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Design Principles - Final Project


31/05/2022 - 28/06/2022 (Week 10-14)
Design Principles 
Yong Kai Yi (0352826)
Final Project

Week 14 (28/06/2022)

Explanation of the choice I made:

I chose "unrealistic beauty standards" against women. For example, fat and ugly people often be treated rudely, people will make fun of them, even don't want to talk to them or be friends. Whereas, people which is more beautiful and nice in body shape will be more welcomed.

I think people should not let the beauty standard to control what you think the people are ( do not judge the book by its cover), do not let the stereotype thinking destroy your vision. People should be more open minded and instead of judging the beauty , we should appreciate the beauty of their personalities, talents and so on.

People will be very lack of confidence, and people will be obsessed to meet the beauty standard to fulfill it, for example losing weight , its like a never ending journey, people will never think it's enough ,it may cause disease like don't want to eat anymore (anorexia), or doing overwhelming plastic surgery 

The "trend "will slowly destroy /erode the person personality and even make them forget them who they really are.


Final outcome:
fig 14.01: final outcome <The Beauty>

The artwork above is the final outcome. First, I drew a pear to represents women, the hand gesture is like how the "unrealistic beauty standards" affecting women, the hand gesture is like molding a clay, same as the social issues I wanted to deliver about, the beauty standards are stressing out the women, it just make women even more stress, depressed, so the pear is like slowly distorting until a shape that a normal pear doesn't have. 

Next, the background is the Instagram layout. It shows where the beauty standards from, it's mostly from social medias. People tend to post only "beautiful" pictures on Instagram, so everyone on social media trying to achieve the same goal, such as slim, and fair skin. Hence, I purposely chose it as the background, to tell people you didn't need to / force to follow the trend to be "beautiful' on social medias, the most important is how you see yourself.

Last but not least, the detail for the layout. The caption of the post is "STOP THE HATRED" and it is 1000 years ago, to show that this social issue against women last for a long time, even after 1000 years the issue still persist, shows that the society actually didn't improve much. 

A pear may not have the shape and skin that is perfect but it's always delicious inside. Find the beauty of the inner side instead of the outer. 


fig 14.02: final outcome visual analysis


Reflections:

The topic given is quite interesting, I think there are a lot of inequality in this society, the issue I delivered in my artwork is just part of it, and this reality makes me feels kind of disappointed. Even though now already is 20th century, the social issues from few centuries ago still persist (in a not obvious way compare to the old times). For this project, I think I did learnt quite a lot in terms of delivering the message and research. I do enjoy all the process and researches, although most of them need to do overnight, but the topic is quite interesting for me, so it's quite enjoyable for me.


Week 13 (21/06/2022)

Final project progressions:

Visual analysis:
fig 13.01: Jean-Michel Basquiat – Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart), 1983

After the feedbacks in week 12, I decided to go for both of the artwork to proceed the visual analysis. The artwork above is about racism.

fig 13.02: Self Portrait, 1948 by Frida Kahlo

I also chose this artwork for the visual analysis about feminism to combine with the racism artwork, to express about the social issue " unrealistic beauty standard".  


Draft 1:

fig 13.03: visual analysis draft 1

The file shown above is my visual analysis draft, I try wrote the 3 phases of visual analysis and sent to the lecturer to request for feedbacks as I am not confident with my writing.


Lecturer's feedbacks (in week 14):
Overall your analysis writing is alright. It covers the necessary and key points linked to design principles theory. 


Visual analysis design:

fig 13.04: outcome of 4th attempt

This is my 4th attempt of visual analysis design, I remain the concept idea of the artwork as previous attempt. I made a little adjustments/amendments for the pear and gesture after receiving feedbacks from Dr.P in previous week. I changed the gesture to like playing a clay, it's like people trying to pinch/mold out the 'ideal shape' for the pear, which typically reflects to the people nowadays trying to achieve the 'ideal body shape'. 


Lecturer's feedbacks (in week 14):
The visual looks good.


