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WOII Summary

In this semester, I've learned from my peers and lecturers to have a more open perspective to the fundamentals of art such as semiotics, aesthetics and more and its meaning and to learn to decipher artworks. It has also allowed me to use this knowledge into my other modules such as studio. (Post-modernism)

Exploring WOII topics has deepened my understanding of design as more than just visual appeal. It has taught me that meaning isn’t just made by the designer, but also by the viewer. It has also helped me understand that design isn’t just about clarity or function—it’s also about questioning, provoking, and engaging. These concepts have reshaped how I approach design: not just as creation, but as communication and interpretation and to participate more when it comes to groups, coming together with my classmates to create multiple meanings to artworks, therefore deepen our understanding and open our minds to many more perspective.

Word count: 154

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Week 11 - Post-Modernism

In my eyes, Post-Modernism means breaking boundaries and rules of design and to think outside of the box. It challenges the truth and societal issues, embracing uniqueness and also allows others to create their opinions and ideas, creating multiple meanings to an artwork. In many ways, postmodernism is about attitude, and nowhere is that attitude more apparent nowadays than in the anti-design and brutalist movements of digital design. It challenges viewers to reconsider the boundaries of form and function. (99Designs)

This week's activity has made me discover more of how I can create a design that breaks out of simplicity and minimalism. It is also related to my Studio module artist, David Carson. He is known for creating designs that break the grid systems and layering many different textures and materials. He once quoted, “Do not mistake legibility for communication”. (C-Skins) This allows people to view playful designs a bit more to see the message that it is communication.

I have definitely opened my eyes more from my studio work and this week’s activity to be more creative and messy with my work so I could stand out from others. This perspective invites critical thinking, encouraging us to deconstruct what we take for granted.

Works Cited:

Johnny Levanier, What is postmodern design: how the reigning style of the late 20th century works, 99Designs, 2022.

https://99designs.com/blog/design-history-movements/postmodern-design/

C-Skins, David Carson – The Designer Who Transcended Surf Culture.

Word count: 203

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Week 10 - Post-Structuralism

Q: Is structure more important than function?Or is function more important than structure?

To me, I feel like structure is more important than function as it is the foundation to keeping things together and without structure, things will not be as stable. Structure creates a framework to most things to function so in simpler terms, function is the goal, structure is the tool. All life, as well as our universe, has structure and function and these two concepts are interrelated. From ecosystems to body systems to molecules, each unit of structure affects the function of all living things. (XBio)

Post-structuralism challenges fixed meanings, arguing that language is unstable and shaped by power. It deconstructs binaries and questions how knowledge is constructed, inviting critical thinking and embracing complexity, ambiguity, and diverse perspectives over absolute truths or singular interpretations.

From this week's assignment, I learnt that to have an outcome to a certain objective, there must be a base to it like the text that we are supposed to find in our walk. Function, like the image comes after and that creates an outcome. Things like architecture also need structure in order for the building to be stable and serve its purpose/function. I have also come to realize that things like this apply to our daily lives. We need a framework or some sort of plan to navigate through our education and career to then achieve our ambitions. Without it, we mindlessly go through life and end up feeling empty as there is no drive to an outcome. 

Works Cited:

Sunny Narayanan, What is the connection between structure and function?, XBio

Word count: 243

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Week 5 & 6 - How to Analyse Work of Design

We learned how to analyse different works of design and further articulate our opinions. Few ways we can analyse is by identifying and evaluating its process and purpose, explaining its meanings and subject matter. We can also try to identify and assess its material and medium, why it is built in a way and to see how it serves a certain function. I chose the themes of Play and Desire and found items that I brought with me related to the themes (Image 1 & 2).

Further on in week 6, I decide to interlink the themes to Power and Boundaries. Some of the graffiti found (Image 3 & 4) in Kampong Glam spoke of Power in politics and it also pushes the boundaries of speaking up in an art form. Art can be played in so many ways where it can also be used in many ways to communicate and use our voices for the greater good.

Todd Waterbury, Chief Creative Officer of Target and Trustee at Cooper Hewitt has often said, “a great idea most often consists of equal parts inevitability and surprise.” (Smithsonian Magazine, 2021) This makes me think about how everything could be related to each other, even in design. Themes will most times make the most unusual connections and come out as works of art and masterpieces. We shouldn't be confined to one theme and always think out of the box to explore. With the design framework, it is possible to get such outcomes.

Works Cited:

Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar & Sara Cardello. (2021, March 3). The Unexpected Connections that Fuel Remarkable Innovations. Smithsonian Magazine.

