Design Principles - Task 2 : Visual Analysis & Exploration
23/02/2026 - 13/03/2026 (Week 4 - Week 6)
Chan Xin Yean, 0377851
Design Principles
Task 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Lectures
2. Instructions
3. Visual Analysis
4. Ideation
5. Feedback
LECTURES
- Closely looking and identifying the visual elements of a design
- Describe them carefully and accurately in ones own words without reading beforehand about the design
- Looking, thinking and finding good language to communicate what one notice
- Requires one to think about the observations and try to make statements
- Combine visual elements identified to create design principles that complete that work
- Fuse facts with observations, description and analysis of the work
- Could add historical context that are trustworthy
INSTRUCTIONS
Figure 2.0 Module Assessment Task
Figure 2.1 Module Information
VISUAL ANALYSIS
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| 人山人海 Illustrated by Robin Yao Published on 4th May 2017 Digital Illustration 1158 × 1573 px Source: Tumblr |
Observations
This artwork named "人山人海" is an digital illustration by Robin Yao. It shows a crowded scene filled with repeated human characters with different styles of clothes standing closely together, creating a dense and confined space. Most of the characters are outlined in orange and does not have facial expressions, they blend into one another forming a uniform crowd. In contrast, theres a main character outlined in blue with orange skin which stands out from the rest. This character has a different pose compared to the crowd whom appears to be upright, as he is shown gripping his sling bag. Besides that, he also has small drops of sweat visible on his face and arms, suggesting nervousness or discomfort. The surrounding figures appears to be slightly blurred, enhancing the feeling of overwhelm and anxiety. Furthermore, there are words “人山人海” written in deep blue at the bottom right corner, matching the blue outline of the main character.
Analysis
Firstly, there is the usage of the Gestalt Theory, namely the Principle of Similarity which can be seen with red outlines and simplified facial features for the characters, making them appear as a unified group. The colour contrast between red and blue is prominent in this artwork with the warm red tones dominating the composition, while the cool deep blue creates separation and tension. Besides that, the illustration shows emphasis with the deep blue colour for outline of the main character and the matching blue words at the bottom right. The pose of gripping his sling bag also differs from the others who are standing upright, drawing more attention to him. Furthermore, there is an asymmetrical balance to the artwork, as both sides (left and right) is not mirrored to each other with the presence of only one main character that differs from the rest. Repetition is shown with the repeated shapes and the bright red colour of the characters, it portrays the idea of uniformity which enhances the feeling of monotony and crowd pressure. The dense arrangement of figures guides the eye throughout the composition, with all of the characters facing the front it makes the viewers assume that they are moving towards the bottom of the artwork and creates movement. Moreover, the harmony and unity in this artwork are not particularly strong, as the words at the bottom right are placed very close to the edge and there are no matching elements on the top left or bottom left to balance the composition. However, some harmony can be seen through the consistent outline style, limited colour palette (red and blue), and repeated character designs that visually connect the artwork to also form unity. For word and image, the text on the bottom right side "人山人海" correlates with the illustration of overcrowding and supports the image's narrative.
Interpretation
This artwork conveys the feeling of being overwhelmed and anxious in a crowded environment. The slightly blurry figures in the background also effectively portrays the feeling of being overwhelmed. Although the setting is filled with people with different clothing, the blue-outlined character appears dissociated from the surrounding crowd, suggesting that the character is feeling isolated from the crowd due to his growing anxiety. The repeated, almost uniform figures symbolise conformity and social pressure, while the anxious character represents individuality and vulnerability within that environment. The use of contrast, colour, and body language portrays social anxiety, sensory overload, and the mental impact of the packed environment to the character. The details of the small drops of sweat on his face and arms also depicts how anxiety could affect a person physically, showing that it is not only an emotional state but also a bodily reaction. Furthermore, by correlating the phrase “人山人海” with the distressed character, the artwork shifts the focus from of the viewers from simply describing a busy place to highlighting how such environments can deeply affect the characters mental state.
(644 words)
IDEATION
Sketch 1
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| Figure 3.0 1st Sketch, Week 5 (05/03/2026) |
For the first sketch, I kept the same layout as the artwork I selected. The idea I envisioned was a girl wearing a high school uniform with a pinafore and headphones, standing in a crowd of mundane workers. The girl is emphasised using bright yellow and pink colours, while the surrounding crowd is sketched with pale grey outlines. This contrast highlights the girl as the focal point of the composition. Through this, I wanted to portray the innocence and youthfulness of teenagers in contrast with the routine and monotony of working life.
Sketch 2
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| Figure 3.1 2nd Sketch, Week 5 (05/03/2026) |
After teacher said we could change the perspective of our sketches from our chosen artwork. Thus, I wanted to draw a character in a crowd thats looking at the audience as if he noticed something. The character is emphasised with red outlines while the crowd remains a grey toned with little to non details of their facial features or clothing. I envisioned a guy noticing someone that he was searching for in the midst of the busy crowd. The red wordings are placed on top of the artwork links to the highlighted character.
Sketch 3
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| Figure 3.2 3rd Sketch, Week 5 (05/03/2026) |
For the third sketch, I continued using the perspective of a character within a crowd. However, this time the idea was to illustrate a small child pretending to be a ghost among a group of ghosts. The character is shown with visible legs, and their eyes are peeking through the holes of a white cloth. To emphasise the character, I used brown tones, while the surrounding ghosts are illustrated in grey. With the use of warmer colours I wanted it to indicate that the character is the only living person within the crowd. Additionally, I added brown wordings at the top left side of the sketch to visually connect with the highlighted character.
Edited Sketch 3
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| Figure 3.3 Edited 3rd Sketch, Week 6 (12/03/2026) |
After the feedback from the teacher, I changed the 3rd sketch back to a perspective thats similar to my chosen artwork. I wanted the setting to be a ghost parade where it calls back to the Chinese culture where we have Ghost Month every year and it's said that ghost enters the world of the living during that period. Then, I decided to do a happy and cute ghost in the midst of creepy looking ghost to portray that its fine to be different from the crowd. I planned to colour the surrounding ghost in a cold greenish tone while the main cute ghost to be brighter and warmer yellow. I also placed the wordings on top of the crowd to link to the visuals of the artwork.
FEEDBACK
Week 4
Teacher said that the visual analysis was good, I can proceed with planning the sketches.
Week 5
Teacher said he preferred the third sketch idea, but the perspective of the composition can be changed to not show the legs of the ghost.
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