Monday, 24 February 2025

Information Design/Exercise 2

Week03~Week04/17.02.2025~24.02.2025 

0363730/Yap Guang You

Bachelor of Design(Hons)in Creative Media

Information Design/Exercise 2


Content

  • Instruction
  • Idea and References
  • Progression
  • Submission

  • Instruction

    In this exercise, we will apply what we've learned in the lecture to transform a set of messages into a visual design using the L.A.T.C.H theory. The poster must be in A4 size.

    Idea and References

    We have the freedom to choose our theme, so I started by researching and brainstorming ideas. Initially, I considered focusing on a specific product, but that felt too common. Instead, I explored areas of personal interest—anime, games, and sports. I eventually settled on sports and decided to showcase the evolution of a football club to fit the 'T' (Time) in the L.A.T.C.H theory. As an Arsenal fan, I chose Arsenal’s history in the Premier League. However, I realized there wasn’t enough information to fill the design meaningfully. So, I shifted my focus to a player’s career, highlighting their stats and achievements. But then, I found an even better idea—covering all the clubs that have won the Premier League title throughout history. This approach allows me to incorporate multiple aspects of the L.A.T.C.H theory, including 'L' (Location), 'T' (Time), 'H' (Hierarchy), and 'A' (Alphabet).

    Then I go looks for references and sketch out the layout ideas

    References I found on Pinterest
    References I found on net
    References I found on Pinterest
    My Idea sketch

    Progression

    "Then, I began designing my poster, starting with the background. I placed a map of England, along with the title and the Premier League logo, to immediately convey the topic to the audience.

    Background Designing

    Next, I added each winning team's logo along with a small Premier League logo to represent their titles. I arranged them according to the seasons they won and used dashed lines to indicate their locations on the map.I decided to uses black and white in my design, so is clear and cool, that fit the vibe of the sport. And also is I don't what the colorful design to attract the attention of the audience from reading the information.

    Put in the Information

    This is how the design looks like

    After the all the Information Key in

    I found that the design is a bit too plain so I decided to add somethings in the background, like a movement football or a kicking action.

    Adding Image in the Background

    Submission

    After ensuring the margin and porpotion, I decided to set this as the submission

    Final Submission Poster

    Addtion

    Lecture & Final Project
    Exercise 1

    Sunday, 16 February 2025

    Information Design/Exercise 1

    Week 01-Week 03/03.02.2024-17.02.2024

    Yap Guang You/0363730

    Bachelor of Design(Hons) in Creative Media/Information Design

    Exercise 1


    Instruction

    In this exercise, we aim to visualize and quantify raw data through photography. This can be achieved by organizing objects, such as a group of LEGO pieces, and separating them based on their colors and shapes.


    Progression

    Selection & Grouping

    I selected hair band with several colors, so I group them based on their colors

    Hairband
    Grouping based on colors

    Attempts

    I start expressing my idea using the knowledge from the lecture, first I trying to lay the grouping like a bar chart, but it looks pretty regular for me

    Attempt 1

    Next I try the to stack the same colors band together cause that what the functions that hair band provide, group your hair togehter. But some of the colors are fewer so the out come doesn't match the expectation I want.

    Attempt 2

    Next I try the to lay them like a curve line and a stack of straight line, is looks not bad to me, but I found that is lack of labeling and is hard to apply labeling in these two ideas.

    Attempt 3
    Attempt 4

    So I took the idea from second attempt, but make some adjustment on it, and label these colors with colors pencil colors a path using similar colors with the hair band, so it's straigh foward and direct to the viewer, knowing it grouping by colors and what colors is it.

    Attempt 5

    Final Submission

    Final Submission


    Lecture & Final Project Post

    Tuesday, 11 February 2025

    Major Project 1

    Week 01-Week07/04.02.2025-23.03.2025 

    0363730/Yap Guang You

    Bachelor of Design(Hons)in Creative Media


    Content


    Progression

    Week 01/Group Forming

    This week, we were briefed on the module flow and our tasks. Basically, we need to form a group of four based on our specializations, choose an area of interest, and create something. I missed the first class due to illness, but I reached out to students who attended and formed a group with them.

