Final Project : VISUAL ANALYSIS

 [ GCD60804 ]

FINAL PROJECT : VISUAL ANALYSIS

WEEK 10 - WEEK 14

1. Recap of Final Project Brief 

What is Visual Analysis ?

• it is a method of understanding design that focuses on visual elements and principles
• a description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake
• recognise the choices that a designer made in creating the design, as well as to better understand how the formal properties of a design communicate ideas, content or meaning. 
• it is a critical part of visual literacy a skill that helps people read and critically interpret images, whether in museum, on social media, in entertainment, advertising or the news. 

Visual Analysis can include three phases:

• Phase 1: Observation

Observation means closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design, trying to describe them carefully and accurately in our own words. Do not read beforehand about the design at all. This phase is about looking, thinking and finding good language to communicate what you notice.

• Phase 2: Analysis

Analysis requires us to think about our observation and try to make statements about the work based on the evidence of your observations. Think about how to specific visual elements that we have identified combine together to create a whole, and what effect that whole has on the viewer. Apply the design principles knowledge we have learnt throughout these weeks. 

• Phase 3: Interpretation

In this phase, our observations, description and analysis of work are fused with facts about the design work (and in some cases the designer) and historical context that we find in trustworthy published sources. Focus on what is the meaning of the design and what was the purpose for it to be created. 

PART 1: VISUAL ANALYSIS

Visual Research

Poster 1.1

( from Pinterest )

 

Poster 1.2

( https://pin.it/4yC92HX ) 

Poster 1.3 by Valentine Prados

( https://pin.it/6hex02b )

Final Selection

Poster 1.4 by Ruiz Burgos 

( https://pin.it/7FPZHCR )

Phase 1: Observation

This is a creative poster created in portrait format. As for visual elements, there is a human character placed in three-quarters of composition, which called rule of thirds. For the colour element, we can see the main colours - red, tangerine, green for the main character's costume and yellow for the title. The focus of this design is in bright and colourful colours but we can also see the effect of paper tearing all over the poster is filled with dark tone of colour. There is a border created by yellow line and dark shade of colour at the top left side. The dark shade stops at the main focus's shoulder, but the yellow line continue to create a whole border. There is different sizes of words with bright yellow at the middle. The main focus of this poster is the main character and the title - Joker. 

Phase 2: Analysis

This design is in asymmetrical balance. A very strong contrast in the colour to highlight the title - Joker and the main character himself. We can see the emphasis is on the middle to slightly left - the Joker and the title of this poster. There is a repetition of the effect of tearing is all over the poster. I found a sense of unity in the grouping of the texts in this poster to show the title, actor and informations about this poster.  There are 4 layers in this design, the main character - Joker, the texts to show informations about this poster, the effect of paper tearing filled with different scenes and the background of people cheering. I found proportion in this design that shows hierarchy, a bigger size of main character - Joker at the middle left, and smaller scenes that created in the effect of paper tearing. There’s also a golden ratio in this poster. Starts from the character’s face to the effect of paper tearing at the right side, move down to the bottom of the poster, and lastly turn around and end at the title - Joker. This is also considered as movement to create a path that lead the eyes.

Phase 3: Interpretation

This is a movie poster inspired by Joker (2019) created by a Spaniard comic artist - Ruiz Burgos in 2020.  The design is created in 4 layers and 3 of them are to show a story line. In the mid layer, it is the main character - Joker. The layer of effect of paper tearing shows the transformation of how a man turns into a Joker and the bottom layer is the result of becoming Joker. The torn papers give me a feeling of transmutation, how people changed after a series of events. Especially when you experienced a series of unfortunately events, you get stronger in either a bad way or a good way. This is also an expression of life, all the little parts can change one’s life. Based on the idea of transforming, I have observed in the movie poster, to let me focus on the topic of transforming oneself. 

2. My Design Process :

PART 2: DESIGN 

Visual Research

Figure 1.1

( https://pin.it/1OGnL72 )

This design is about a person with her daily life that effects her, shows how a person's life can change oneself. 

Figure 1.2

( https://pin.it/65CcUDp )

This design is about the character with his different emotions (mostly bad feelings).

Figure 1.3

( https://pin.it/5Hjmzah )

This is the style and colour I would like to apply for my design. which is bright, colourful same as a clown. 

