Jianda's NM2208

Final words - Conclusion

Yes, finally we come to the end of the module. I would like to say that the module is fun. Got many 1st times in this module:

1. First time drawing so many things on sketch book.
2. First time designing a notebook cover.
3. First time producing a storybook (although its a kids one)
4. First time keeping a portfolio (in Art).
5. First time spending so much money in a module (about $80 total to date)
6. First time buying so many pencils of various hardness

I still remember Dr Julian showing us a slide on what students say at week 13. Well, I would have to repeat some of the statements because I agree to what they say.

1. This module require good drawing skills - agree because without drawing you can't produce anything or design. That's the fundamentals of design - basic drawing.
2. This module requires some level of creativity - if you don't have drawing skills, some creativity might help by using basic elements to bring out meaning.
3. Basic level of photoshop skills is required too - no photoshop no design. Most of the assignments need photoshop.
4. Good grasp of concepts that is taught in class, although some are already in built in us or learnt outside of the course. - Concepts are applied in designs and analysis.

I must say this module really improves my skills on photoshop/illustrator as well as imagination and visualization of a design concept. I loves filming and photography myself, which is communication using visuals (hence visual comms) It definitely benefit me in my hobby. From basic visual representation to color representation, all these are essential in filming and photography. I would definitely apply these in my future film productions.

I learnt about my weakness in visual communications and that is color. I feel that I am particularly weak in visualizing and imagining color. As a result, I always use bad color combinations. However, learning the different color schemes and meanings, I would apply them (blindly but appropriately).

Finally, I would like to thank Dr Julian and Mr. Reddy for all the guidances and fun in class. Hopefully we would meet again either in your future class or in work. See ya!

Project! - Finally!

After a series of discussion and consultation, my group has decided to choose "Jimmy's Fantastic Adventures" for our storybook. Most of the thought process of selection of story, layout and font, etc are documented in the design document which is accessible here:

Design Document
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~fengjia1/Design_Document.doc
Storybook
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~fengjia1/StoryBook.pdf

Our group's work is divided into and handled this way:
1. Drawing - Wei Man
2. Coloring and Printing - Serena
3. Font, layout and grid (Design specification and document) - Jianda and Gerald.

I have no choice but to comment on the work distribution efficiency as to warn others not to do this in future. I feel that our group's work distribution isn't the best.

Since everything is already done and submitted, it is too late already. However, it is good to do self-reflection:

I personally feel that each and everyone of us should do a character or background, inclusive of drawing and coloring. Font,layout and grid selection should be done at meet up to have a common agreement on the appropriateness of it. Our way of job distribution causes some pictures undrawn due to time constrain and pictures uncolored. Due to the late production of pictures, the layout and grid also came late (although font is easily selected and done). Lesson is learnt. :)

I am left with not much time for other exams. I'll just have a last post on my final words and conclusion.

Assignment 6b - Analysing a website design

I've been given 5 designs of which I need to criticize and improve on 1 bad design

http://mum.edu/ - Maharishi University of Management
http://www.meca.edu/ - Maine College of Art
http://www.malone.edu/ - Malone College
http://www.manchester.edu/ - Manchester College
http://www.mancol.edu/ - Manhattan College

I've chosen Manhattan College as the one on bad design. I've included all the analysis thoughts in the Word and Powerpoint file.

http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~fengjia1/6b.ppt
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~fengjia1/6b.doc

Assignment 6a - Dissecting a poster design

I've chosen 2 posters to comment on. 1 is the MOE career advertisement while the other is for the movie "Rails & Ties".

The Bad Design

The Good Design

I've included my thought process in the powerpoint file. It is a comprehensive step by step explanation. Refer to the Notes Page at the bottom of the slide. You may access it here:

http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~fengjia1/6a.ppt

Assignment 5 - Major Overhaul

I made a major overhaul with assignment 5 because I feel that the design seriously lacked color. The original design was "World Peace". The feedback gotten in class was that "World Peace" does not appeal to a lot of people because they know there is such thing but no one cares. I also had a design titled "Antarctica" but the color was too plain as well. Reddy said I had to imagine something and get interested in it in order to give it more color.

I've finalized the design into "Antarctica - perception".

It shows a family of 3 penguins looking at the falling (or melting) glacier. In our perception, we know something is very wrong. The earth is warming, causing glaciers to melt. However, in the penguin's perception, they may thought about some other things. To make it comical, they are probability thinking that a giant fish had emerged within and there would be a big meal soon. We wouldn't know what they're thinking when they see melting glaciers and they wouldn't know that their homeland is shrinking due to melting glaciers. Thats the kind of contrast I wanna bring out in this design. The inner design has to be simple because a person using notebook probably wouldn't want to get distracted by it. So I just put the 3 penguins in and looking at each other.

Assignment 4 - Total revamp

My assignment 4 is totally different from what I presented in class. I presented "Stop Nuclear Arms" poster in class. The feedback received was not very good and I had to totally scrapped the design. Reddy said the idea "Stop Nuclear Arms" does not have a wide audience and only a few Nations are involved.

My new idea sort of reaches out a wider range of audiences. I reused some of the color scheme (fiery, hot, warm) for the poster as the title is "Stop Global Warming". My concept is using a sunflower "watering" the heated earth. I purposely made the sun bright and glaring with a orange tint on the earth's surface to signify the "warmth" that it is feeling right now. Furthermore, the message I am trying to bring out is that, we can't rely on plants to keep our earth cool (by recycling the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere). We, humans, would have to do our part in stopping global warming. The list of steps is written in the text. The last phrase "Plants have done their best..." means that the plants have already done what they can to keep the earth cool, it is us that worsen the situation... (by burning more fuels, wasting energy resource, destroying vegetation, etc).