Design Principles - Task 3: Development & Design
8.3.2026 - 25.3.2026 (Week 6 - Week 8)
Cheyenne Liew Khye Yean / 0378330
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) Creative Media
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) Creative Media
Task 3: Development & Design
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. LECTURES
2. INSTRUCTIONS
Figure 2.1 Module Information
Task 3: Development & Design
- Select a proposed sketch from Task 2 and refine it through colour exploration, composition, typeface, positioning, etc., with design principles in mind.
- Write a 200-word rationale defending the decisions made in the design, the meaning/purpose, and the design principles used to create the design.
3. TASK 3
3.1 Development
Figure 3.1.1 Selected Sketch (Sketch #3), Week 6 (9/3/2026)
From my 3 sketches, I decided to work with Sketch #3 for my final artwork. I received feedback to add more shapes for variation, with one of the shapes suggested being stars, so I tried incorporating them into the composition.
Figure 3.1.2 Updated Sketch #1, Week 6 (9/3/2026)
For my first idea, I arranged the stars in a checkerboard-like pattern and placed it in the layer above the circles in the background with an exclusion blending mode added for contrast. I quite liked the look of the inverted effect, so I made my next sketches with that in mind.
Figure 3.1.3 Updated Sketch #2, Week 6 (9/3/2026)
For my second idea, instead of having the stars look like they have a layer of their own, I added them atop of the 2 background circle layers, making them look like part of the circles itself.
Figure 3.1.4 Updated Sketch #3, Week 6 (9/3/2026)
Lastly, I tried incorporating the stars in the uppermost layer with the zigzag circles. Instead of the inverted effect in this one, I wanted the stars to be a negative space within the circles. This sketch ended up being my least favourite of the 3, as I felt like the stars made the composition too distracting, taking away the attention from the square pattern in the background, so I decided not to proceed with this.
Gemini said
3.2 Process Work
Figure 3.2.1 Process #1, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
My medium of choice is Illustrator and Photoshop, with Photoshop being used to add texture later on. In Illustrator, I started by first using the shape tool to create my main shapes using my original sketch as a reference.
Figure 3.2.2 Colour Palette (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Then, I found this picture on Pinterest and colour picked off of it to start adding colours to my shapes.
Figure 3.2.3 Process #2, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
I took the advice I got last week about adding gradients to my shapes and applied it to my work. I had to play around with the colours for quite a bit before ending up with something I was satisfied with.
Figure 3.2.4 Process #3, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
I realised I forgot to add on the zigzag circles element so I did that and coloured them the same colour as the background, which made it look pretty harsh against all the other colours. So, I took from my updated sketch #3 and made the centre clear using a radial gradient with the opacity of the colour in the centre set to 0%. I also changed the gradients for the smaller circles and made them alternate between radial and freeform gradients to make it more interesting.
I didn't grab a specific screenshot for this part, but I also added an outline to the green background circles in the same colour as the background to seperate them a little more from the pink circles on the right.
Figure 3.2.5 Process #4, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
I made the stars using a square shape with pucker & bloat, then I rotated and arranged them in a checkerboard-like pattern and rasterized them so I could stretch it over the whole canvas.
Figure 3.2.6 Process #5, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
After that, I added an exclusion blending mode to the stars for colour contrast, which made them a little too dark for my liking, so I added another layer of the same stars over them with the colour in white and the opacity lowered.
Figure 3.2.7 Outcome Before Textures, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
For the textures, I wanted to change it up slightly from the original Eye 94 poster based on how I interpreted the artwork. Since it originally reminded me of blurry neon lights (bokeh effect), which is basically when a light appears our of focus, I wanted my version to reflect something similar. However, if I simply just blurred the shapes, it would make the design look too soft and unclear, which is not a look I want to achieve with this piece. So, I instead decided to add a blurred noise texture, where the grain applied on a blurred version of the same artwork can help make the shapes appear just slightly out of focus while also softening the edges of all the elements.
Figure 3.2.8 Process #6, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
In Photoshop, I started by lowering the saturation of my image all the way to 0%, making it black and white, then I increased the contrast using the brightness & contrast adjustment. After that, I applied a slight blur and added grain to create the main texture. Once the texture was set, I adjusted the threshold until I was satisfied with the result. Finally, I used the color range tool to select the black areas and remove all the white parts.
Figure 3.2.9 Process #7, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Once that was done, I ended up with what can be seen in the image on the left. It looked quite strong against the rest of the work, which is why I masked it so I can apply a clipping mask with the same colour as the background of my original piece.
Figure 3.2.10 Final Outcome #1, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.11 Process #8, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
I then repeated the steps to make my updated sketch #2.
Figure 3.2.12 Final Outcome #2, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
I sent both of these to Mr. Max for feedback, and was told to pick outcome #2, but to also test out more colour options.
