DP/Project 2 - A sense of place
DP; PROJECT 2
18/10/2021 - 1/11/2021 (Week 8 - Week 10)Diane Lim En Wei / 0345187 / B'Creative Media
Design Principles
Project 2/A sense of place
LECTURES
Week 9 (25/10/2021) The importance of observation
A designer's role is to solve problems with effective visual communication. The 'problems' that designers solve are aplenty, ranging from personal goals to community events. From corporate functions to world changing projects, all through creative, visual communication means.
How does a designer 'know' what imagery or content to include in the design? We understand that the client informs the designer of the purpose of the project, but when it comes to visual ideas, how do designers know?- This is where observation comes in. Being observant means to be;
- attentive to your surroundings,
- to pay attention to the details and be analytical about them.
- For a designer, observations can be an effective way to get ideas. Sources could be;
- Artifacts,
- daily happenings,
- physical surroundings.
8 ways to improve your powers of observation- Know your subject.
- You'll notice more if you understand it.
- Slow down and look outward.
- Use mindfulness to focus your attention on your surroundings.
- Try something new.
- Choose an activity that will engage your senses and heighten your awareness.
- Improve your concentration by cutting out distractions.
- Turn off your phone, log out of social media or go somewhere quiet where you won't be disturbed.
- Challenge yourself to a mental workout.
- A smarter, more agile brain will help you observe with greater insight.
- Test your observation by playing a memory game.
- Describe a photograph, or list everything in the room you're in right now without looking.
- Record and consider your observations
- Go beyond the things you see.
- Note down smells and sounds you experience
- Stay inquisitive
- Question and analyze your observations, doing this will add value to your work.
Observing is an active act of acquiring information through senses, of a subject matter in its natural setting. Our senses are important for us to know, feel, understand, analyze, and even plan what we want to do. Observation is important to designers as it enables them to see 'problems', as well as getting ideas for solutions to those problems.
A sense of place
Think about the place you're in now, or a place you had spent time at previously, or a place that had created a lasting memory in you. How do you express your sense of that place?Document your observations, photographs, diary, social, etc.
- This is where observation comes in. Being observant means to be;
- attentive to your surroundings,
- to pay attention to the details and be analytical about them.
- For a designer, observations can be an effective way to get ideas. Sources could be;
- Artifacts,
- daily happenings,
- physical surroundings.
8 ways to improve your powers of observation
- Know your subject.
- You'll notice more if you understand it.
- Slow down and look outward.
- Use mindfulness to focus your attention on your surroundings.
- Try something new.
- Choose an activity that will engage your senses and heighten your awareness.
- Improve your concentration by cutting out distractions.
- Turn off your phone, log out of social media or go somewhere quiet where you won't be disturbed.
- Challenge yourself to a mental workout.
- A smarter, more agile brain will help you observe with greater insight.
- Test your observation by playing a memory game.
- Describe a photograph, or list everything in the room you're in right now without looking.
- Record and consider your observations
- Go beyond the things you see.
- Note down smells and sounds you experience
- Stay inquisitive
- Question and analyze your observations, doing this will add value to your work.
Observing is an active act of acquiring information through senses, of a subject matter in its natural setting. Our senses are important for us to know, feel, understand, analyze, and even plan what we want to do. Observation is important to designers as it enables them to see 'problems', as well as getting ideas for solutions to those problems.
A sense of place
Think about the place you're in now, or a place you had spent time at previously, or a place that had created a lasting memory in you.
Think about the place you're in now, or a place you had spent time at previously, or a place that had created a lasting memory in you.
How do you express your sense of that place?
Document your observations, photographs, diary, social, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
Week 10 (26/10/2021)
To get my brain running and going for this assignment, I decided to take methods I learned from the IVN module, and that was to just list words with close connection or are in juxtaposition of the phrase; "A sense of place."The words I came up with were; - Comfort
- Safety
- Nostalgia
- Pain
- Alone
The word 'nostalgia' spoke to me, I started to consider places that spoke to me, mainly as a child. Places I found safety and comfort in, places I had cried and felt pain, felt alone, but places I would love to go back to, to once again, experience the growth I've had ever since then. I wanted to show the places that had some impact on me as I grow to be the person I am today.
My sense of place, is my nostalgia, my memories, in my own head.
