Design Principles:Task 1 Exploration

Design Principle-Task 1: Explore

February 13, 2024

Week1-Week3

ZHANG HANYUAN/0363727

Design Principles /  Creative media in design /Taylor's University 

Task1:Exploration

Introduction

Exercises

Brief Recap 

In the first week, we listened to Ms. YIP JINCHI give a brief introduction about the modules and assignments.

In the second week, I learned a lot of basic principles applied in design through video lessons.

Contrast, emphasis, balance, repetition, movement, harmony and unity, symbols and words and images;These elements and principles cover some of the key concepts of Gestalt theory. Gestalt theory is a theory of perception and cognition in the field of psychology, and it is also widely used in the field of design. Here is a brief explanation related to each of the elements and principles you mentioned:

Contrast: Contrast is used in design to highlight the differences between different elements to draw attention and create visual focus. Contrast can be achieved by color, size, shape, etc.

fig.1.1

Emphasis: Emphasis is the use of design techniques to highlight certain elements to make them more prominent in the overall. This helps direct the audience to specific content.

fig.1.2

Balance: In design, balance refers to the visual distribution of each element, which can be achieved through contrast, symmetry or asymmetry. Balance helps ensure that the overall design feels stable and orderly.

fig.1.3

Repetition: Repetition is through the use of similar elements or patterns in a design to create a sense of unity. This helps build consistency and visual coherence.

fig.1.4

Movement: Movement involves directing the viewer's gaze to move through the design, creating a sense of motion. Elements such as lines, directions, and shapes can be used to achieve this effect.

fig.1.5

The emphasis on harmony between elements in a design makes the whole look harmonious. It involves the commonality and resonance of the elements.

Symbolism: Symbolism is the use of symbols or figures to convey a particular meaning or concept. Symbolic elements in design can enhance the effect of information transmission.

fig.1.6

Text and image: The combination of text and image is a common technique in design. It can enhance the effect of information transmission and make the design more expressive and comprehensive.

fig.1.7

Gestalt principle

Law of Pragnanz: People are more likely to see simple, clear, complete shapes than complex or confusing shapes. When we are faced with complex information, we automatically look for the simplest, most orderly  explanation.

 

fig.1.8

Priority of wholeness: The wholeness principle holds that the perception of the overall shape and structure take
s precedence over the individual elements within it. People tend to see the big picture first and then focus on the details.

Proximity principle: Elements that are closer together are considered to belong to one group, while elements that are farther apart are considered to belong to a different group.

fig.1.9

When the distance between the elements is exactly the same, the visual balance will be more balanced, and people will not have an association of proximity. When the horizontal distance of an element becomes smaller and the vertical distance becomes larger, our brain will tend to see it as three horizontal groups, in the same way that we will tend to see the right image as three vertical groups, which is the most intuitive manifestation of the law of proximity.

Similarity principle: Similar elements are visually grouped together and considered as a group, while distinct elements are considered as distinct groups.

fig.1.10

Principle of closure：

Human vision tends to see whole objects, even if they are incomplete.

fig.1.11

Closure types can be roughly divided into three categories, namely shape closure, negative closure and experience closure.

fig.1.12 negative closure

fig.1.13 shape closure

fig.1.14 experience closure

Subject and background:

In a field with a certain configuration, some objects pop out to form the subject, and some objects retreat to the background, which is the subject and background.

fig.1.15

UNSDG

Among the 17 projects at UNSDG, I have chosen the 14th ’Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development‘.

fig.1.1 Life below water

I selected the design/artwork based on my basic introduction and personal understanding of "Conservation and sustainable use of oceans and Marine resources for sustainable development", which I learned on the UN website.

Oceans cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, contain 97 percent of the Earth’s water,  and represent 99 percent of the living space on the planet by volume.

The world’s oceans provide key natural resources including food, medicines, biofuels and other products;  help with the breakdown and removal of waste and pollution;  and their coastal ecosystems act as buffers to reduce damage from storms.

However, marine pollution is reaching alarming levels, with over 17 million metric tons clogging the ocean in 2021,  a figure set to double or triple by 2040.

Currently, the ocean's average pH is 8.1, about 30 per cent more acidic than in pre-industrial times. Ocean acidification threatens the survival of marine life,  disrupts the food web, and undermines vital services provided by the ocean and our own food security.

Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future. This includes increasing  funding for ocean science, intensifying conservation efforts,  and urgently turning the tide on climate change to safeguard the planet's largest ecosystem.

fig.1.2

This is the relevant artwork of the sustainable project I chose.

fig.1.3 Plastic seahorse

Link to Source

Seahorse, 2022, AI-generated image

Image: Courtesy of Amith Venkataramaiah

Background:

This image is a hybrid of a seahorse and colored plastic.

It is well known that plastic waste is a major cause of Marine life depletion. Plastic waste in the ocean ranges from increased plastics that pollue almost all Marine environments, to microplastics (less than 5 mm in diameter) that are adopted by Marine organisms and birds, which will sum up their expected particle consumption and deplete their digestive systems, into the ocean. The result is a range of physical dissolves for Marine life and the ecological impact of plastics as a component of a complex food web for toxicants.

Visual artist Amith juxtaposes elements to seamlessly blend 'plastic' and 'underwater life' to satirize the fact that 'underwater life' has to fuse itself with plastic in order to survive.

Harmony and unity: 

Harmony and unity are achieved through a cohesive design that ties the scene together using relevant color palettes and stylized elements. Plastic and Marine life may be in stark contrast, but their message is the same.

Contrast principle:

Rich colors. The visual conflict and the formation of saturation of the two elements highlight the difference between them by contrast, resulting in a sharp effect.

Integration principle:

The fusion of different elements forms a sense of wholeness, which is a principle of Gestalt theory.