Design Principles / Final Project : Visual Analysis
25.10.2021 - 28.11.2021 ( Week 11 - Week 14 )
Michelle Angeline Gunawan / 0349760 / Bachelor of Design in Creative MediaDesign Principles
Final Project : Visual Analysis
CONTENTS
LECTURES
Lecture by Dr. Yip Jinchi
Visual Analysis :
- A method of understanding design that focuses on the visual elements and principles.
- A description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake (strictest definition).
Visual analysis is a critical part of visual literacy, a skill that helps
people read and critically interpret images, whether in a museum, on
social media, in entertainment, advertising, or the news.
How does visual analysis work?
Visual analysis can include three phases:
Phase 1 : Observation
How does visual analysis work?
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 your own words. Do not read beforehand about the design at
all.
The observation phase is about :
- Looking
- Thinking
- Finding good language to communicate what you notice.
Phase 2 : Analysis
Analysis requires you to think about your observations and try to
make statements about the work based on the evidence of your
observations. Think about how the specific visual elements that you’ve
identified combine together to create a whole, and
what effect that whole has on the viewer.
Phase 3 : Interpretation
Source :
In this final phase, your observations, description, and analysis of the
work are fused with facts about the design work (and in some
cases the designer) and historical context that you find in trustworthy
published sources.
INSTRUCTIONS
There are two parts to this project :
Part 1 : Visual Analysis
- Select a design of your choice (poster/billboard/illustration/etc).
- Conduct a visual analysis of the design in about 500 words.
Part 2 : Design
Figure 2.14 Sketch
Figure 2.15 Visual Analysis Final Outcome in JPEG
Figure 2.16 Visual Analysis Final Outcome in PDF
- Produce a work of design, in A4 or A3 size, inspired/influenced by the design you have analysed, or as a reaction to it.
- Write a 150-200 word rationale for your design.
Part 1 : Visual Analysis
For this project, I chose to analyze a design by Olly Moss and the poster called 'The Evil Dead'.
Figure 2.1 The Evil Dead Poster by Olly Moss
Part 2 : Design
So for the design, I actually just watched Shang Chi and I am very inspired to analyze the story and symbol about it. So firstly I found about this. Within these rings is a character from an ancient Chinese calligraphy known as Seal Script.
Figure 2.8 Seal Script
Figure 2.9 Ten Rings Logo
This is the meaning for each ring:For this project, I chose to analyze a design by Olly Moss and the poster called 'The Evil Dead'.
Figure 2.1 The Evil Dead Poster by Olly Moss
Observation
I observed this design has a portrait format. In terms of the colors used, we can see that the designer did not use many colors. The colors we can see here are cream for the background, then orange for the hands and complemented by black for other elements that complete the design.
We can see that he's not making any visual elements he's touching the edge of the border of his poster. It leaves a little space on the border. From what I've noticed, the edges of each element are getting faded.
Olly Moss made the trees in incredible detail. The details I mean here are the branches that he made look very complicated and look very realistic but fit very well with all the other visual elements. In addition, if we look into other small details we can see there is a shadow of a person digging a grave and we can also see a house with two windows that look like 2 eyes.
Figure 2.4 Window that look like eyes
Then we can also see that around the lower arm there is a scattering of soil caused by the hand protruding as if from the ground. I think this could be related to the shadow of the person below who was digging graves. I think this idea is very genius. He can link two visual elements that have a size difference that is quite large. If we compare the Olly Moss poster with the original The Evil Dead poster, we can see that Olly Moss removes the figure of a woman trying to get off the ground. Olly Moss emphasizes his designs on hands that are coming off the ground as the main point of the movie. In addition, he redesigned the poster while still using the same tilt as the original The Evil Dead poster. He also kept the font to had the same style as the original poster and he reduced it and placed it at the bottom of the poster.
Figure 2.5 Comparison between Olly Moss' Poster and the Original
Poster
Analysis
As I said in the observation , this poster really emphasizes the hands. It was the hand that caught my eye the first time I saw the poster. The use of a strong orange color makes the hand stand out on the poster. Then I also noticed that there is a little principle of closure on the tip of the hand that doesn't look completely finished with the shape because it seems to be fading at the tip of the finger. Besides that, I also saw that the ground that was spread from below is a movement, because I saw that the ground seemed to be moving more and more and I think this soil supports the hands so that it looks like it is coming out of the ground. I think trees with their branches are included in repetition because we can see them in several numbers.