I listed the places that I would love to go back to, places I remember the smells of, the noises. Places I have been too enough times to remember the layout, but have not been able to go back due to the pandemic, or places I have moved on from. I will be further explaining what these places mean to me as you read further into my blog.- My old setup
- The patio in Australia
- The balcony in Sabah
- My old high-school
- Sunday school classroom
- Hospital bed in Taipei
- School bus during school trip
- Christmas at my uncle's house
- The church I went all throughout my life (almost 20 years)
- High-school canteen
Week 11 (31/10/2021)
Each place and what they mean to me;
Fig 2.1 ; Hospital bed in Taipei (31/10/2021)
Obviously I did not spend like years of my life on it, but it sure felt like it. I laid there for weeks recovering from surgery, not being able to explore Taipei at all. I could only hear about my parents’ adventures. I’m very happy they did not spend that whole trip coddling me at my bedside, I would never be able to forgive myself if they did. I wanted them to have fun.
Fig 2.2 ; The Church (31/10/2021)
It has remained unchanging, ever since I first went there as a toddler, until now, at age 19. Still remained un-air-conditioned, only allowing for the rare breeze in Malaysia to bring any sort of coolness into the church. I had the ray of light come from the cross to put emphasis onto it.
Fig 2.3 ; A school bus during a school trip (31/10/2021)
The absolute best place to be, early in the morning, everyone’s delirious, but we’re all in close proximity to our friends, with no classroom restrictions. The familiar smell of the bus and patterns on the seats. The familiar rumbling sounds of the bus, how everyone slowly starts to lose energy as the bus trip closes in on its end, wonderful.
Fig 2.4 ; My old high-school (31/10/2021)
A place where I felt incredibly alone, but still made wonderful memories. Especially during 2015-2016, in that high-school, there was a problem with budgeting for chairs and tables. We were given cheap chairs that had the legs constantly breaking off and students falling to the ground. The chairs were unusually low, as if made for pre-schoolers so no one ever really got hurt.
A place, after leaving, my personality begun to shine and improve as I was unhappy with who I was as a person during this time, and decided to change that.
Repetition of tables and chairs with certain tables having pieces of paper onto it to stop it from looking too monotonous.
Fig 2.5 ; My old setup (31/10/2021)
The beginning of it all, a place where I was so unsatisfied with the point I was in at life, bad art, bad grades, but a place I got the thirst to be better, the place something inside me woke up and I wanted to rise to be one of the best, if not in grades, at least in the twitter art scene.
Looking at where I am now, drawing for several creators, all from different communities, being able to buy my own PC, fully off of commission money from drawing for these creators and others, can’t help but feel humbled, I would love to experience that growth again.
Unity is observed, with pieces of paper randomly sprawled across the table, also observable by the papers stuck onto the wall, to tie everything together to give the impression that it is a place of work, a not very organized one.
Fig 2.6 ; Christmas at my Uncle's (31/10/2021)
A day after celebrating Christmas at my grandparent’s house in Sabah, we always go to my Uncle Darren’s house. It was always so beautifully decorated, and due to his status, the family would always be kept in close proximity to one another, so it was never really a dull moment. The vibes were always so beautiful.
There is contrast between the Christmas tree, which has the normal color palette that is observed in real life, and everything else has an unrealistic color palette, which also puts emphasis on the middle of the tree, also attributed by it being in the center.
Fig 2.7 ; Sunday school classroom (31/10/2021)
Nothing truly incredible happened, I did not feel any sense of belonging there, I barely made friends, but I made no enemies. The vibes there were immaculate and it was always a good place to go to at the end of the week for stress reliever. Overall a good time.
Repetition of the seats.
Fig 2.8 ; The Balcony in Sabah (31/10/2021)
Sabah, my hometown, full of life and noise. An escape from all the noise in the house was the balcony, the view from that balcony was nothing short of amazing, with a river across from it, framed by trees, the sounds of nature since it was in the Kampung area, no sirens blaring, no cars honking, just peace.
The place I miss most.
What better way to relay the feeling of missing something than by using the medium in which holds these memories, this feeling of nostalgia. Which sparked the idea of displaying all these places in the form of a Presentation, through a Projector.
Fig 2.9 ; Final outcome for Project 2 (31/10/2021)
FEEDBACK
Week 10 (26/10/2021)
A rather complicated idea (from how I poorly explained it at the time), but an adventurous one.
REFLECTION
Before anything is said, I would like to bring up the fact that I am well aware that I may have bent the rules a tiny bit (quite a bit), but I wanted to do something different. I wanted to let people take a dive into my head, into the safest place for myself. These can be seen as a 'sense of places,' but what is the world of design without taking leaps and risks? We are where we are today in the design world because people before us have taken these leaps and bounds, albeit, this is University, and this is just an assignment, but I wanted to be true to myself. I had fun with this assignment, and I love the vibe the final outcome gave off.
