Design Exploration: Compilation & Reflection

04.04.23 - 11.07.23 (Week 1 - Week 15)
Chai Yi Xuan / 0346645 / B' Creative Media
Design Exploration / Extension: Design Exploration & Practice
Final Compilation & Reflection

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INSTRUCTIONS

To-Do List:

• Create a design output utilising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the main topic, infusing the theme of "playfulness"
• Special Task: Submit an artwork to MyTIGER Values Art Competition 2023
  

Week 1

With the assignment briefed to us, we are expected to do our research on the SDGs and pick one or more topic to focus on and create a design output. A list of 12 SDGs were given as a choice. Since my interest lies in nature and animals, I would rather put my effort onto the three SDGs: Climate Action, Life on Land, and Life Below Water. I visited the United Nation (UN)'s website to look at their list of plans and goal and compile them into a list, so that I can see which of the topics co-relate to each other.

Week 2

I try to think of any possible outputs I can make through combining the three SDGs. My initial plans include making a simulator game where the player gets to choose an animal and raise it until it becomes an adult. The problem was that I don't know how to code a game, and with other assignments to handle further into the semester, I wouldn't be able to cope with learning how to code at the same time. So, I came up with other outputs like infographic, poster, and comic. I also re-evaluate the SDGs I chosen, and find it hard to encompass everything into an output I'm happy with. In the end, I decide to stick with SDG 14, Life Below Water.

Week 3

I drafted out my potential outputs for my SDG, and I came up with three possible outputs: a collection of infographic, a short animation (or an animation meme), and a short Webtoon series. I set my target audience as age 7 & above, so because I want younger audience to be able to learn more about the sea creatures and bring awareness to their extinction.

Figure 1.1: Potential output #1

Figure 1.2: Potential output #2

Figure 1.3: Potential output #3

Week 4

After some feedback, I try to combine both idea #1 & idea #3 together as an output. The plan is to create the comic in regular Webtoon format, and then an infographic at the bottom about the animal I'm featuring for the chapter.

Figure 1.4: Potential output #4

I also started planning out my focus topic for my Webtoon, and I decided to focus on the extincting freshwater and marine life in Malaysia. I searched up a few marine species through the IUCN red list— under the endangered and critically endangered categories. I selected one of the species so I can create a draft to visualise my idea.

Figure 1.5: Early comic draft for Green Sawfish

Week 5

I presented my proposal to Ms Anis and got her approval to continue working on my proposed output.

Figure 1.6: Proposal for selected SDG and design output

Week 6

I look up for more species that would suit my focus topic through the IUCN red list. I searched up eight of them, as I proposed in the previous weeks, but I couldn't come up with enough story+awareness content for all of them. A few of them have similar topics such as net entanglement, food consumption, and pet trading. Therefore, I decided to narrow it down to five species instead so each comic chapter has its own set of content. I then drafted the outlines of each chapter.

• Painted Terrapin: Egg harvesting & pet trading
• Green Sawfish: Entanglement
• Zebra Shark: Fin harvesting & consumption
• Honeycomb Whipray: Food consumption
• Horseshoe Crab: Medicinal purposes
  

Week 7

I started working on the illustration for the MyTIGER competition. I created a few drafts to play around with the composition in a A1 format.

Figure 1.7: MyTIGER sketch #1

Figure 1.8: MyTIGER sketch #2

Figure 1.9: MyTIGER sketch #3

Week 8

I decided to draw the illustration in Adobe Illustrator so it would be in a higher quality. I took my sketch and illustrated the animals. I also planned to do the lighting and shading in Clip Studio Paint (CSP) since I'm not too familiar with doing those in Illustrator. It takes a while for me to illustrate it all, mainly due to the spot patterns on the zebra shark and honeycomb whipray.

Figure 1.10: Illustrated assets

Week 9

I finally finish the illustrated assets, and bring them into CSP to add lighting and shading, and also finish up the background details. It took me longer than expected, since the file size was rather big and it made saving the file a long process. It also slowed down my laptop somewhat, so I had to be careful with adding more layers to the illustration.

Figure 1.11: Completed illustration for MyTIGER competition

Week 10

With the competition out of the way, I return my focus back onto the comic. I drafted out the comic for each chapter, each with their own storyline.

Figure 1.12: Comic draft, green sawfish

Figure 1.12: Comic draft, painted terrapin

Figure 1.12: Comic draft, tri-spine horseshoe crab

Figure 1.12: Comic draft, zebra shark

Figure 1.12: Comic draft, honeycomb whipray

Week 11

I imported the drafts into Illustrator and started illustrating the panels. What I didn't realise was that it would take me twice as long as I expected to illustrate them. When I thought that I would finish 2 chapters by this week, I only finished one. And I haven't added any light nor shading to it, which means my progress isn't that much.

Figure 1.13: Working in Adobe Illustrator

Week 12

I decided that if I was going to work in Illustrator, it will take me another month before I can finish all of them. In the end, I switched over to CSP, which made my life a whole easier. This week, I managed to finish one whole comic, with shading included!

Figure 1.14: Working in CSP

Week 13

I'm running low on time, and decided to scrap the idea of the infographic as part of the Webtoon comic. It's mostly due to the fact that I haven't drafted the ideas yet and I haven't completed the other chapters. I managed to finish another chapter and started working on the last two.

Week 14

I presented what I had so far to Ms Anis. Since I haven't finish all of my chapters, I was given one more week to complete the entire thing. I eventually finished it all and published them on Webtoon.

Figure 1.15: Completed comic chapters

Figure 1.16: Creating comic on Webtoon

Figure 1.17: Published comics on Webtoon

Link to Webtoon: Water You Going To Do About It?

Final Presentation: Design Exploration

Figure 1.18: Presentation slides for Design Exploration

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FEEDBACK

Week 3

You can try combining both the infographic and the webtoon comic together. Plan out and see if you can incorporate both ideas.

Week 5

The proposed idea is good. To make it easier for you, trying reusing the assets from your illustration into your comic to save time.

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REFLECTIONS

With this module being almost free-themed (aside from the SDG requirements and "playfulness" theme), I was free to do anything. It was easy to plan out what I wanted to do, but reality is much less kinder, and I find myself stumbling to get things done. There's not much for me to say, aside from the fact that severely underestimated the work I was taking on for this module. It made me realise my time management skills are not as good as I thought, nor do I work as fast as I expect myself to. I think one other thing I would actually like to do for this module instead was to make a game like I initially thought of. But considering I have zero experience in coding, perhaps it's for the best that I do that as a passion project instead. Overall, it's nice that I get to make a comic series (since I wanted to do one for a while now) as a design output; but it is clear that I need to reevaluate my capabilities to perform in a certain amount of time and manage my time better.