DESIGN PRINCIPLES | TASK 2 - VISUAL ANALYSIS AND IDEATION

17 Feb 2025 - 3 March 2025 ( Week 3 - Week 5 )

Hsu Myat Wati | 0381660 | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Design Principles | Taylor's University
Table of contents

Briefing into Visual Analysis

Visual analysis is a way to better understand a design or art work focusing on the visual elements and design principles being used. The aim is to find out how the properties of every elements chosen by the creator, work together to reflect the message behind the piece. 
Moreover, visual analysis plays a huge role in helping people to read and interpret images critically. It can be an art piece in a museum, or even an advertisement on social media nowadays. 
Visual analysis contribute people to improve critical judgement skills by asking questions to learn about a design rather than just accepting information as it is.

Three Phases of Visual Analysis

  1.  Observation
  2.  Analysis
  3.  Interpretation

Phase 1 : Observation

Observation phase take place before getting to know the background of a design. It is the phase when viewers try to look through the design carefully and identify each and every visual elements of a design, expressing accurately in their own words. 

Phase 2 : Analysis

Analysis phase requires viewers to rethink about the their observations and make conclusions based on evidence. For example, the design principles which influence the viewer's experience by leading across the piece.

Phase 3 : Interpretation

This is the final step where the viewers combine their observations, descriptions, and analysis with reliable facts about the design, its creator, and its historical background, considering the meaning of the design, and the purpose of its creation.

2. INSTRUCTIONS

MIB Feb 2025:

1. Recap Task 2 brief.

2. Write a 300- to 350-word visual analysis of the artwork you selected. Refer to Visual Analysis lecture notes and guide to write the visual analysis.

3. Next, using your design principles knowledge, sketch 3 ideas on how the selected design can be improved. Describe each idea and support it with a rationale in about 30-50 words. You may include some visual references (cite the sources) that inspire your own ideas. 

4. feedback from the lecturer


3. TASK 2 - VISUAL ANALYSIS AND IDEATION

Recap:

In this task, We need to write a 300-350 word visual analysis of an artwork that we chose in task 1. After that, We have to sketch out 3 improvement ideas for the chosen design and describe each one with a 30-50-word rationale.

Selected Artwork

Fig 3.1 ( Week 2 | 12 Feb 2025 )
Cover of Korean Historical Novel named "Heerangug Yeonga" | "Heeran Love Song"

Title - 희란국 연가 ( Heeran Love Song )
Artist - DADACHYO
Year - 2019
Size - A4 (210 × 297 mm)
Medium - Digital illustration/novel cover

Observation:

It is an image of a beautiful blind girl who seems like a daughter of a high-class family of ancient time. I observe that she is wearing an elegant pink hanbok (Korean traditional dress) and lying on the floor, placing her head on one side. At the bottom right corner, I notice the broken pieces of jewelry, a golden dagger, the withering flowers, and dying butterflies spreading on the floor. Finally, I spot the name of the novel written in Korean at the top right corner. It is written vertically and surround by the same but living flowers as the ones on the floor. I am also aware that remaining informations are written at the bottom left of the image. (120 words) 

Analysis:


The cover achieves asymmetrical balance with the girl's off-center face, countered by the strategic placement of surrounding objects. The novel's title, prominently positioned among the flowers, establishes a clear hierarchy. Soft pastel tones in the girl's skin and clothing contrast with her dark hair and the vibrant colors of nearby objects. The bright flowers in the top right corner reflect onto her rosy cheeks, making her face appear more lively. This draws emphasis to her glowing, vacant eyes, which contrast with the warmth of her surroundings. Following her gaze, the continuous wavy flow of her hair and clothing naturally guides the viewer toward the author's and illustrator’s names, aligned on the left. The movement created by her hair and fabric further connects key elements in the composition. Symbolic details, such as a dagger, wilted flowers, and pearls, reinforce themes of violence, tragedy, sorrow, and wealth. Finally, the careful arrangement of these elements, combined with an analogous color scheme, unifies the composition into a visually harmonious and meaningful scene. (167 words)

