FINAL COMPILATION
FINAL COMPILATION
NAME: Miao XinJun
STUDENT I.D: 0379525
Design Principles GCD60804 / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media / Taylor's University
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. LINKS TO EACH BLOG
1.1 Task 1 Blogpost:
https://miaoxinjun.blogspot.com/2026/02/task-1-exploration.html
1.2 Task 2 Blogpost:
https://miaoxinjun.blogspot.com/2026/02/task-2-visual-analysis-ideation.html
2. FINAL DESIGN
- Google Drive Link Hare:
2.1 The decisions made in your design:
At the center of the poster, a mobile phone stands sideways, facing the viewer. Two girls are positioned symmetrically on either side of the phone, their backs to the two sides, leaping in opposite directions. One girl, in a more vibrant color, leaps from the left side of the screen, accompanied by screen light and numerous virtual cursors and social media icons. The other girl, in a darker color, leaps from the back of the phone on the symmetrical right side, accompanied by shattered screen fragments.
The girls' hair is semi-circular, its layers of color gradient creating a rich, layered effect, resembling a butterfly cocoon breaking open in the direction the girls leap. Hidden within the hair are butterfly wings, symbolizing metamorphosis, appearing and disappearing beneath the hair. Fine strands seem to have been created by the pulling between them, each end connecting to one girl, drooping gently in the middle, appearing unbreakable.
The two girls, representing the same person but with different identities, share the same appearance and clothing. They also symbolize different wills of the same person, differing slightly in appearance. The girl on the left has a more cheerful expression, while the girl on the right has a more serious one. Upon closer inspection, compared to the vibrant colors of the girl on the left, the girl on the right bears scars, and the wings hidden in her hair are noticeably cracked and damaged. Furthermore, the girl on the left holds the wrist of the girl on the right, seemingly wanting to pull her into the virtual world, while the girl on the right, with a resolute gaze, leaps resolutely in the opposite direction.
2.2 The meaning/ purpose of the design:
My poster tells a story about a person who is going through a hard time in life and struggling between the beautiful virtual world and real life. The two girls in the image represent two conflicting parts of the same person’s mind.
The girl on the left represents the part of her that is drawn to the beautiful but unreal virtual world. She jumps out from the screen light, and the digital cursors and app icons around her also suggest that she belongs to the virtual space. In the online world, people can imagine the life and appearance they want. In this way, they can enrich their inner world and make up for dreams that cannot come true in real life. This is also why part of the main character is attracted to the virtual world. Her bright appearance, vivid colors, and smile all show the beauty of the virtual world, and also represent the ideal image people create online.
In contrast, the girl on the right represents her real self in the real world. She looks much duller. She has no bright colors, her appearance is plain, and there are scars on her skin. These “flaws” symbolize the imperfections people have in real life. However, her expression is very firm. She breaks through the phone screen and jumps out with the broken pieces, showing that the other part of the main character wants to stop depending on the virtual world and bravely face the real but imperfect world. At the same time, the girl on the left tightly holds the right girl’s hand, showing how hard it is for the main character to resist the attraction of the virtual world. But the girl on the right does not hesitate at all. With a determined expression, she jumps in the opposite direction. This shows that although the main character is deeply attached to the virtual world, she clearly knows that she cannot lose herself in it and must bravely face real life. The symmetrical positions of the two figures and the way they stand close together while moving in completely opposite directions not only make the composition more interesting, but also strengthen the strong conflict between these two wills. The thin threads stretched between them suggest that they come from the same person.
In addition, when looking at the whole image, the outlines of the two figures, together with the shapes of the screen light and broken screen pieces in the background, may remind viewers of a butterfly, which symbolizes transformation. From this idea, the layered shapes of the girls’ hair look like a cocoon. The hair also sits in a half-wrapping form in front of the two figures, symbolizing the obstacles the main character must face during her inner struggle. Like a caterpillar breaking out of a cocoon, she must break through these limits in order to grow and transform. Each girl has a pair of wings hidden inside the half-wrapping hair. Together with the cocoon meaning of the hair, the wings partly showing from the hair symbolize the hope hidden inside self-transformation, and they also suggest the growth and change the main character will gain after this inner struggle. The clearly damaged wings of the girl on the right, who represents the part that chooses the real world, suggest the pressure that the main character must face in real life. At the same time, this also makes her courage and determination stand out even more.
2.3 The design principles that are employed to create the design:
Balance:
The application of the balance design principle is mainly reflected in the poster's layout. I chose to refer to a symmetrical composition. In the image, the two girls, as the main subjects, leap out back-to-back in different directions. The background elements on either side behind the girls also spread outwards from the central axis of the image. Overall, the elements on the left and right sides are evenly distributed and symmetrically positioned.