Interpretation
Olly Moss is well known for his clever, minimalistic poster designs. This poster was made by Olly Moss for Mondo. It is the first job that Moss did with Mondo. It was a poster for the Sam Raimi horror classic The Evil Dead. The poster was made in 2010. Olly has many other artwork. He designed the cover book for the Harry Potter. Originally, Moss was asked for a single sketch, yet turned in five separate approaches with sketches for each of the seven books. Not only that he also designed the cover of Star Wars too.
Figure 2.6 Harry Potter book covers for the official digital release by Olly Moss
Figure 2.7 Star Wars Poster made by Olly Moss
I observed this design has a portrait format. In terms of the colors used, we can see that the designer did not use many colors. The colors we can see here are cream for the background, then orange for the hands and complemented by black for other elements that complete the design.
Figure 2.2 Poster Color Palette
We can see that he's not making any visual elements he's touching the edge of the border of his poster. It leaves a little space on the border. From what I've noticed, the edges of each element are getting faded.
Figure 2.3 Edges of the Fingers
Olly Moss made the trees in incredible detail. The details I mean here are the branches that he made look very complicated and look very realistic but fit very well with all the other visual elements. In addition, if we look into other small details we can see there is a shadow of a person digging a grave and we can also see a house with two windows that look like 2 eyes.
Figure 2.4 Window that look like eyes
Then we can also see that around the lower arm there is a scattering of soil caused by the hand protruding as if from the ground. I think this could be related to the shadow of the person below who was digging graves. I think this idea is very genius. He can link two visual elements that have a size difference that is quite large. If we compare the Olly Moss poster with the original The Evil Dead poster, we can see that Olly Moss removes the figure of a woman trying to get off the ground. Olly Moss emphasizes his designs on hands that are coming off the ground as the main point of the movie. In addition, he redesigned the poster while still using the same tilt as the original The Evil Dead poster. He also kept the font to had the same style as the original poster and he reduced it and placed it at the bottom of the poster.
As I said in the observation , this poster really emphasizes the hands. It was the hand that caught my eye the first time I saw the poster. The use of a strong orange color makes the hand stand out on the poster. Then I also noticed that there is a little principle of closure on the tip of the hand that doesn't look completely finished with the shape because it seems to be fading at the tip of the finger. Besides that, I also saw that the ground that was spread from below is a movement, because I saw that the ground seemed to be moving more and more and I think this soil supports the hands so that it looks like it is coming out of the ground. I think trees with their branches are included in repetition because we can see them in several numbers.
Interpretation
Olly Moss is well known for his clever, minimalistic poster designs. This poster was made by Olly Moss for Mondo. It is the first job that Moss did with Mondo. It was a poster for the Sam Raimi horror classic The Evil Dead. The poster was made in 2010. Olly has many other artwork. He designed the cover book for the Harry Potter. Originally, Moss was asked for a single sketch, yet turned in five separate approaches with sketches for each of the seven books. Not only that he also designed the cover of Star Wars too.
Figure 2.6 Harry Potter book covers for the official digital release by Olly Moss
Figure 2.7 Star Wars Poster made by Olly Moss
Part 2 : Design
So for the design, I actually just watched Shang Chi and I am very inspired to analyze the story and symbol about it. So firstly I found about this. Within these rings is a character from an ancient Chinese calligraphy known as Seal Script.
Figure 2.8 Seal Script
Figure 2.9 Ten Rings Logo
- Power/ authority
- Physical strength
- Strong/ robust
- Extraordinary
- Hero/ outstanding person
- Power/ influence
- Large/ extensive
- Powerful/ grand
- Strong/ powerful
- Pomp/ power
These rings are associated with different color according to who is
using it. Apparently when Shang Chi's father, Wen Wu is using it, the
rings glow blue as it is associated with death since it is how Wen Wu
uses the rings. Contrast with when Shang Chi used it. The rings glow
gold which is associated with sunlight in life. Even though they are
father and son, the intended use of the rings is very different.
