the left was only a piece of clothing. It also consists of the topic of education. The boy is dressed neatly and carrying a school bag and books whereas the girl is dressed in plain, loose clothing. In contrast to the girl, this shows that the boy has a proper education. According to Zamani, the right to education is not just about going to school but is about the right of having dreams, being able to imagine about better future, and trying hard to make those wishes true. It reveals the fact that a lack of education restricts girls to have a dream for the future.
2 Design Process
2.1 Visual References
Gender inequality in the workplace and educational environment were the two main focus areas after conducting visual analysis of Zamani's artwork. In this project, I decided to focus on gender inequalities in education. Thus, I started by researching Pinterest for several visual illustrations of gender inequality.
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| Figure 1.2 Susan Cain's design | Source: shorturl.at/uPSVX (10th Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 1.3 Eames Bot's design | Source: shorturl.at/fDMQ4 (10th Feb 2023) |
What the above two illustrations have in common is the differences in how these two genders are treated. The male gender appeared to have a simpler and less difficult path to the destination, whereas the female gender worked hard and put a lot of effort to ascend to the destination.
2.2 Idea exploration with descriptions
I conducted research on gender inequality in education, especially in Afghanistan. I chose this nation as the prime example due to the current issue with the Taliban prohibiting most girls from attending secondary school and others, which led me to realize the unfairness of gender education inequality. Below are the two sketches I did.
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| Figure 1.4 Sketch 01 (12th Feb 2023) |
It was inspired by the visual reference above, which depicts how girls struggle further to achieve their goals than boys accomplish. In addition, I placed the graduation hat on top of the books and used the books as the staircase that related to education.
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| Figure 1.5 Sketch 02 (12th Feb 2023) |
It illustrates how educational inequality between the genders compares. The design will have a boy's hand throwing the unneeded books on the left side, whereas the right side will have a girl's pleading hand to catch the paper that the boy has thrown.
Following receiving feedback on both sketches from Ms Jin Chi, I prefer to proceed with Fig 1.4 Sketch 01. Ms suggested I carefully feature the books to make it more evident that there are books. Besides that, the figure's pose is important too. For example, this illustration could depict a girl trying to climb but finding it tough, whereas the boy finds it simple. I then continue on to Illustrator to start my digitization process.
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| Figure 1.6 Book stack drawing (17th Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 1.7 Graduation hat drawing (17th Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 1.8 Boy drawing (17th Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 1.9 Girl drawing (17th Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 2.0 Add background (17th Feb 2023) |
Then, I imported it into Photoshop, applied the Multiply blending mode, and reduced the layer's opacity to emphasize the light. In order to light down from the upper right corner of the design, I also utilized the Gradient effect, altered the style to diamond, and adjusted the angle at which the light was created.
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| Figure 2.1 Apply Multiply blending mode (17th Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 2.2 Add Gradient effect (17th Feb 2023) |
Here is Attempt 01 shown.
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| Figure 2.3 Attempt 01 (20th Feb 2023) |
After receiving Ms Jin Chi's feedback, I looked up several ideas on Pinterest for the boy's leg while stair stepping and different movements for the girl climbing the stair. Here are a few examples:
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| Figure 2.4 Stepping up | Source: shorturl.at/pDO38 (22rd Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 2.5 Climbing up | Source: shorturl.at/ktO25 (22rd Feb 2023) |
With that, I altered the design in Illustrator to portray the boy as ascending the stair whereas the girl is climbing up from the book beneath. I then imported it into Photoshop and repeated the previous steps to apply the Multiply blending mode and use the Gradient effect to create light.
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| Figure 2.6 Boy ascending the stair (23rd Feb 2023) |
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| Figure 2.7 Girl climbing the book (23rd Feb 2023) |
Thus I came up with the end result.
Final Outcome
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| Figure 2.8 Visual Analysis: Unfairness (24th Feb 2023) |
Unfairness
The UNSDG Goal 10 of Reduced Inequality is described in this design. It depicts how girls struggle further to achieve their goals than boys accomplish. The rainbow-colored book stack and graduation hat in this illustration are included to imply that the boy receives a proper education than the girl. In addition, the shadow of light on the top right is to illustrate that the boy has succeeded in reaching his goal, whereas the girl is depicted climbing up hard beneath the stack of books.
This design incorporates several design principles that I learned over the course of several weeks. The first is Balance. It is an asymmetrical and diagonal balance on the stack of books. It has equal visual weight throughout the composition and appears similar on both sides. Next, the design holds repetition. Several books were used repeatedly to create the stairs and to guide the audience's eyes and how they should flow around them. Furthermore, Contrast is another design principle in this design. The two main figures shown are large and small in size, creating the strongest contrast. Last but not least, there is also Emphasis design principles. Its emphasis on the boy achieving his goal illustrates that he has received a proper education. Not only that, it also created a movement in this composition, making it more dynamic and avoiding a monotonous feel.
FEEDBACK
08/02/2023
Visual analysis is completed. Rationale part is well done, and the three phrases need to be tweaked slightly before moving on to the design part.
15/02/2023
Sketch 01: Ms Jin Chi commented that both ideas clearly convey the meaning. In addition, Ms noted that there's symbolism in this sketch and that it could also be an idea that is quite well-known, well-played, and more prevalent.
Sketch 02: Ms Jin Chi stated that the center line is unnecessary as the design already distinguished between a good and bad environment, as well as between the books and ripped paper. In addition, Ms noted that this sketch required the design of a good environment that relevant elements to represent it, such as good condition books in better form.
22/02/2023
Ms Jin Chi stated that it doesn’t show that the girl is climbing or finding it difficult. In contrast to the boy, the girl appears more like she's in the lost hole and doesn't shows that she's struggling. Instead of just standing in the lower right corner of the design, the girl should be climbing up from the book beneath, whereas the boy should be placed higher and ascending the stair. Other than that, the imagery has to be clearer in order to convey the design's meaning and further visual references should be provided to prove the image's authenticity.
REFLECTION
This project provided me the opportunity to delve deeper thoroughly into design principles and learn how to analyze a particular design in a deeper context, touching both its visual composition and core representation. It was intriguing to study design that was conveyed through art and visuals during the visual analysis phases instead of having to read a lengthy explanation to understand it. Working on Illustrator once again was interesting as I was able to improve my drawing abilities and explore more techniques.
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