- Comfort
- Safety
- Nostalgia
- Pain
- Alone
The word 'nostalgia' spoke to me, I started to consider places that spoke to me, mainly as a child. Places I found safety and comfort in, places I had cried and felt pain, felt alone, but places I would love to go back to, to once again, experience the growth I've had ever since then. I wanted to show the places that had some impact on me as I grow to be the person I am today.
My sense of place, is my nostalgia, my memories, in my own head.
I listed the places that I would love to go back to, places I remember the smells of, the noises. Places I have been too enough times to remember the layout, but have not been able to go back due to the pandemic, or places I have moved on from. I will be further explaining what these places mean to me as you read further into my blog.
- My old setup
- The patio in Australia
- The balcony in Sabah
- My old high-school
- Sunday school classroom
- Hospital bed in Taipei
- School bus during school trip
- Christmas at my uncle's house
- The church I went all throughout my life (almost 20 years)
- High-school canteen
Week 11 (31/10/2021)
Each place and what they mean to me;
Fig 2.1 ; Hospital bed in Taipei (31/10/2021)
Obviously I did not spend like years of my life on it, but it sure felt like it. I laid there for weeks recovering from surgery, not being able to explore Taipei at all. I could only hear about my parents’ adventures. I’m very happy they did not spend that whole trip coddling me at my bedside, I would never be able to forgive myself if they did. I wanted them to have fun.
Fig 2.2 ; The Church (31/10/2021)
It has remained unchanging, ever since I first went there as a toddler, until now, at age 19. Still remained un-air-conditioned, only allowing for the rare breeze in Malaysia to bring any sort of coolness into the church. I had the ray of light come from the cross to put emphasis onto it. Fig 2.3 ; A school bus during a school trip (31/10/2021)
Fig 2.4 ; My old high-school (31/10/2021)
A place where I felt incredibly alone, but still made wonderful memories. Especially during 2015-2016, in that high-school, there was a problem with budgeting for chairs and tables. We were given cheap chairs that had the legs constantly breaking off and students falling to the ground. The chairs were unusually low, as if made for pre-schoolers so no one ever really got hurt.
A place, after leaving, my personality begun to shine and improve as I was unhappy with who I was as a person during this time, and decided to change that.
Repetition of tables and chairs with certain tables having pieces of paper onto it to stop it from looking too monotonous.
Fig 2.5 ; My old setup (31/10/2021)
The beginning of it all, a place where I was so unsatisfied with the point I was in at life, bad art, bad grades, but a place I got the thirst to be better, the place something inside me woke up and I wanted to rise to be one of the best, if not in grades, at least in the twitter art scene.
Looking at where I am now, drawing for several creators, all from different communities, being able to buy my own PC, fully off of commission money from drawing for these creators and others, can’t help but feel humbled, I would love to experience that growth again.
Unity is observed, with pieces of paper randomly sprawled across the table, also observable by the papers stuck onto the wall, to tie everything together to give the impression that it is a place of work, a not very organized one.
Fig 2.6 ; Christmas at my Uncle's (31/10/2021)
Fig 2.7 ; Sunday school classroom (31/10/2021)
Fig 2.8 ; The Balcony in Sabah (31/10/2021)
The place I miss most.
What better way to relay the feeling of missing something than by using the medium in which holds these memories, this feeling of nostalgia. Which sparked the idea of displaying all these places in the form of a Presentation, through a Projector.
Fig 2.9 ; Final outcome for Project 2 (31/10/2021)
FEEDBACK
Week 10 (26/10/2021)
A rather complicated idea (from how I poorly explained it at the time), but an adventurous one.
REFLECTION
Before anything is said, I would like to bring up the fact that I am well aware that I may have bent the rules a tiny bit (quite a bit), but I wanted to do something different. I wanted to let people take a dive into my head, into the safest place for myself. These can be seen as a 'sense of places,' but what is the world of design without taking leaps and risks? We are where we are today in the design world because people before us have taken these leaps and bounds, albeit, this is University, and this is just an assignment, but I wanted to be true to myself. I had fun with this assignment, and I love the vibe the final outcome gave off.
REFERENCES
Sound effects used in the final outcome (Fig 3.1)
Cassette tape sound effect; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVDHQokn7mQ
The song used (Dreamland by Glass Animals) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7vBk_zLA4
Glass Animals;
absolutely love it!! its nostalgic. good framing technique using the slide projector!
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