Reflection:

I think writing the visual analysis part is quite challenging for me, as I didn't try to be this observant before. Also I didn't try doing so much / detailed research before, and I found it is quite interesting to do research regarding the artwork and artist I admired. It helps me to learn and know more. The message and story of both Basquiat's and Frida's artwork inspires me a lot. 

Week 12 (14/06/2022)

Visual Research:

Part 1:

fig 12.01: The Rent is Too Damn High by Michael Hui, 2022

The goal of this artwork is to increase public awareness of poverty and homelessness and the seriousness of the situation in this society. As you can see, everyone who lives in housing that provides comfort, security, and shelter has their lights on except for the man who is living in poverty (the man in the middle). The way the character "floats" and relaxes in a void of "darkness," which creeps into the fabric of society, illustrates how homelessness is among us but does not belong anyplace. 

fig 12.02: Jean-Michel Basquiat – Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart), 1983

This is an artwork by one of my favorite artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. This artwork clearly shows how serious is racism those days. The black are often discriminate by the society, including the police. They often face hatred, be treated unjustly and discrimination. It's a similar case just like George Floyd faced. Unfortunately, those days there are no social media, so the impact wasn't bigger as nowadays, luckily we have artist like Basquiat who express these issue in his artwork to spread the message.

fig 12.03: Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940

The artwork above is painted by one of the most impactful feminist in 40s, Frida Kahlo. Her self-portrait bravely shows all her inner thoughts and her signature physical appearances. 


fig 12.04: Self Portrait, 1948 by Frida Kahlo

This self-portrait of Frida looks so trapped in a traditional costume which her husband admired a lot, but Frida looks hopeless and not even happy at all in the portrait. It shows how women those days being forced and trapped in the society, doing the things that do not wanted or happy with.


Part 2:


fig 12.05: poster from Intermarché

The poster above is from a campaign <Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables> from a French supermarket chain Intermarché. The message they are trying to deliver is really similar to the social issues nowadays, just like the unequal treatment against beauty standard. 

"It doesn't need to look good to be good".

fig 12.06: illustration from Google

fig 12.07: illustration from Google

Both illustration above shows how the society causing stress and anxiety to women for "looking good". I think it is unfair that people keep setting standards for women.

fig 12.08: "The New Beauty" from Kari Molvar

fig 12.09: magazine cover from Google

fig 12.10: visual research from Twitter

fig 12.11: visual research from Google

The visuals above delivering the similar message about the unrealistic beauty standard nowadays. How women anxious and stressful because all the stereotypes and unachievable beauty standard out there. Women keep trying to achieve the beauty standards is all motivated by sexism and fighting for equality.

fig 12.12: visual research from Pinterest

The painting above is <The Abstract Contours Of Full-Bodied Women By Jessalyn Brooks> found in Pinterest. I think it's interesting on how the painter express the beauty of women, she focus on the form that we sometimes neglect rather than the breast or peachy behind. 

“The female form has lived and gone dormant in art so many times throughout art history”, she notes in an interview. “I do believe women are having a moment right now. This is the most powerful we have been in human history. I want to document that.” 

- from The Abstract Contours Of Full-Bodied Women By Jessalyn Brooks


fig 12.13: visual research from Pinterest

fig 12.14: visual research from Pinterest

fig 12.15: visual research from Pinterest

I love the colors and composition of the visuals above, they look harmony and calm. 


Additional researches:

Forbes
fig 12.16: screenshot from Forbes website

I agree the statement highlighted above, women nowadays fighting to be "beautiful" just because sexism and inequality issues against women. The society often sets expectations and standards for women which leads to terrible anxiety, and even more social issues. The inequality is getting worst after setting the beauty standards. 

The beauty standards placed on women are unrealistically unachievable


fig 12.17: screenshot from the website

fig 12.18: screenshot from the website

This article mainly talk about the unrealistic and unachievable beauty standard against women nowadays are causing so much negative causes, such as stress and anxiety. Women being treated unequally simply because didn't meet the beauty standard. It is totally unfair make what women what they NEED to be look like in order to be "perfect".