    Group Member List

  • Yong Zhen Xing 0359473
  • Yamaya Kaho 0364278
  • Tong Min Xuan 0362744
  • Yap Guang You 0363730
  • Week 02/Group discussion and consulting

    This week, we began our consultation with our supervisor, Mr. Kannan. Before meeting with him, we had a group discussion to go over our ideas, as we were worried that our main concept might not get approved.Our main idea is to create an animation with a horror theme. We also shared our experiences with horror games and movies, discussing what skills we need to learn and apply to this project. It was a casual discussion, but we still covered our preferences and recommended artists.

    Based on our consultation, we need to clarify our idea first. Animation is just the medium—it’s how we present our concept, but the core is the idea itself. We have a basic horror story, but it still needs to be solidified. Next, we’ll focus on identifying the art style we want, the type of horror we’re aiming for, and what other visual approaches we can explore beyond anime. We plan to have a meeting later this week to discuss this in depth, focusing on defining our style and core concept. 

    We refined our story to make it more coherent, scarier, and longer. Then, we divided our tasks—focusing on preparing sketches, gathering references, and finalizing our art style. Our style will be a blend inspired by the short animations Best Friend and Tellevor. My responsibilities include developing the rough concept for the mother character and writing the script for the animation.

    References animation link

  • BEST FRIEND
  • TELLEVOR
  • CAPSTONE
  • First Version of Story Refinement
    Mother Character Sketch 1
    Mother Character Sketch 2

    Week 03/Second Consultation and Proposal Submission

    After the second consultation, we realized we had significant changes to make. The feedback pointed out that our characters didn’t fully meet the "hidden requirements" for the final submission, so we need to adjust—or even rewrite—the story to incorporate more characters and designs. Additionally, our story was deemed too emotional, and we were advised to include more action elements, like fight scenes, while keeping the storyline simple.

    To address this, each of us will first write our own version of the story and explore potential character designs, even sketching them out. Afterward, we’ll decide on the final story, either in the next consultation or through our own discussion. At the same time, we need to prepare the proposal slide submission to ensure our concept is solid. For now, we are submitting the first version of the story, but we are certain it will change in the upcoming stages—though the core concept will remain the same.

     
    Story Compilation Board

    Week 04/Proposal Presentation

    This week, we had our proposal presentation, so we spent a lot of time working on the slides to ensure our story and artwork were solid. After the presentation, we realized we hadn’t done enough research on the technical aspects, like the type of animation we’d use. We also got feedback that our story was too plain at its core, while the plot structure was too complex for a short animation. So, we received some advice on refining the story.

    Later in the week, we had a discussion and decided to keep our story but adapt it to a different medium, such as a game. We researched various game genres, including visual novels, pixel games, and 2D horror escape games. Eventually, we settled on a 2D side-scrolling battle game with influences from Chinese culture.

    Game idea references_Detention

    Week 05/Starting up game idea

    his week, we chose our game’s art style, referencing Limbus Company for its horror theme and mini character design, along with Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest. For the story, the player is from a ghost-hunting family in an Eastern-inspired city during the ‘80s–‘90s. We’re keeping it flexible, developing it alongside character and monster designs. I’m handling the rough UI layout and the daughter character, aiming for an edgy, cool vibe inspired by Ryougi Shiki (Type-Moon). For monsters, I’m blending mahjong elements with office items to reflect Eastern work culture.

    Character Inspiration
    Monster Inspiration
    UI_References
    UI_References
    UI_References
    Character idea
    Weapons & Character ideas
    UI Idea_Monster Gallery
    UI Idea_Skill Tree
    UI Idea_Weapons Page
    UI Idea_Inventory
    Monster Idea_Majong Ghui

    Week 06/Refinement

    This week, we refined our artwork, did color studies, and prepared for the final presentation. I focused on UI design and helped with the presentation slides, including the timeline, case study, risk management, and workflow pages.

    UI Idea_Inventory 1
    UI Idea_Inventory 2
    UI  Idea_Monster Gallery
    UI Idea_Weapons

    I also works on the in game hubs and the home page on the game

    In game Hub Idea 1
    In game Hub Idea 2
    In game Hub Idea_Hp icon 1
    In game Hub Idea_Hp icon 2
    In game Hub Idea_Attack icon
    In game Hub Idea_Dash icon 1
    In game Hub Idea_Dash icon 2
    In game Hub Idea_Magic bar 1
    In game Hub Idea_Magic bar 2
    Tittle page sketch

    For the HP system, we chose a Mario-style damage system without an HP bar—just icons representing the remaining hits the player can take. For the overall HUD, we aimed for a simple, easy-to-understand design. The UI pages will have a bloody vibe blended with Chinese runes.

