Design Principles / Project 2: Sense of Place
11/10/2022 - 1/11/2022 / (Week 7 - Week 10)
Derin / 0354969 / Design in
Creative Media
GCD 60804 / DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Project 2: Sense of Place
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The Importance of Observation
Being observant means to be attentive to your surroundings, to pay attention to the details and to be analytical about them. Observation can be an effective way to get ideas. Sources of observation can stem from artifacts, daily happenings, physical surroundings, and such.
Observing is an active act of acquiring information, through the senses, of a subject matter in its natural setting. Our senses are important for us to know, feel, understand, analyze, and even plan what we want to do. Observation is important to designers as it enables them to see “problems”, as well as getting ideas for solutions to those problems.
Sense of Place
- Now think about the place you’re in now, or a place you had spent some time at previously, or, a place that had created a lasting memory in you.
- How do you express your sense of that place?
- Start by documenting your observations –photographs, diary, talking to relevant people, etc.
Project 2 (15%): Sense of Place
Observe your surroundings – people, vehicles, buildings, plants, signages, nature, activities. Record these in sketches, photography and/or video recording. Study all the visuals that you had collected.
Select visuals that you find relevant and interesting to you, which you can translate into a design work that reflects your interpretation of a place. Remember to apply design principles in your work. For materials, you may use any of your choice, but do consider their suitability to best express your idea.
Learning Goals:
1. To apply design principles covered during
the semester to your work.
2. To create an awareness of how materials
and composition are critical to your communication.
PROJECT 2
Visual Reference
The following are inspirations for my designs.
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| Fig 1.1 Your Letter by Hyeon A Cho |
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| Fig 1.2 https://id.pinterest.com/pin/140806219940187/ |
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| Fig 1.3 https://id.pinterest.com/pin/8022105578494392/ |
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| Fig 1.4 My Childhood Bedroom |
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| Fig 1.5 https://id.pinterest.com/pin/324118504443350022/ |
Idea Exploration
The following are a few ideas for my sense of place design.
Idea #1
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| Fig 2.1 |
For my first idea, I wanted to sketch something from back home. I shared a picture of my and my sibling's bed in Fig 1.4, which took up most of the space in our room. It's an old bunk bed that has been present for most of my childhood, so it holds a special place in my memory. I drew this scene of my best friend hanging out after school hours with me. These simple moments are precious, and I wanted to include them in one of the idea sketches.
I played with the afternoon light for this sketch and kept the atmosphere comfy. If I were to proceed with this sketch, I will add more decors to add characterization into the bedroom
Idea #2
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| Fig 2.2 |
The second idea is located in a secluded area at the end of the cliff. My intention is to create a romantic and relaxing area where it feels like you're the only person in the world, a special place that only you know. The surrounding trees creates a shade for the space, with a picnic mat to sit on, and you can see the view of the city there. A lot more things could be added into this sketch, I could add a mini speaker you could use to play music, or any other thing that makes the space more homely.
Idea #3
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| Fig 2.3 |
For the last idea, I sketched a similar concept to my second one. It's an abandoned bus secluded inside a forest. If I were to go with this design, I would add to this piece by adding a living space inside the bus inspired by the webcomic 'Your Letter' in Fig 1.1. I can't explain why but I find comfort in this kind of place, where it's deserted and overgrown.
From the three ideas, I decided to proceed with the first idea.
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| Fig 3.1 Line art process |
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| Fig 3.2 Base color process |
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| Fig 3.3 Shading process |
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| Fig 3.4 Refining and adding in details |
I added more elements from the sketch during the line art process since I decided to proceed with this idea. Afterward, I add the base colors. I made sure that the colors complemented each other. The shading was based on the sketch; I tried to make the two characters stand out more with the help of the lighting. Finally, I cleaned up the artwork and did some layer mode touch-ups.
Final Outcome for Sense of Place - Symbolism, Emphasis, Movement, and the Golden Ratio
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| Fig 3.5 Final Outcome (30/10/2022) |
In conclusion, the design principles used are Emphasis, Movement, and Symbolism. By using the evening light shining from the window, it guides readers to direct their focus on the characters. There is also some movement on the character's leg, making this drawing livelier. Moreover, the items scattered around the room symbolize my growing up. You can tell what is going on just by a glimpse; the worn school uniform and the bag placed aside means that they just arrived back from school, and the school materials on the mattress tell that they were doing schoolwork. Those items create a story in this drawing. Lastly, this design's composition falls into the Golden Ratio composition as this drawing has a focal point.
I had so much fun working on this project! Usually, I would find drawing backgrounds very tedious, but I enjoyed doing this one since it revolves around my childhood. The line art took the longest to finish (cries in pain), but when it came to the coloring and shading process, I ended up doing it in one sitting. As said before, it was enjoyable drawing this. I liked how the outcome turned out!
REFLECTION
This project was manageable for me. Initially, I thought it would be challenging since it involved drawing a background, which isn't my expertise. The design idea was the most crucial part of this project, so I took a lot of time to generate ideas. What I was sure of is that I wanted to draw a scenario that felt nostalgic, which led me to video-called my little brother as he showed me around the house. Things weren't looking good until we arrived at my bedroom. The first thing that stood out was my 8-year-old bed; it looked so out of place but held so many memories. From there, I decided on my bedroom as a sense of place that I cherish. I decided on a composition that allows me to display the upper and lower parts of the bed while also using the bottom part of the bed. It took me a lot of thumbnail sketches to finally decide on a final look. It went smoothly from there afterward. The ideation process helped me understand my value and definition of a sense of place. I felt nostalgic afterwards after reminiscing the past, this may seem unnecessary to add on but I even looped the song 'Home' by Matthew Hall while working on this for the emotional damage. xD I'm just grateful for the chance to be able to work on this. Thank you!