Jean-Michel Basquiat 

fig 12.19: Jean-Michel Basquiat

Basquiat is one of the most impactful artist as he is a black artist who often produced artwork regarding racism, and try to popularize black heritage in his art. I made some researches about Basquiat in order to know more about his thoughts and racism issues those days. Although, Basquiat is famous, but he still faced a lot of racism and discrimination as a black. 

I will like to share a few videos about Basquiat and his artwork when I did my researches.

Videos:

Websites/Articles:



fig 12.20: Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo is a well-known Mexican painter. Most of her paintings are self-portrait which makes her artwork so unique and remarkable. I love her artwork because of the message she wanted to deliver and the details she included in her paintings. I admired her a lot as she is really brave and fearless in creating artworks, she painted her feelings, her pain in it, even people may not accept the message but she insist to do what she wanted to do. 

Although she had an accident which causes her a lot of injuries, and suffered in deep pain, she expressed all her emotions in the artwork which I think really amazing. <The Two Fridas> is one of my favorite artwork of hers, although is not direct related to the final project topic but the message in it still really inspiring.


Videos about Frida and her artwork:


Websites/ Articles:


Instructions:

Idea sketch after feedbacks:
fig 12.21: 1st idea sketch after feedbacks

After previous week feedbacks, I was thinking to talk about the inequality in beauty standards. Like different body shape ,or “ bad appearance “ (maybe not in the beauty standard nowadays .. for women). Like women should look like this look like that, setting standards for women, and making them who they need to be instead of who they want to be. The standard thingy is destroying the women rights in my point of view. It’s just same like in the old days, women should be staying home doing house chores, kind of the same concept.

I was thinking to combine the “distorted form” eggplant/fruit represents the “bad appearance “ that does not met the beauty standard, as for nowadays women should have hourglass body shape to consider as beauty . Combine with the African child suffered in hunger, it’s like combining the inequality in women beauty and also the poverty , the distorted form things /so called things that does not met the standard often being abandoned, and only the people who suffered the about same situation will cherish and understand it.

Also the African child has a big belly, it also represent the apple body shape.
fig 12.22: 2nd idea sketch after feedbacks

This sketch is the similar concept, the pouring wine is like rich people pouring hate on it, for me red represents negative vibes. And the shadow will be a perfect shape eggplant. It’s Like making a comparison for different forms of body shape.

Lecturer's feedbacks:
The problem statement of inequality is unclear. Can you confirm which topic are you keen to focus on?


fig 12.23: outcome of 2nd attempt 1st idea sketch

fig 12.24: outcome of 2nd attempt 2nd idea sketch

Both these artwork are using kind of same color tone, it's more like harmony, peaceful tone, unlike a more vibrant tone as this is a quite serious topic for me. Hence, I am using a more simple and non-vibrant color.


3rd attempt idea sketch:

fig 12.25: 3rd attempt idea sketch 

The 3rd attempt sketch is basically a hand squeezing a distorted pear, it's like putting pressure on it. It shows how the beauty standards pressure placing on women, and women being forced to satisfy the unrealistic beauty standard.

fig 12.26: outcome of 3rd attempt 

fig 12.27: outcome of 3rd attempt 

For this version, I tried two different background to express the idea. 1st background is using one line drawing to draw the faces out, it shows people teasing the unwanted form pear, because it does not meets the beauty standard (hourglass body shape). 

2nd background is drawing an Instagram layout to shows how the pear being forced to be squeezed (to match the hourglass shape), it's like expressing how social media affects the beauty standard nowadays. People stressing themselves to be on social media. I drew the pear like a distorted form instead of a perfect hourglass shape, as the stress is ' squeezing ' the pear until a distorted form, as it is a negative social issue which will cause even worst rather than improving the 'beauty'. 


Lecturer's feedbacks (from week 13):
(Visual analysis part, as I researched both racism and feminism artist) Can try to combine both racism by skin colors with the beauty standards issues that I wanted to focus on. There's a lot of reason causes racism, difference in skin colors also is causes the issues of beauty standards too. Both are quite related and linked to each other. 

