Design Principles: Exercise 3

14.09.21 - 28.09.21 (Week 4 - Week 6)
Chai Yi Xuan / 0346645 / B' Creative Media
Design Principles
Exercise 3 / Harmony, Unity, Symbol, Word & Image

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LECTURES

Week 5 (Symbol, Word & Image)

Symbol: A representation

Symbols represent an idea, object or a relationship. It is an efficient way of conveying information, be it a paragraph of text or an entire story.

Figure 1.1: Screenshot of Lecture 5: Symbols, Word & Image

 

• Pictorial Symbols: Simplified pictures, symbol related to the image itself
• Abstract Symbols: Minimalistic look of the original object
• Arbitrary Symbols: Does not resemble the original object, its meaning must be learnt
  

Word & Image: A visual representation

The right type of image and words will successfully imprint itself into the audience's mind, along with its message. A good pairing deepens the meaning of the design and the proper composition will result in visual hierachy and balance.

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INSTRUCTIONS

To-Do List:

• Create two designs for the principles harmony/unity/symbol/word & image
  

 

Once again, we are allowed to choose two of the four principles and make a design for each. I chose the principles Harmony and Symbol.

 

HARMONY

Harmony is rather similar to unity, so it was confusing for me to know what considers as harmony. Thankfully, with Dr Charles explanation during tutorials and some more reading on it, I have a grasp on design principle.

Figure 1.1: A garden with flowers and leaves (Link)

This design is considered harmonious because of its repeating elements. The same element is used to created the shape of the leaves and flowers, with slight variation of sizes and the random positioning to add dynamic.

Figure 1.2: An artwork of a girl comforting a creature (Link)

This artwork has a strong sense of harmony mainly because of its colours. The colour choices are limited to two, only using the shades to create depth in the artwork. There are also the repetition of lines, creating similar patterns around the stones and water.

 

Design Process

After having a clearer understanding of Harmony, I tried to produce a design that reflects the principle.

Figure 1.3: Initial sketch of Harmony

 

My idea for this initial sketch was to repeat the wavy pattern in my work. However, the design didn't show much harmony(looks like a normal drawing). Therefore, I discarded the idea and took a different approach.

Figure 1.4: Sketch for Harmony

This time, I decided to draw corals instead because of it similar patterns to each other, but with different growing directions. It fulfills the repetition and variety of elements.

Figure 1.5: Draft for Harmony

At this step, I felt like the design lacked something. So I decided to add on groups of fishes to add more variety to the work.

Figure 1.6: Finalised design for the principle Harmony

SYMBOL

Again, I searched on some references and inspiration for my design.

Figure 2.1: A logo derived from a rabbit (Link)

The logo cleverly uses the form of a rabbit. It traces the outline of the animal with very limited strokes, while still maintaining the form in a minimalistic state.

Figure 2.2: A logo of two hands shaking (Link)

 

The logo shows two hands are shaking, which indicates a form of friendliness or collaboration. The text below provides the context/meaning of the logo.

Design Process

Figure 2.3: Sketches for Symbols

I experimented with multiple ideas— the first one with the intention of friendship, the second one meaning hiding one self, and the third one being an inspiration of a Chinese performing art known as 'Face-Changing' (变脸 biàn liǎn: the art of changing between masks instantaneously, traditionally performed in operas). I settled for the first one, which has a more intimate meaning.

Figure 2.4: 1st design for Symbol

The overall symbol does represent the sense of togetherness and friendship, but it felt a little bit lacking to me. In the end, I added two different colours to further emphasize two people coming together.

Figure 2.5: Finalised design for the principle Symbol

PDF File of Exercise

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FEEDBACK

Week 5

28th September, Tuesday

The initial sketch for Harmony needs work. There is an idea but the principle needs to be expressed more clearly. For symbol, the first design(two hands) and the third design(masks) have some potential.

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REFLECTIONS

Experience

It was confusing to discern between Harmony and Unity, because its similarities. I appreciate that Dr Charles patiently explained each principle during tutorial class, so I had a minimum understanding of it. I had to read more online for a deeper understanding, and eventually felt confident enough to proceed with the exercise.

Observations

I observed that many illustrations use Harmony to create an aesthetically pleasing design. Without Harmony, elements may clash with each other, or appear too monotonous. It is important to find a balance of variety in Harmony without overdoing it.

I noticed that symbols make use of symbolism (hence the name) to represent an idea. Without meaning, the symbols are just pretty patterns. It is also important to determine the message you want, so it can be translated into the symbol.

Findings

I found that I need to improve my understanding of harmony and unity. While both go hand in hand, it is still important to know the differences as the knowledge can be used when observing other designs and artworks.