    Week 07/Final Presentation

    In the final week, we focused on the presentation slides, mainly compiling our artwork and adding detailed explanations. To save time, we removed the UI section since it wasn’t required in the guidelines. I worked on the workflow and case study sections. Gris was recommended by my group, so I looked into it.


    Submission

    Proposal slide 

     Final Presentatio link(The files was too big to put in the blog)


    Feedback

    Week 02

    We are too worried about the final output. Instead, we should focus on developing a strong concept and finding the best medium to bring it to life—whether it’s an IP that can be adapted into different formats like an anime, a game, or physical collectibles.

    Week 03

    Our characters aren’t enough, and the story is too emotional—people might not find it appealing. Action animation was suggested instead. We also need to push our ideas further by creating more sketches and exploring multiple designs for the same character.

    Week 04

    Our idea isn’t clear yet—we need to establish a solid core first and then expand around it. The story also lacks key elements, such as a strong character core (what drives them in the animation). Additionally, studying animation progression is recommended.

    Week 05

    Continue refining our designs and explore more monster concepts and character outfits.

    Week 06

    The UI direction isn’t clear. We need to design the UI itself, not just the layout, and ensure it aligns with the game’s context to avoid misleading the audience.

    Week 07

    Our work needs to be more solid, as the audience struggles to understand our design. The style isn’t distinct enough and doesn’t reflect our references. Also, the case study is too different from our game—we should look for more similar ones, like Ori and the Blind Forest and Hollow Knight.


    Reflection

    I learned the importance of noting down every idea—abandoned ideas from past projects can be reused, and without notes, it’s easy to forget things during production. I also realized that game art and gameplay must work together rather than focusing only on the visuals. This major project taught me a lot, including building a clearer workflow habit and gaining detailed industry knowledge from others. Time management was decent, but we didn’t prioritize our goals well or have a clear vision from the start. Fortunately, we figured it out in time. Moving forward, I think having the courage to voice my ideas in meetings will be key.

    Sunday, 9 February 2025

    Information Design/Final Project

    Week01~Week07/03.02.2025~23.03.2025 

    Yap Guang You/0363730 

    Bachelor of Design(Hons)in Creative Media/Information Design


    Content


    Instruction

     

    Module Information Booklet


    Lecture

    Lecture 1/Information Design

    Information Design is the practice of organizing and visualizing data to make it clear, engaging, and easy to understand. It uses various types of infographics to present information effectively. Statistical infographics use charts and graphs to display data trends, while timeline infographics show events in chronological order. Process infographics break down step-by-step instructions, and comparison infographics highlight differences between two subjects. Geographic infographics use maps to represent location-based data, and hierarchical infographics organize information by importance, like a food pyramid. These tools help communicate complex ideas quickly and effectively.

    To me, information design is about transforming complex data into visuals and motion, making it easier for anyone to understand at a glance. Instead of long text and raw data, clear graphics and animations help convey messages quickly and effectively, catering to how people naturally prefer visual content.

    Lecture 2/L.A.T.C.H theory

    This week, we learned about the L.A.T.C.H theory, a method for organizing information using Location, Alphabet, Time, Category, and Hierarchy. It's commonly used in wed design and online shopping platforms, but the concept is also useful for data collection and organization. For example,w e can structure our date by timeline, region, race or BMI rates to make it cleasrer and easier to analyze.

    Lecture 3/The Miller's Law

    This week’s lecture covered Miller's Law, which explains how our memory works. In short, our short-term memory can typically handle only 7 ± 2 pieces of information at a time. If we receive more than that in a short period, we are likely to forget some of it, often within 30 seconds. For example, if we are given 10 pieces of information at once, we may start forgetting some within half a minute, making it difficult to recall everything. This is especially important in presentations, keeping information concise and manageable helps prevent overwhelming the audience. Applying this principle is highly recommended in our work.

    Lecture 4/The Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifesto

    This week, we covered Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifesto, which outlines key principles for effective information visualization. It emphasizes clarity, hierarchy, context, and user engagement while encouraging a shift from simple trees to more complex networks for representing data.