(Visual design outcome part, I showed 4 designs) The 4th design with the Instagram background ones is better, can try to make the hands gesture like molding clays, like forming an hourglass shape for the pear may also works to express the message.


Reflections:

I think it's fun to try something that I didn't try before, I was thinking to draw people at first and didn't expect expressing the social issue by a simple fruit also kind of works. I really appreciate the feedbacks and opinions given by the lecturer, as it helps me to explore more and know more. And also because of the visual research and visual analysis, I explore more about Basquiat's and Frida's art history, and it really inspires me a lot. 


Week 11 (07/06/2022)

Visual Research:

fig 11.01: visual research from Pinterest

The illustration above is about racism, I love how it combine different skin colors into one face and the artist also using a women as the subject matter, also emphasize feminism. The layering also looks so cool !

fig 11.02: visual research from Pinterest

This is a photograph taken in 1954, it shows clearly a black kid was polishing/cleaning the white boy's shoe. In this picture we can see that the different expression between the two boys, the white boy looks aggressive and also dressed well, whereas the black boy looks desperate. It also shows these two different race in New York have totally different status.
 
fig 11.03: visual research from Pinterest

This picture shows the kids in Africa suffering hunger. This picture gives me the aware of poverty issues nowadays. There is so much community and people out there suffering hunger, even living desperately just for a drop of water, whereas there are also a lot of people living a luxurious life, which makes me feel so unequal and sad.

fig 11.04: visual research from Pinterest

fig 11.05: visual research from Pinterest

The 1st illustration above shows a women/girl with different skin colors, which is a disease called Vitiligo. Throughout the research regarding inequality, most of them will be gender, poverty and race. Then, I found out beauty standards against women nowadays is very serious and too harsh. The beauty standards nowadays especially from social medias, magazines, idols and so on are creating a strong stereotype against women, like every women should looks like this so can be consider as 'beauty'. 

Because of this stereotype, causing women who doesn't meet the standard will face discrimination, unequal treatment, prejudice. Hence, it further caused women are stressed and obsessed in being 'beautiful' to meet the standard set by the community. 

fig 11.06: visual research from Pinterest

The picture above is from an advertisement from Nike, I first saw Nike started to use women model with different size, skin color and even women which looks more masculine when I was scrolling through their website store, and I was so inspired and happy that the media/company finally expanding the acceptance of beauty against women. 

Nike is a sport equipment, apparel company, they used to have only athletes with perfect shapes as model to showcase their products. Now they are one of the company out there having different 'form' of women to showcase, which really surprised me. 

fig 11.07: visual research from Pinterest

The picture above shows a plus-size mannequins at Nike's London flagship store. There a few negative comments against the debut of the mannequin.

fig 11.08: screenshot from Twitter

The media thinks it's not appropriate to showcase a plus-size mannequin in Nike. Whereas the netizen have responded on Twitter and called out The Telegraph for "completely missing the point," including the following: "Having mannequins in the store in different shapes sizes is more representative of real people. You don't have to be any specific size shape or age to go to the gym or to wear fitness clothing."

As brands like Gabbi Fresh and Universal Standard continue to offer clothing in all sizes, it's great to see Nike taking that a step further and making shopping inclusive, too. As so many on social media pointed out, there's truly no one size fits all in fashion, and it's best to celebrate the diversity of body types instead of tearing them down.


Instructions:

Part 1: Visual Analysis

1. Within the theme of  Reduced Inequalities, select an art/design work that revolves around the theme. Provide a 50-word explanation for the choice you made. 

2. Write a 500-word visual analysis, describing and analyzing the design principles of the selected design, and discussing/interpreting the value and meaning of the design work.

Part 2: Design your own work

1. Create a work of design of your own, inspired/influenced by/reacting to the one you had analyzed.

2. Write a 200-word rationale explaining and defending the decisions made in your design.


Pre-idea sketch for Part 2:

fig 11.09: 1st pre-idea sketch (poverty)

The sketch above shows a billboard with a wealthy man and a kid suffering in hunger sit right in front of the billboard, shows the contrast and the poverty issue. The billboard is decorated with LED lights around it whereas, the kid is holding a candle desperately fighting for light and warm in the rainy weather. 

fig 11.10: 2nd pre-idea sketch (beauty standard)

This sketch shows the different beauty in both women and men, this not just delivering the message of beauty standards against women also the LGBT community who facing unequal treatment in the society nowadays. The left side represents male, top left is a men with a wig and makeup on (sparkly eye-shadow), bottom left is a men with beard and also red lipstick on. 