Figure 1.4

( https://pin.it/5nDlEGb )

This is same as the previous one, I take the style and colour which is bright, colourful as my inspiration. Also, the relationship between workers and the boss is something very interesting to look at.  

Figure 1.5

( https://pin.it/5JXUF2i )

The arrangement in this design is very cool and it is full of colour so I’ll like to take it as my inspiration as well.

Figure 1.6

( https://images.app.goo.gl/i842HLMLSQp94gRv6 )

Figure 1.7

( https://images.app.goo.gl/36PXb6mV57CpFVLs9 )

Figure 1.8

( https://images.app.goo.gl/rSi2fYEawQLvijVW9 )

Idea Exploration and Description

For this design, I want to do something about myself, thing in my life . As I took Joker as my final selection for visual analysis, I wanted to use something looks like it as well (which means it looks unreal). I used my doll - Julia, as my main character for my design. This doll has been by my side for 18 or 19 years. It is given by my sister when I was still a baby. ‘She’ is also the reason why my nickname is Julia. After I got the first one, my mum bought me another one as ‘backup’ because she knew the doll will looks totally different in someday and she’s definitely right. 

Figure 1.1 

For my design, I want to show the transformation of Julia after years. From a nice clean,  no story doll to a dirty, broken, but full with stories doll. Although she’s not a human, I’ll try to use some way to show the stages of one’s life because I believe even a non-living object may also have anima in it. 

Drawing 1.1

For my first sketch, I drew Julia with her scars and the cotton flowing out around her. Behind her is a washing machine. But I don’t want it to be just a washing machine so I’m still figuring how to make it has a meaning. 

Drawing 1.2 

In this stage of process, I’m still developing the method of placing the main character.

I experimented with the colours because I’m a little bit lost with the way to arrange my ideas so I tried to play with colours. I focus on the colours I first wanted to use and continue to figure out the final idea for this design. At first, I have chosen bright colours but ms advice me to use some somber colours because they will present time more well. After some research, I decided to change my colour tone but keep some colour from Julia. 

Drawing 1.3

Drawing 1.4

My final idea is to put hourglass, Roman numerals and Julia into my design. So the design will have a few layers ( inspired by the poster in visual analysis ), I think they fit well and fully describe my feelings for this concept. For the Roman numerals, I put from 1-19 because these are the number of years Julia have been by my side. 

Drawing 1.5

Video of working in progress

I took Ms Jinchi's suggestion and take somber colours as my main colour. In this design, the most obvious elements and principles are repetition, movement and balance. For the colour, I guess there's a little bit of contrast. The hourglass with water is to represent time passing and also the reason why Julia becomes broken. Although washing her makes her broken, but it is also the reason why she becomes clean before. So I guess there's always 2 sides in one thing. Bad or good, we have to take it because this is one of the lesson of life.

Final Design

Feedback by Lecturer

I showed ms Jinchi my visual analysis about phrase 1 and  2. She gave me some suggestions such as how to write more about the details of the colours. Also, she told me that people usually start with the middle layer when we want to write about a several layers in a design or poster. This helps me to make the phrase better. Ms also asked me to describe more how the poster inspired me, how my ideas grew from them.

For the design, because I wanted to talk about time, so ms suggested me to add some clocks or something that can represent the time. She said it’s good to play with different position cause it creates a feeling of movement. Ms suggested me to use more brownish colour if I want to talk about time. She said that if we want to talk about passing of time, it is more suitable to use colour that is somber or muted. 

Final Design Outcome

Rationale

I took Julia as my design because she means a lot to me and I hope I can have at least a artwork is about her. For this design, you can see a few layers inspired by the poster I chose for visual analysis. These layers are Julia, Roman Numerals, hourglass and the 2 half round elements at the outer layer represent to clock due to the shape. This design is about how time changes a person or even a thing. From the top to the bottom, the Julia’s outlook is slowly changing. I replace the sand in the hourglass with water because water is the main reason why Julia changed. But when it comes to a human, water is also the most important thing to us. I put 19 Roman Numerals because it’s the number of years that Julia have been with me. I hope in the future, I can still add more numbers to it. 

Reflection for The Week

At the first few weeks, I can't really think of how to arrange all of my ideas into one design. So I tried out a few different composition and see which comes out the best. The few weeks are the most busy but meaningful weeks in my life. There's so much things to do but I actually love all of them. Back to this design, I really love it because my Julia is in it :D I hope in the future, I can create more design that can brings messages and feelings to people.