    Progression

    Week 01/Group forming

    We had a briefing on Information Design and our project requirements. The task is to prepare a presentation on our chosen theme, followed by a FLIP presentation (acting as a proposal and working phase) before the final presentation. Groups of 6–10 members were formed, and I joined later since I missed the class. By then, my group had already chosen the theme: healthy eating and obesity in Malaysian society.

    Week 02/Section one presentation

    The lecture began with a recap of information design and infographic systems, followed by clarifications on the timetable and course flow. We also learned about the L.A.T.C.H theory before the FLIP presentation started. After observing other groups' feedback, we realized our goals weren't clear, and our presentation relied too much on text rather than motion and graphics.

    To improve, we held a short team meeting to clarify roles, assign tasks, and refine our focus. We decided on our target audience, the under 18s and their parents, aiming to raise awareness of youth obesity in Malaysia. Our next steps include adding more content, improving visuals, and defining our art direction.

    Art direction reference

    Week 2 consultation :This consultation aimed to clarify our current stage with our supervisor. Our idea was approved, but we still need to improve the information and layout of the proposal slides. Some details need to be added, and adjustments are required. We've reassigned tasks among ourselves, and I will be handling the slide about key information on obesity in Malaysia.

    Week 03/Consultation and Project 1

    This week, we were briefed on Project 1, where we need to choose an infographic, redesign it, and add animation. Our idea had to be approved before leaving class. I proposed a few options: the evolution of Pokémon’s Eevee, the evolution of the Nissan GTR, and the evolution of cell phones. After discussing with the lecturer, we decided to go with the evolution of cell phones.

    For our slide consultation, the content was approved, so now we just need to define the art style and gather references before creating the storyboard. I was in charge of finding references.

    Week 04/Flip Presentation Rehearsal

    This week, we ran a brief flip presentation rehearsal, followed by a meeting. We divided our tasks into several parts, including storyboarding, animation, vector creation and sourcing, as well as sound effect selection.

    Week 05/Flip Presentation

    This week, we ran the flip presentation and received great feedback. We just need to include more information and infographics, as our first animation tryout didn’t focus much on presenting information.

    I was assigned to storyboard scenes 5 and 6, which cover the conclusion and ending. Our idea is to create a video game-style animation, where the journey revolves around learning about healthy eating. I visualized the character and tried to include as much information as possible in scene 5 since it's the conclusion. Scene 6 serves as a callback, reinforcing what we’ve learned throughout the journey.

    Scene 5_01
    Scene 5_02
    Scene 6_01

    Week 06/Meeting and refinement and task reassigned


    This week, we had multiple meetings to finalize everything. We decided to move our information to the loading screen, which means scene 5 is no longer needed. We also removed scene 6 since it felt a bit like gaslighting to us, so it will now just be a credits scene. Additionally, we assigned tasks for finding vectors and converting them into pixel art. I was responsible for the vectors in scene 5, as well as the music and sound effects for scene 3.

    Loading screen information tryout

    Week 07/Progression continue

    This week, we continued working on our tasks and gathered everything into the animation video.

    Sound effect and Music:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/110fPkdq43Q4xdczLg0z3IpmUsQSqLw6B?usp=drive_link


    Submission

    Goggle Drive Compilation:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sTryLQNO4eHzur_A6y1CeIoWPpjgy1BL?usp=drive_link

    Youtube video link for animation


    Reflection

    Communication is key, especially since we come from different specializations, leading to varying perspectives on our project. However, frequent meetings helped us resolve these differences. Time management is also crucial. We aimed to complete our work before the deadline to allow time for refinement. I tried this approach, and I think it had a positive effect. Additionally, what we learned in lectures was reflected in our project, particularly during the data collection phase. For example, I applied techniques like LATCH during this phase.

    Another important lesson was documenting thoughts for each scene. This made discussions during meetings smoother, as explaining ideas can sometimes be challenging. Initially, I struggled with this, but over time, it improved. As we got to know each other better, we also became better at understanding one another’s ideas.

    Throughout the project, collaboration was essential. Helping each other, even with tasks not originally assigned to us, made the workflow smoother. I think I did well in this aspect by contributing to sound and vector collection, even though it wasn’t my initial responsibility.


    Additions

    Exercise 1
    Exercise 2
    Project 1&2

    Major Project 2/0363730 Yap Guang You

    Major Project 2/Entertainment Design Ling & Niko: Life as a Monster Cleaner Bachelor of Design(Honous)in Creative Media Yap Guang Yo...