Design Principles - Task 2: Visual Analysis & Ideation
26.2.2026 - 8.3.2026 (Week 4 - Week 6)
Cheyenne Liew Khye Yean / 0378330
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) Creative Media
Task 2: Visual Analysis & Ideation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. LECTURES
Topic 6: Visual Analysis
Topic 6: Visual Analysis
PHASE 1: Observation- Closely look at and identify the visual elements of a design and describe them without reading about it beforehand.
- About looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what is noticed.
PHASE 2: Analysis- Think about the observations and try making statements based on the evidence of observations.
- Think about how the observed elements combine to create design principles that complete that work of design/art.
PHASE 3: Interpretation
- Closely look at and identify the visual elements of a design and describe them without reading about it beforehand.
- About looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what is noticed.
PHASE 2: Analysis
- Think about the observations and try making statements based on the evidence of observations.
- Think about how the observed elements combine to create design principles that complete that work of design/art.
PHASE 3: Interpretation
- Observations, descriptions, and analysis of the work are fused with facts about the design work and historical context.
2. INSTRUCTIONS
Figure 2.1 Module Information
Task 2: Visual Analysis & Ideation
- Conduct a visual analysis of the selected design from the previous task in about 300-400 words.
- Sketch a minimum of 3 ideas that re inspired by the selected artwork.
3. TASK 2
3.1 Visual Analysis
Figure 3.1.1 Final Selected Design (Repetition), Week 4 (24/2/2026)
Title: "Eye 94 Poster"
Artist: MuirMcNeil (Hamish Muir & Paul McNeil)
Year: 2019
Medium: Digital Indigo Print
Size: 50 x 70 cm
Source: https://pin.it/3TZ2b3PlH
Observation
This poster was created by Hamish Muir and Paul McNeil in collaboration with Eye Magazine for their Eye 94 series, this piece in particular is one of the 8000 covers made for the magazine. Repetition is the most dominant principle here, as the artwork itself is built entirely from overlapping circles of different sizes, arranged strategically across the composition. Transparency also plays an important part in the image. Rather than the colours sitting flat on top of one another, they are multiplied, meaning that where the yellow circles overlap the blue background, a green tint appears, and where orange meets blue, a pink tone is created. These layered colour changes create a sense of depth within the composition. The bright colours contrast strongly with the dark navy background, making the image feel more energetic and lively. There is no single central image, so attention moves across the whole composition, following the rows of circles. Overall, the artwork shows how a simple and structured system can still create something bright and visually engaging.
Analysis
The most prominent design principle visible in this artwork is repetition, as the entire piece is built on the constant repetition of circles. By repeating the circles, it creates a rhythmic pattern across the entire composition. Next, there is contrast, specifically colour contrast, visible in this artwork. The dark blue background creates a strong visual contrast, allowing the circular pattern to stand out clearly against it. This contrast helps to draw attention to the repeated shapes, while also making the overall composition feel more bold. Besides that, this piece also shows asymmetrical balance. While the pattern is not perfectly mirrored, the visual weight on both sides is still evenly distributed. The dark blue of the background takes up less space, but the colour itself is visually heavier, which balances out the larger amount of the brightly coloured circles. Movement is also used in the poster, though more subtle. The absence of a single focal point forces the viewer's eyes to move across the design instead of resting in one place, following the rows of circles and creating visual flow. Subsequently, the poster utilises a principle from Gestalt Theory, which the is Principle of Similarity. According to this principle, our brains naturally group similar objects together. In this poster, the individual circles are seen as a pattern because they share the same shape and size. Even as the colours change, the consistent use of the circles allows us to perceive the entire poster as one cohesive and organised composition. Lastly, with the use of multiple design principles throughout the artwork, harmony and unity are achieved. Unity is created because every element in the poster belongs to the same family of shapes. By only using circles and a limited range of colours, the designers make all the elements feel connected and consistent, while the overlapping colours add harmony by softly blending the different shades together.
Interpretation
The Eye 94 poster was created using generative design, which means the artwork was made by a computer following a specific set of rules. The designers, Hamish Muir and Paul McNeil, first built a master pattern by layering the letters of the word "eye" thousands of times using their own custom typefaces called TwoPlus and TwoPoint, which are made entirely of dots and lines. Then, they used a software called HP Mosaic to act as a camera randomly zooming into parts of the pattern and cropping 8000 different snapshots. Because the computer chose a different spot and zoom level for every shot, the letters became so distorted and layered that they turned into colourful, abstract patterns.
For my interpretation, the artwork looks like a set of blurry neon lights at night. The brightly coloured circles overlapping against the dark background remind me of a bokeh effect, which is achieved when a camera lens is out of focus, and the lights turn into soft, glowing shapes. Even though this piece was made using computer code, the result feels clear and organised, turning a complex digital pattern into something simple, rhythmic, and visually engaging.
⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺
References
8000 Unique Covers for Eye 94 «MuirMcNeil. (2019). Muirmcneil.com. https://muirmcneil.com/project/eye-94/
Blog: Pleasure in the poster. (2019). Eye Magazine. https://eyemagazine.com/blog/post/pleasure-in-the-poster
Gemini said
3.2 Ideation
Figure 3.2.1 Sketch #1, Week 5 (5/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.2 Sketch #1 Layers, Week 5 (6/3/2026)
Sketch #1 is made up of 3 layers of differently sized circles, most similar to my chosen artwork. I started by first lining up a row of 8 circles, utilising the principle of similarity to create a sense of repetition and rhythm. Then, I elongated a few of them to add variation. Next, I added a few more circles around the composition, trying to keep it asymmetrically balanced. For layer 2, I rotated and enlarged layer 1 to add depth and a slight sense of movement. Lastly, layer 3 consists of 2 large circles to balance out the empty right side left from layer 2.
Figure 3.2.3 Sketch #2, Week 5 (5/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.4 Sketch #2 Layers, Week 5 (6/3/2026)
Layer 1 of Sketch #2 is made following the principle of similarity and repetition by using only circles. I first laid out a row of 4, then decreased the amount by one for each of the next 2 rows to create movement. Then, I copied that pattern, rotated it, and placed it at the opposite end of the composition, making a few extra adjustments to maintain the asymmetrical balance. For layer 2, I added small rectangles where the circles in layer 1 connect, taking inspiration from another piece of artwork from the same Eye 94 series (Figure 3.2.5). Layer 3, similar to Sketch #1, is also 2 larger circles. However, these overlap with certain circles in layer 1 to make the design more interesting. Lastly, layer 4 has 3 squares to balance out the use of the 2 different shapes.
Figure 3.2.6 Sketch #3, Week 5 (5/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.7 Sketch #3 Layers, Week 5 (6/3/2026)
For Sketch #3, I tried adding more variation compared to the other 2 sketches by using squares as the main focus. The squares are repeated to create an inconsistent pattern using the principle of similarity to keep it cohesive. Next, I added smaller squares that overlap the centres of the squares in layer 1 to create more depth. Layer 3 and layer 4 both consist of repeating circles, with layer 3 being double the size and half the amount of layer 4 to balance out the visual weight of the background. Lastly, layer 5 has 4 circles arranged in a zigzag-like pattern to add movement and visual interest to the composition.
Figure 3.2.1 Sketch #1, Week 5 (5/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.2 Sketch #1 Layers, Week 5 (6/3/2026)
Sketch #1 is made up of 3 layers of differently sized circles, most similar to my chosen artwork. I started by first lining up a row of 8 circles, utilising the principle of similarity to create a sense of repetition and rhythm. Then, I elongated a few of them to add variation. Next, I added a few more circles around the composition, trying to keep it asymmetrically balanced. For layer 2, I rotated and enlarged layer 1 to add depth and a slight sense of movement. Lastly, layer 3 consists of 2 large circles to balance out the empty right side left from layer 2.
Figure 3.2.3 Sketch #2, Week 5 (5/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.4 Sketch #2 Layers, Week 5 (6/3/2026)
Layer 1 of Sketch #2 is made following the principle of similarity and repetition by using only circles. I first laid out a row of 4, then decreased the amount by one for each of the next 2 rows to create movement. Then, I copied that pattern, rotated it, and placed it at the opposite end of the composition, making a few extra adjustments to maintain the asymmetrical balance. For layer 2, I added small rectangles where the circles in layer 1 connect, taking inspiration from another piece of artwork from the same Eye 94 series (Figure 3.2.5). Layer 3, similar to Sketch #1, is also 2 larger circles. However, these overlap with certain circles in layer 1 to make the design more interesting. Lastly, layer 4 has 3 squares to balance out the use of the 2 different shapes.
Figure 3.2.6 Sketch #3, Week 5 (5/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.7 Sketch #3 Layers, Week 5 (6/3/2026)
For Sketch #3, I tried adding more variation compared to the other 2 sketches by using squares as the main focus. The squares are repeated to create an inconsistent pattern using the principle of similarity to keep it cohesive. Next, I added smaller squares that overlap the centres of the squares in layer 1 to create more depth. Layer 3 and layer 4 both consist of repeating circles, with layer 3 being double the size and half the amount of layer 4 to balance out the visual weight of the background. Lastly, layer 5 has 4 circles arranged in a zigzag-like pattern to add movement and visual interest to the composition.
4. FEEDBACK
Week 5Sketch #3 is the best of all the options because of its variety, but more shapes can be added on to improve it. Sketch #1 can be selected as the final too, but it's currently too similar to the chosen design, either more variation of shapes has to be added, or the circles (when coloured) can be a gradient.
Comments
Post a Comment