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Figure 3.2.13 Colour Option #1 with Reference (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (12/3/2026)
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Figure 3.2.14 Colour Option #2 with Reference (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (12/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.15 Colour Option #3 with Reference (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (12/3/2026)
Since I was given the option to select between #2 and #3, I ended up going with colour option #2 to make my work have more connection with the original poster. I also ended up making some adjustments to the colour and especially the texture, which I realised was kind of washing off the artwork itself and making it look less like the original Eye 94 poster.
Figure 3.2.1 Process #1, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
My medium of choice is Illustrator and Photoshop, with Photoshop being used to add texture later on. In Illustrator, I started by first using the shape tool to create my main shapes using my original sketch as a reference.
Figure 3.2.2 Colour Palette (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.3 Process #2, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.4 Process #3, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
I didn't grab a specific screenshot for this part, but I also added an outline to the green background circles in the same colour as the background to seperate them a little more from the pink circles on the right.
Figure 3.2.5 Process #4, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.6 Process #5, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.7 Outcome Before Textures, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.8 Process #6, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
In Photoshop, I started by lowering the saturation of my image all the way to 0%, making it black and white, then I increased the contrast using the brightness & contrast adjustment. After that, I applied a slight blur and added grain to create the main texture. Once the texture was set, I adjusted the threshold until I was satisfied with the result. Finally, I used the color range tool to select the black areas and remove all the white parts.
Figure 3.2.9 Process #7, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.10 Final Outcome #1, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.11 Process #8, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.12 Final Outcome #2, Week 6 (11/3/2026)
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Figure 3.2.13 Colour Option #1 with Reference (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (12/3/2026)
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Figure 3.2.14 Colour Option #2 with Reference (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (12/3/2026)
Figure 3.2.15 Colour Option #3 with Reference (Source: Pinterest), Week 6 (12/3/2026)
Since I was given the option to select between #2 and #3, I ended up going with colour option #2 to make my work have more connection with the original poster. I also ended up making some adjustments to the colour and especially the texture, which I realised was kind of washing off the artwork itself and making it look less like the original Eye 94 poster.
3.3 Final Outcome
Nocturne_Cheyenne Liew Khye Yean_Task 3
Design Decisions
My design was built around a grid of squares placed over a background of circles with four-pointed stars in varying sizes. The square grid was made partially transparent using a lighten blending mode so the colours from the circles below can show through and mix to add depth to the composition. A slightly blurry, grainy texture was also added to all the elements to give them a softer appearance while still keeping the shapes clear and recognisable. The colour palette was taken directly from the original Eye 94 poster itself to create a connection with the reference artwork. Bright colours were used against a darker blue background to create strong contrast and make the composition more striking. Additionally, the stars inside the circles also use an exclusion blending mode to further emphasise the colour contrast.
Meaning/Purpose
The purpose of this artwork is to create an abstract composition using layered shapes and colours, similar to the original design made by MuirMcNeil, where each piece was captured by a camera randomly zooming into a large master pattern and taking snapshots. To reflect this idea, I arranged the shapes in a slightly random way instead of keeping it perfectly uniform. The texture of my design is also an attempt at subtly replicating the look of blurry lights, also known as a bokeh effect, which is how I interpreted the original artwork.
Design Principles
1. Repetition
- Repetition can be seen through the repeated use of squares, circles, and stars across the composition. These shapes appear repeatedly throughout the design, which helps to create rhythm and consistency.
2. Contrast
- Contrast is created through the use of bright colours against the dark blue background, making the shapes stand out. Transparency also adds to the contrast, as the yellow squares blend slightly with the colours underneath while parts of the background circles subtly show through the white grid.
3. Balance
- The design uses asymmetrical balance, meaning that the elements are not directly mirrored on both sides. For example, the 2 larger circles on the left side of the background help to even out the 4 smaller circles on the right. At the same time, because there are fewer circles on the left side, more of the square grid is visible there, which also helps balance the overall visual weight.
4. Movement
- Movement can be found in the circles forming a zigzag pattern across the centre of the composition and the white square grid below it. Both elements create variations in the pattern and help guide the viewer's eyes across different areas of the design instead of keeping them fixed in one place.
5. Gestalt Theory
- The principle of similarity is applied through the repeated shapes and colours. Since many of the elements share similar forms and colours, viewers naturally group them together when looking at the design as a whole. The repeated squares form a recognisable grid pattern, while the circles and stars in the background appear as related elements, keeping the composition organised.
6. Unity & Harmony
- Unity and harmony are achieved through the consistent use of similar shapes, colours, and textures throughout the design. The squares, circles, stars, and grain textures work together to create a cohesive visual style, making the entire composition feel connected.
4. FEEDBACK
Week 6
Final #2 is better and more eye-catching but the colours can be explored further to improve contrast. (After review) Colour option #2 has better contrast between the left and right, and colour option #3 has better unity and harmony, select between these 2.
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