Design Principles - Task 2: Visual Analysis & Ideation
Picture Source: Design Principles 101: The Basics of Graphic Design |
HenkinSchultz
17/02/2025 - 03/03/25 / Week 3 - Week 5
Aquela Zefanya Soares / 0374377
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INSTRUCTION
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LECTURES
Visual Analysis is an important part of visual literacy, which helps people understand and think critically about images in places like museums, social media, and ads. Since we see visual media everywhere today, practicing visual analysis improves critical thinking and helps people actively understand information instead of just accepting it.
Importance of Visual Analysis:
- It is a key part of visual literacy (the ability to understand and interpret images).
- It helps people analyze images in different places, like museums, social media, ads, news, etc.
- Practicing visual analysis improves critical thinking.
- It helps people question and understand images instead of just accepting them.
Phase 1: Observation
- Observation means carefully looking at a design and identifying its visual elements.
- Describe what you see in your own words without reading about the design first.
- This phase focuses on looking, thinking, and using clear language to explain observations.
Phase 2: Analysis
- Analyze your observations and make statements based on what you see.
- Think about how visual elements work together to create design principles in the artwork or design.
- Consider how these elements affect the viewer’s experience.
- Use design principles to explain your analysis.
Phase 3: Interpretation
- Combine observations, description, and analysis with facts about the design.
- Use trustworthy sources to learn about the design, designer, and historical context.
TASK
Chosen artwork
Phase 1: Observation
Phase 2: Analysis
The first thing I notice is that this artwork applies The Principle of Continuity.
The distortion leads my eyes from the top of the person's head to the mountain and then to the text (refer to Fig 1.2). The artwork still looks balanced because the text and the wave patterns on the left side balance it out, indicating this artwork is asymmetrically balanced, the right side is filled with visuals, and the left side is with text and elements. Aside from the distortion, the contrast makes the focal point stand out (emphasize), meaning the person, and leads the continuity to other objects that the artist intended. The movement is evident from the wave patterns, which suggest motion. Even though McKean uses a lot of abstract elements, texture, and distortion, the work still looks cohesive. Meaning this artwork contains Harmony and Unity. (141 words)
Phase 3: Interpretation
Signal to Noise is a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean (1989). The novel talks about a filmmaker with an ambitious film idea but cannot complete it due to his illness. To convey the character's struggle, McKean uses his signature mixed-media collage style to create layered and distorted compositions. He used dark, muted tones, and textured elements to show how the man struggles with his upcoming death. Additionally, he added the mountain to the cover as a symbol. Mountains symbolize constancy, eternity, firmness, and stillness. They have been used to represent the state of full consciousness (Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion (2013), Leeming A. D.). In contrast, the filmmaker's time is running out, making him feel tiny and insignificant compared to something as firm as a mountain. This enhances the sense of agony, which McKean likely intended to imply. (141 words)
Ideation
After finishing the visual analysis, the task asked us to create three sketches of how the design could be improved or to make designs inspired by the chosen artwork.
References
Before sketching, I did some research to help me understand what kind of designs I wanted to create, how to compose them, and what would be the outcome.
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I ended up wanting to use the filmmaker's hopeful wish for my main idea with three different approaches.
Sketch 1
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Rationale
In this design (Fig 1.4), I want the title to be the focal point. To emphasize the title, I left a space between the mountain and the sky and used a light and dark dynamic for the text and the background to create contrast. I make the composition symmetrical but shades identical elements differently and make some of the elements crooked (refer to the film strip and lines at the bottom of the composition) to ensure the whole composition doesn't look bland. Additionally, I also applied words and images in the author's name on the bottom to balance the title on the top.
Sketch 2
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Rationale
While doing the sketch (Fig 1.5), I wondered how to illustrate the filmmaker's emptiness when realizing he didn't have much time left. That's when I came across a manga called Blue Lock that used puzzles to indicate something was missing, I felt inspired and wanted to apply the same effects to my artwork. Because I want the man to be the focal point, I emphasize his face using bold lines. Furthermore, to describe the emptiness, I repetitively used the puzzles so that they look more interesting. I scattered the puzzles everywhere to lead the viewer's eye toward the whole design. Lastly, I used contrast in the text to make the title and the author's name for the words and images dynamic to stand out.
Sketch 3
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Rationale
For the last artwork (Fig 1.6), I want to make it simple without many elements like my previous two sketches. I tried to depict how the filmmaker's dream of making films stopped because of time. I used the clock as the time and the film strip as a road that contains his unreleased passion and hopelessness. Because I wanted to create an interesting piece, I focused more on the Principle of Continuity. It is shown in how the film strip leads to the clock and then to the text. To emphasize the focal point (the clock), I used contrast by adding a glow around it and placed it against a dark background to enhance the effects. Lastly, I applied words and images by putting the text below the focal point to ensure the composition feels balanced and doesn't feel too heavy on the left.
FEEDBACK
Week 4
Specific Feedback: Ms. Jinchi said that the visual analysis was already good but needed more elaboration on the position of each object that I mentioned in the explanation. The interpretation also needs to be changed because it's more on the story rather than the design.
General Feedback: Be mindful of the source, and always remember to credit them. Make sure the size of the picture is correct.
Week 5
Specific Feedback: Ms. Jinchi said that my three sketches were already good. However, she suggested two adjustments: first, I needed to fix my rationale for the first design, as I misunderstood symmetrical with asymmetrical. Secondly, I added a textured pattern for my second design without purpose so I need to refine that. Finally, Ms. Jinchi and I agreed that the third design could be developed more.
General Feedback: Ms. Jinchi briefly explained what we should do in task 3 and to be mindful of what the task asks.
REFLECTIONS
Experience
This task was enjoyable because I got to do sketches inspired by one of my favorite artists. Although I felt like I couldn't come up with a strong idea, I was happy when I managed to create three different approaches based on the same main idea. This task helped me grow as I learned to apply design principles to my work and try to create an interesting piece.
Observations
From this task, I realized how difficult it can be to come up with a fresh and interesting idea. Research has always been a helpful tool to find directions for my designs. I studied a lot of illustrated book covers and my friends' sketches to get a better grasp on what I should create and achieve in this assignment. Later, I knew the context of what they were trying to say in their works. By learning their thought process, I tried to do some brainstorming on what I could've done. Eventually, I figured out what I wanted for my sketches and how to achieve it.
Findings
This task helped me learn how great artists applied their understanding of design principles to their work and how I can do the same. By studying specific artworks, I was able to understand the intentions of their works and how they wanted their audience to perceive them. Understanding Gestalt theory and design principles is important for designers to create visually engaging and meaningful artwork, and I am happy that I can now communicate my thoughts better.
FURTHER READING
Leeming, D. A., Madden, K., & Marlan, S. (2009). Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion: L-Z. Springer Science & Business Media.
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