Design Principles / Final Project: Visual Analysis
08.11.2022 – 04.12.2022 / Week 11 – Week 14
Hewr Khaled Mohamed Walid Bayazid / 0337650
Design Principles / B' of Mass Comm (Hons) (Broadcasting)
Final Project: Visual Analysis
FINAL PROJECT BRIEF
- Students are to utilise their understanding of design principles found in the design work. This project requires the students to assess, investigate, document and analyse a design material (billboards/television commercial/movie clip/work of design) of their choice. They should notice, size, placement, purpose, effectiveness, as well as aspects of design principles found in that work.
- Thereafter, they are to produce a work of design, inspired/influenced by the one they studied on, or as a reaction to it. They should also apply knowledge of design principles in their design.
VISUAL ANALYSIS
Goal 10 | Reduced Inequalities
– Reduce inequality within and among countries
Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination.
The artwork I’ve chosen is one of the pieces used in FRAMES FOR FUTURE’s “UNBALANCED UNJUST”, a short film created to raise awareness about inequality, specifically Goal 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Observe & Assess
The first and the most prominent design principle I have observed in this artwork is contrast. This is apparent in the following: the colour of the shadow, purple, and the white background; the colours of the flowers against the white background; and the blooming flowers by the dead/wilting flowers.
Another design principle that is obvious is white space. A big portion of the artwork is empty, which puts emphasis on the flowers. There is also balance, however asymmetrical, as the white section (blooming flowers) takes up more space. This further accentuates the message the artwork is trying to portray: imbalance/inequality. Movement is also apparent due to the wilting flowers and fallen petals, which creates a dynamic feel. Additionally, the different flowers present, as well as the colours, depict variety, which makes the artwork more interesting and appealing to the eye. Lastly, unity is present as each element in the artwork supports the other, each playing a role in delivering an overall message.
Investigate & Analyse
In the artwork I’ve chosen, a vase of flowers is placed in the centre, some of the flowers blooming, while others wilting. The flowers on the right are against a white background, depicting sunlight, in contrast to the ones on the left that are in a shaded area.
This relates back to Goal 10 of the SDGs, especially target 10.3, ‘ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination’ as these flowers are under different circumstances, and therefore do not have equal opportunities. As a result, some of them are able to grow, while the others are left behind. This means, if given the same resources, all flowers would be able to bloom.
We can relate this to the inequality occurring in the world, where, for example, females and males are not treated equally, and therefore females are limited in how far they can go / how much they can achieve. Another example would be the inaccessibility to education in developing countries, resulting in higher rates of poverty.
Due to the inequality in many aspects of life, some people live a brighter, happier life and others are left in the darkness (as the artwork visually expresses).
DESIGN PROCESS
Visual References
After completing my analysis, I looked at various references for inspiration. Here are some of them:
Idea Exploration & Description
Once I was able to come up with an idea, and after looking at various references, I began working on my illustration using Illustrator. I first drew the flowers.
I then made a few improvements and coloured them.
After multiple attempts and exploring different ideas, these were my first 2 drafts:
This was my outcome:
I was satisfied and happy with the outcome this time, so I decided to go with it. However, I made a few adjustments to enhance the artwork.
FINAL Artwork
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Here is the rationale behind my choices:
First and foremost, I used contrasting colours for the background to portray the theme of the artwork: inequality. The bright blue portion of the background depicts sunlight, which only reaches the blooming flowers on the left. Meanwhile, the remaining flowers are placed in the dark, hence the dark colours used.
Moreover, I decided to colour the flowers pink to create contrast, and thus making them stand out, as they are the highlight of the artwork.
I placed the flowers in the middle to create a sense of balance, however to further emphasise inequality, I drew 3 blooming flowers on the left, but only 2 wilting flowers on the right.
Feedback
I first shared my research and selected artwork with Ms. Noranis, which she approved. I also consulted Ms. Noranis after completing my first draft, the first attempt. She gave me suggestions on how to improve the artwork, and asked me to refer back to my selected artwork when creating/drawing the 'shadow' / shaded area.
REFLECTION
Experience
I have been waiting to work on this project as I really liked that it had a purpose, which is quite different from our previous projects. Additionally, the topic, reduced inequalities, is something that matters to me greatly, and something I am always ready to sincerely advocate against. It was also the first time we were to select an artwork to recreate using our own style and interpretations, which I thought was very interesting. Therefore, I enjoyed the process of working on this project, despite struggling at times.
Observations
As this project required us to look for a published piece expressing inequality, I found myself noticing how differently inequality can be depicted while doing my research. As always, I also enjoyed looking at my coursemates' work, and how different our outcomes were despite focusing on the same theme.
Findings
Throughout this project, I've learnt how to critically analyse visual pieces. As someone who enjoys art, I often based my judgements on whether or not an artwork 'felt right', but learning about the design principles has helped me understand why I felt positively about some artworks while others not.
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