Shang Chi has a little sister named Xu Xialing. Shang Chi had been trained since childhood by his father to be like him, while his younger sister could only watch people train because they were all boys and she is a girl. So, Xialing quietly watched them and studied it herself.
Figure 2.11 Xu Xialing (Shang Chi's little sister)
And what I got at the end of the film, Xialing became the successor to the Ten Rings Association and what I noticed was that the members had been mixed equally to practice. Unlike before where only men could train, whereas when Xialing was in charge she made the membership equal.
Figure 2.12 Women and men practice together under Xialing
I think this is very relevant to our lives today which talk about gender equality. I believe that men and women have the same rights and obligations and that none of them has a lower degree, all are equal. The message conveyed by this film is also very good. There are about kinship, friendship, romance, struggle and others. So then I decided to design the ending scene where Xialing become the boss of the Ten Rings.
Figure 2.13 Xialing Ending Scene
So then I started to do a quick sketch it on Adobe Photoshop and this is
how it turns out.
Figure 2.10 Rings color comparison with different user
Shang Chi has a little sister named Xu Xialing. Shang Chi had been trained since childhood by his father to be like him, while his younger sister could only watch people train because they were all boys and she is a girl. So, Xialing quietly watched them and studied it herself.
Figure 2.11 Xu Xialing (Shang Chi's little sister)
And what I got at the end of the film, Xialing became the successor to the Ten Rings Association and what I noticed was that the members had been mixed equally to practice. Unlike before where only men could train, whereas when Xialing was in charge she made the membership equal.
I think this is very relevant to our lives today which talk about gender equality. I believe that men and women have the same rights and obligations and that none of them has a lower degree, all are equal. The message conveyed by this film is also very good. There are about kinship, friendship, romance, struggle and others. So then I decided to design the ending scene where Xialing become the boss of the Ten Rings.
Figure 2.14 Sketch
And then I finalize my work and this is how it turns out.
Final Results
Final Results
Figure 2.16 Visual Analysis Final Outcome in PDF
So in the final project, I drew the figure of Xialing. In this work, I
drew the Ten Rings behind Xialing as in the movie scene. Here I write
Chinese Calligraphy following the original Ten Rings. Then there's the
mandala with a skull in the center also following the original as
well. Here Xialing's figure seems to dominate because the red color of
the clothes she uses is very prominent compared to the golden
background. The choice of gold color as the background follows the
aura of the color of the ten rings when used by her brother Shang Chi.
I added a glitter effect to make it look like shining.
Here I use a color palette that is not much. There are red, yellow gold and a little green. In this design, I highlight Xialing as the highlight of this design, and use red to emphasize it. And then there is repetition on my design. The first lies in the mandala which is a pattern, then there are the Ten Rings circles.
The reason I made this design is to remind people that in this scene we can remember the gender equality implied by the Shang Chi film. Not only men can do certain jobs, women can also because everyone in the world has the same rights.
Here I use a color palette that is not much. There are red, yellow gold and a little green. In this design, I highlight Xialing as the highlight of this design, and use red to emphasize it. And then there is repetition on my design. The first lies in the mandala which is a pattern, then there are the Ten Rings circles.
The reason I made this design is to remind people that in this scene we can remember the gender equality implied by the Shang Chi film. Not only men can do certain jobs, women can also because everyone in the world has the same rights.
FEEDBACKS
General Feedback : Mr. Charles said that we should not imitate for our final project. He also mentioned not to plagiarize other work.
REFLECTIONS
This task is very different from the previous tasks. In this assignment, we were able to analyze other people's work and write an essay about it. This task was fun, I was able to explore people's designs that I had never seen before and it made me quite inspired to do the same which is to create influential works. Mr. Charles is also very kind, he gives very clear explanations and suggestions and helps us in doing this task.
This task is very different from the previous tasks. In this assignment, we were able to analyze other people's work and write an essay about it. This task was fun, I was able to explore people's designs that I had never seen before and it made me quite inspired to do the same which is to create influential works. Mr. Charles is also very kind, he gives very clear explanations and suggestions and helps us in doing this task.
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