The right side represents female, top right shows a women in bald suffering in Vitiligo disease (which shows different skin colors), bottom right shows a women with piercing, masculine look with scars. 

fig 11.11: 3rd pre-idea sketch 

The sketch above shows different participants in a race. As you can see the starting point is all different, showing the unequal status in this society. The sketch includes a sport car, a normal person ready to run, and a disable on a wheelchair, these different participants is like the different community in the society nowadays, treated unequally. I don't understand why destiny often inequal, everyone in a race with different situation, some can run faster smoothly, some need to face so many obstacles, some even have issues just to live, and all these just to reach the same ending point.  

fig 11.12: 4th pre-idea sketch (poverty)

The sketch above shows a hand holding a wine, an eye bleeding/with tears in red (which same color as the wine). The detail of the hand is there are some luxurious accessories on it, represents the rich, whereas the eye looks hopeless and have wrinkles around it, shows the poor who exhausted and desperate are. It's like a message of the poor are working hard to satisfy the rich, the rich are drinking and enjoying the blood and tears from the poor. It shows how the rich and powerful people exploit the poor to become richer. 

fig 11.13: 5th pre-idea sketch (beauty standard)

The 5th sketch shows a black women in plus-size posing confidently. This is to express there is no limit in beauty and people should not set standard in beauty or even creating stereotypes. People should not let the physical appearances destroy your vision, do not judge the book by it's cover. People should be more open minded and instead of judging the beauty, we should appreciate the beauty of their personalities, talents and so on.


Lecturer's feedbacks:
Poverty issue seems to be a popular topic among the students. Maybe you want to drop this idea.

I’d like to suggest looking at some advertisement that talks about vege and fruits that are defect and people will not buy due to the distorted form. This is a social issue (very similar to body shape) where people perceive good/ fresh fruits should look “perfect in shape”.

This has caused wastage as no one buys/ wanted and eventually goes into bins. So I won’t feed you further. Now you have to think, where/ what exactly is the unequal message.

Reflections:

After doing more researches, I have more thoughts regarding the topic <Inequality>, no matter in gender, rich and poor, race and beauty standard. This issue seems never ending since centuries, the issue still persist until now, this makes me sad and disappointed as the world doesn't seems improving throughout these centuries. I keep wondering when it will end and when the better world will be coming. But luckily, I think some of us are improving in terms of thinking, people started to be more open-minded and expanding the acceptance. There are still lots of community out there fighting for the equality, and I am glad but sad at the same time. 

Back to the project, I think visual researching and analysis does helps me to understand more the topic before producing/creating an artwork. But I am still trying to improve the way how I express my thoughts in the artwork, as this is the part that I think I really weak at. Expressions and messages is really important in terms of creating an artwork.


Week 10 (31/05/2022)

Lecture 8: Visual Analysis

Visual Analysis: a method of understanding design by focusing on the visual elements and principles. It is a skill that helps people read and critically interpret images. Nowadays living in 21st century, we often confronted with visual media. Practising visual analysis sharpens critical judgement skills.

Three phases of  visual analysis:

1.Observations: Closely looking the visual elements of a design, describe them in our own words without knowing the information about the design. Observation is all about looking, thinking and finding good language to communicate what we observed.

2.Analysis: Requires to think about our observations and make statements about the design. 

3.Interpretation: Our observations, description and analysis of the work are fused with facts about the design and historical context.

Reflections:

At first, after the briefing and watching the lecture videos, I am still kind of clueless and blurry what should I do, then I started to read some articles and scroll through some artwork and kind of have the path. I was considering to aim for poverty issue as it is the problem that I think is quite serious nowadays.






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