Design Principles - Final Compilation & Reflection

28.8.20 - 27.11.20 (Week 1 - Week 14)

Sajiya Mir (0340836)

Design Principles 

Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Taylors University

Final Compilation & Reflection

---

[Weekly Exercise] 

Week 1: Gestalt Theory and Contrast
Media: Black and White paper

Fig.1. Gestalt 

Fig.1.2 Contrast

Week 2: Balance and Emphasis
Media: Color Pencils and Markers

Fig.1.3 Balance 

Fig.1.4 Emphasis

Week 3: Repetition and Movement
Media: watercolor

Fig.1.5 Repetition

Fig.1.6 Movement

Week 4: Harmony and Unity
Media: Acrylic paint

Fig.1.7 Unity

Fig.1.8 Harmony

Week 5: Symbol and Collage
Media: Illustrator and magazines

Fig.1.9 Symbol

Fig.2.0 Symbol

Fig.2.1 Collage

[Project 1] 

Fig.2.2 Self Portraiture 

[Project 2] 

Fig.2.2 Sense of Place

[Project 3] 

Fig.2.3 Visual Analysis

---

[Reflection] 

What have I learned in this module?

In this module, I learned so much; prior to this, when designing, I never considered repetition, harmony, or emphasis. I had a vague understanding of balancing my concept and producing a dynamic composition. During this module, I learned more about these design concepts and even new ones, such as Gestalt Theory.   I learned how to pick colors and types of painting that would better convey my design theme.

What did I enjoy the most? 

This module was my favorite, and I truly enjoyed all the exercises and projects we had to do. When the rest of the module is so software related, it was wonderful to go back to drawing with pen and paper. The final project was the project I enjoyed the most. I've always been fond of learning about other artists and their types of art. We studied the work of an artist of our choosing in the final project and then produced a work representing the artist's work. I got to try Impressionism, something that I had never done before. Overall, I learned a lot in this module and got to see myself improving as a designer.

What did I not enjoy the most?

When thinking about what I did not like, I don't think anything comes to mind. Other than sometimes, the workload being a little more than I could manage, I enjoyed this module.

What have I learned about myself through this module?

 I get hung up on pointless details, and my work ends up taking longer to finish. I also put way too much pressure on myself by comparing my work with others. Although competition can be good, I don't think it's a good habit to bring myself down, constantly thinking that I haven't done enough. One positive thing I have learned about myself is that I can push myself not only to deliver good work but also to reach all my deadlines on time.

What has changed and what has not in my learning journey?

I've learned to give my designs more meaning. I didn't consider what emotions I wanted to convey before creating or what message I wanted to get across. However, after doing all the assignments, I always think about what I want to convey with my design before sketching. One thing that didn't change was my second-guessing my design. After completing my design, I nitpick on certain areas and end up changing the whole design. This is not good for my time management and, most times, very unnecessary.  

What could be improved in this module? 

I have no reservations about this module; Ms. Maria was very supportive and always available to listen to our concerns. Ms. Jinchi's lectures were often straightforward and had strong examples to aid our understanding. All the exercises and projects were there to help us learn and get acquainted with the design concepts so that we can know when and how to implement them in our other modules.