Contrast:
The principle of contrast in this poster can be seen in the difference between the two figures on the left and right sides of the center, as well as in the contrast between the scenes behind them. Although the two girls have similar looks because they represent two opposite wills of the same person, the girl on the left has higher color saturation and richer colors than the girl on the right. In addition, the girl on the right has extra details such as skin scars and small freckles on her face, which create visual differences between the two figures and reflect their different identities. At the same time, the colorful icons and screen light behind the girl on the left also contrast with the sharp diamond-shaped screen fragments behind the girl on the right. The bright and colorful symbols on the left represent the beautiful but unreal virtual world, while the sharp, broken pieces on the right represent the pressure and imperfection of the real world.
Emphasis:
The principle of emphasis in my poster is mainly shown through the layout of the composition. The two girls, as the main subject of the poster, are placed in the center and take up much more space than the other elements. At the same time, the screen light and broken screen fragments in the background on both sides spread outward from the center, which helps highlight the two girls as the visual focus. This allows viewers to notice them immediately when they look at the poster. In addition, the girl on the left has a stronger color contrast with the background than the girl on the right. This makes viewers more likely to notice the left figure first, which further strengthens the visual focus and avoids confusion about where to look first.
Movement:
My use of the principle of movement is mainly shown in the poses of the two girls and the direction of the background elements behind them. The two girls, as the visual center of the poster, are shown leaping in opposite directions with strong dynamic poses. This makes viewers naturally imagine the full action in their minds, so they can feel the movement visually. At the same time, the flowing hair and dress shapes that follow the direction of their movement, as well as the background elements spreading outward in the same direction, also help strengthen this sense of motion.
Repetition:
Based on the design principle of repetition, I used repeated flat shapes to build the whole poster. By repeating flat shapes with different colors, forms, and sizes, I combined and arranged them to create the final composition and enrich the visual effect.
Harmony & Unity:
Based on the analysis above, this work includes design principles such as balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, and repetition, which together support the use of harmony and unity. All the elements in this illustration are drawn in the same flat graphic style, which creates a strong visual effect. The poster presents its content through a consistent visual language and a harmonious overall style.
Gestalt Theory:
The Closure principle in Gestalt Theory inspired me in the way I suggested the image of a butterfly in the poster. The screen lights up on the left side of the background and the broken screen fragments on the right side, together with the outer shape of the figures that looks like a butterfly, create the impression of a newly born butterfly when seen as a whole. This also suggests and symbolizes the character’s rebirth after self-transformation.
3. FINAL REFLECTION
3.1 What have I learnt in this module?
First, I learned nine design principles and related knowledge in the lectures of this module. In the first task, by explaining my understanding of the nine design principles and related knowledge and analyzing artworks, I effectively memorized this knowledge and deepened my understanding. I believe this step laid a solid foundation for my subsequent tasks. When I was sketching poster drafts and visually analyzing my work during the poster design process, the knowledge of design principles always flowed smoothly into my mind.
Furthermore, I also learned how to learn knowledge and put it into practice. In completing Task 3, I applied the design principles I had learned to create my poster. By applying design principles and related knowledge to examine and improve my work, my learning of design principles went beyond mere 'understanding'; it was put into practical use in creation, which benefited me immensely.
My favorite part was Task 3. Although turning an idea from a draft into a complete work was not an easy task, I learned how to apply what I had learned to my creative practice, and with the help of my instructor, I solved problems and improved the visual effect of the picture. Watching my work being completed little by little made me very happy, and I really like my work.
3.3 What did I not enjoy the most?
To be honest, no. In this module, I enriched my knowledge base and improved my learning and drawing skills. I gained a lot, so I don't think there was any part that I disliked.
3.4 What have I learnt about myself through this module?
Before taking this course, I sometimes felt I was far from being a qualified designer. This was mainly because I was often unsure of the strengths and weaknesses of my work during the design and creation process, and I didn't know how to address them. This course helped me solve this problem. I realized what I needed was theoretical knowledge about design. By learning design principles and related knowledge, I found a correct method for analyzing a design. By using this knowledge to create my own posters, I understood how to examine and improve my work based on what I learned in this course. From now on, I think I will no longer hesitate about my design work. When I'm unsure, I can rationally think about my work from the perspective of design principles, which is very helpful.
3.5 What has changed and what has not in my learning journey?
I believe the change lies in my ability to rationally examine and think about artworks from a design principle perspective. This involves not only reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of my own work but also considering the outstanding designs of other artists, learning from them and drawing inspiration from them.
What hasn't changed is perhaps my continued habit of spending considerable time and energy on the creative process, repeatedly refining my approach to achieve a better result. While this approach is always time-consuming, I always hold the hope of seeing my work achieve a superior visual effect. However, after studying this module, I think I can perform this more efficiently and effectively.
3.6 What are my aspirations?
I look forward to further deepening my understanding and application of design principles in my future creative work and learning. I believe that design principles can offer me more than just what I currently possess; as I learned in the first week of this module, "change is always important." Therefore, I believe that when design principles are used flexibly, they can always reveal unexpected charm, and I will continue to try this in the future.
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