Design Principles - Task 1

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

WANG ZILONG / 0361141

Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media 

Design principles - Task 1

Introduction

Visual communication conveys information and emotions through images, colors and design elements. This blog explores its application in games, film and television, brands and other fields, shares design methods and trends, and helps improve visual expression.

Prinicples of design

• Contrast
• Balance
• Emphasis
• Rules of Third
• Repetition/Pattern/Rhythm
• Movement
• Hierarchy
• Alignment
• Harmony
• Unity
• Proportion

Elements of design

• Point
• Line
• Shape
• Form
• Texture
• Space
• Color 

Instruction

Figure1.0: MIB

Task 1

In Task 1, we need to list each of the design elements mentioned in the MIB and select artwork that you think is appropriate to express your understanding of these design elements. We need a clear message about the artwork when uploading pictures.

Contrast

Title of work: The Night Watch

Rembrandt used strong contrasts of light and dark (chiaroscuro) to highlight the characters in the painting, focusing on the captain and the lieutenant, while enhancing the drama and sense of space in the painting.

Figure 1.1: The Night Watch

Emphasis

Title of work: The Scream

Edward Munch used twisted lines, strong color contrasts, and exaggerated figures to make the characters in the painting appear extremely painful, which is more visually impactful against the background of wavy lines.

Figure 1.2: The Scream

Balance

Title of work: The Creation of Adam

In the ceiling painting of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo achieved visual balance through the symmetrical composition on both sides of the picture and the coordination of the dynamics of the characters, while strengthening the dramatic moment when God and Adam's fingertips touched.

Figure 1.3: The Creation of Adam

Repetition

Title of the work: Campbell’s Soup Cans

Andy Warhol used the repeated arrangement of soup cans of the same shape, combined with subtle color changes, to create a strong visual rhythm, while reflecting the mass reproduction characteristics of popular culture.

Figure 1.4: Campbell’s Soup Cans

Movement

Title of the work: Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2

Marcel Duchamp expressed an avant-garde sense of movement by decomposing the dynamics of the characters, similar to the continuous effect of film frames, breaking the inherent form of traditional static painting.

Figure 1.5: Nude Descending a Staircase

Harmony and unity

Title of the work: Primavera

Botticelli used soft tones, the smooth postures of the characters, and the overall coordination of the natural scenery in the picture, making the whole work full of harmonious beauty and reflecting the elegant style of the Renaissance.

Figure 1.6: Spring

Symbols

Title of work: Guernica

Picasso used fragmented Cubism style and symbolic elements such as horses, cows, and crying mothers in his works to express the cruelty of war and human suffering.

Figure 1.7: Guernica

Text and image

Title of work: HOPE

Shepard Fairey's Obama HOPE poster combines a flat portrait design with a large area of ​​color blocks and incorporates simple fonts, making the image and text form a visual unity and enhancing the propaganda effect.

Figure 1.8: HOPE

These works of art well illustrate the application of Gestalt theory in visual communication, allowing viewers to automatically integrate information during the perception process, thereby achieving a strong visual experience.

Visual communication guides the line of sight through contrast and emphasis, making the core information more prominent, such as light and shadow and color contrast to enhance visual impact. Balance and unity ensure the stability of the picture, strengthen brand recognition and information clarity. Repetition and movement create a sense of rhythm, guide visual flow, and improve dynamic expression. The combination of symbols and text improves communication efficiency, making information both intuitive and rich in layers. These principles work together to make character design, brand promotion, etc. more immersive and recognizable, which is particularly critical in the fields of games, film and television.

Feedback

Week 1 General:

We attended Ms. Wong's class in the first week. She created a form for us to fill in personal information and feedback and assigned tasks for the first week.

Week 1 Specific:

Complete tasks from MIB1 to MIB4.

Week 2 General:

The main task this week is to make follow-up adjustments and optimizations to MIB.

Week 2 Specific:

Adjust the format of the blog to ensure that the overall layout is clearer and in line with the specifications. There are errors in the format of the task submission, which need to be corrected. Adjust the content of Balance to make it more convincing and closer to artistic expression.

Week 3 General:

This week's task is Self-Consultation. We discuss in groups according to the pre-assigned time and update the latest task progress.

Week 3 Specific:

Fix the page layout of the blog to make it more intuitive and easier to read.
Add directory jump links to improve user browsing experience.

Reflection

Experience:

Before studying this module, I had a superficial understanding of design principles. However, in the first task, the process of researching and analyzing design principles gave me a deeper understanding of the most basic design principles.

Observation:

This task gave me a more intuitive understanding of the importance of design principles. In the process of analyzing other works, I noticed that many excellent works contain multiple different design principles, and these principles interact with each other to make the works more harmonious and expressive.

Findings:

Artworks often contain rich connotations and metaphors. In some works, artists will cleverly use design principles to convey emotions and ideas. By deeply analyzing these elements, we can better understand the author's creative intentions and appreciate the emotional expression behind the works.