Interpretation:

Fig 3.2 - Example of 2019 "Newtro" art style
( Week 3 | 23 Feb 2025 )
Source - https://pin.it/6tFq5N4C1

Fig 3.3 - Example of 2019 "Newtro" art style
( Week 3 | 23 Feb 2025 )
Source - https://pin.it/12UsKvxci

This is the cover artwork of the 2019 Korean historical fantasy novel named "Heeran Love Song". I find the illustration style reflects the 2019 "Newtro"('New'+'Retro') trend, where modern interpretations of vintage styles became popular in South Korea. Many contemporary Korean artists began incorporating traditional motifs and themes into their digital artworks, reflecting a blend of historical and modern influences. Also, it was the time of a surge in historical fantasy dramas and literature in South Korea, blending traditional settings with supernatural elements. This cover art not only reflects the classical Asian art but also showcase the dreamlike atmosphere of modern fantasy story. (102 words)

Sketch 1

Fig 3.4 - Improvement idea 1 ( Week 3 | 27 Feb 2025 )

Firstly, the cover can be improved by adding a sense of unity and rhythm. In this sketch, the girl's face is placed at the centre of the composition and zoomed in a bit to add more focus on her expressions. Next, the alignment of the informations is changed to horizontal position and the title is placed in the center as if it's floating to connect more with the character. To create a visual rhythm, there is a repetition of flying butterflies and the petals, making it feel more organic. ( 89 words )

Sketch 2

Fig 3.5 - Improvement idea 2 ( Week 4 | 4 March 2025 )

This is a close-up of a woman’s face, with a dagger held to her throat. Her expression is serious and tense, adding a dramatic feel. The emphasis is on her eyes, hair, and the necklace, while the soft floral background adds balance. I used the diagonal placement of the dagger to create a strong focal point and guide the viewer’s eye. ( 61 words )

Sketch 3

Fig 3.6 - Improvement idea 3 ( Week 3 | 29 Feb 2025 )

In the final sketch, I used the mirror to create a contrast between the real character and her reflection, hinting at hidden emotions or a deeper story. The soft elements, like the flowing hair, flowers, and butterflies, balance out the sharpness of the dagger. I wanted to create a sense of movement with the hair and butterflies, making the scene feel alive. The overall composition is slightly off-center to make it more visually interesting rather than feeling too stiff or flat. ( 81 words )

Visual References

Fig 3.7 - Visual reference for sketch 2
( Week 5 | 27 March 2025 )
Source - https://pin.it/69lyTCIkZ
Fig 3.8 - Visual reference for sketch 3
( Week 5 | 27 March 2025 )
Source - https://pin.it/3T3tbq9K8

References

4. FEEDBACK

Week 4 ( 24 Feb 2025 )

General feedback: Overall, the requirements are all there for this week. Keep working on the remaining one for next week.

Specific feedback: Add the words like "I observe", "I notice" etc in the observation part. The analysis can also be a bit more specific and interconnected.

Week 5 ( 3 Feb 2025 )

General feedback: It would be better if the sketches show more variety. They all are similar to the original artwork.

Specific feedback: Try creating something different. For example, the girl can be looking right through the viewer eyes.

5.REFLECTIONS

I learned a lot throughout the whole process of task 2. Writing the visual analysis of an artwork help me explore a different perspective of a design through a viewer's eyes. At first, I learned about how we tend to interpret every design/art work at first glance without knowing anything about the background. Then, I discovered how everything eventually make sense studying the background and the meaning behind it. My understanding of design principles also become clearer after going through several research and applying in my own sketches. 

Although I misunderstand the concept at first, I try my best to get the best idea out of my mind while also maintaining the theme of the novel. When I think about improving the design, I just think about the design elements and arrangement of the composition. After listening to the lecturer's advice, I decided to change the whole composition with the same message that the original cover is trying to convey.

6. QUICKLINKS

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