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Week 4 - Semiotics

Based on my understanding, semiotics mean understanding logos, signs and such and see how they communicate to the target consumer/audience. Designers use semiotics to create visuals that resonate with the target consumer/viewer, triggering specific emotional, cultural, or cognitive responses. By analyzing the relationship between the sign, the signifier, and the signified, designers can craft effective and meaningful communication through design. One brand that I decided to analyse is Nike and its’ swoosh logo. The swoosh is simple and can be interpreted with motion and speed. This signifies its athletic and running branding and the metaphorical idea of victory and excellence.

The Swoosh embodies more than just aesthetic appeal; it signifies movement and energy. Through its sleek, curved form, the logo conveys a sense of speed and forward momentum. This dynamic shape not only reflects the physical motion inherent in sports but also aligns perfectly with Nike's brand ethos of relentless progress and performance. (12&28 Studio, Aug 1)

In conclusion, semiotics is important as designers to properly understand brand analysis and communication towards the target consumers. Works cited:

Ridha. (Aug 1). The Fascinating Journey of the Nike Logo. 12&28 Creative Studio. https://www.twelveandtwentyeight.com/blog/origin-of-nike-swoosh

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WOII Week 2 - Aesthetics

For week 2, we focus on the aesthetics in signages and how it makes us think and feel. To me, aesthetics mean the beauty or energy of designs. It is usually interlinked with great designs like when one goes, “Wow! That design is really aesthetic!”. With the activity, I get to see how different designs fit the mood that the store is aiming for. It makes sense for the storefront to have a nice aesthetic so that it avoids customers. It can also affect function if the designer focuses on aesthetics more than the other. 

However, both can be prioritised. For example, the Montblanc pens focus on both aesthetics and functionality. The Montblanc M pen that is mentioned in this blog is designed in a certain way where it is meant to function a certain way. If the pen is designed in a different aesthetic, it would function differently than it is supposed to. (Medium, 2020) Some people also prefer designs that are easy to understand, hence the minimalism aesthetics. Aesthetic pleasure can be derived from the perceiver’s ease of processing. In other words, the easier something can be processed, the more welcome it becomes to a person. (Shakuro, June 18, 2020) In conclusion, aesthetics is everywhere in design whether it affects the function or not. It is a way to convey a message or an energy a person wants in something. It is one of the most important things as well in designs.

Word count: 244

Works Cited:

Daniel. (2020). Aesthetics vs Design. Medium.

Kate Shakurova. (2020, June 18). What Makes Something Beautiful and How To Use It In Design. Shakuro.

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Compulsory Question 3 - Connect CTS A to your learning and professional journey.

One collaborative project I would like to do is with Diploma in Interior Design. One project that stood out the most to me is “Vinyl Library” by Erra Nasyirah, a LASALLE graduate, class of 2023. I would like to do a communicative poster or campaign to promote this space. I would mainly target it into the younger demographic such as teens and young adults, as music resonates with them, relating to life experiences. Some are always looking for places to explore and to relate it with music attracts them more.

Erra Nasyirah, “Vinyl Library”, School of Spatial and Product Design, 2023.

A community I would like to work with is with troubled youths. The reason why I would want to work with them is that they do not get many opportunities to showcase or show their skills or talents. Their voices do not get heard as much and they are stereotyped to not be good for the community, to not contribute anything. This can also be a project to allow troubled youths to have a platform to speak up and to plan a clearer and more stable future for themselves.

Organisations that I can work with to work towards this are with the National Youth Council or TOUCH Community Services. These two organisations have catered programmes for the youth. TOUCH provides a youth delinquency prevention initiative, named SPARKX. This program helps youths to enhance self-management, and school bonding outcomes. The main outcome of this program is to prevent or reduce a child’s likelihood of delinquent behaviour. 

Centre of Evidence and Implementation, “Assessing a youth delinquency prevention initiative”, 13 June 2024.

The National Youth Council, on the other hand, provides a wide range of programs for youths of different backgrounds to sign up, such as Outward Bound Singapore (OBS), Youth ChangeMakers (YCM), Youth Action Challenge (YAC) and many more. Some of these programs are also easily accessible in institutions such as ITE (Institute of Technical Education) to cater to youths who face the stereotypes of delinquency.

TOUCH also provides an Aptitude club to support youths in their studies and cultivate a positive mindset. Therefore, I would like to work with these organisations in further improving the programmes and attract more youths to participate and cultivate a better environment and friendships.

TOUCH Community Services, “Aptitude Buddy Club”

One desired job position that CTS can help me with is a Marketing or graphic designer at a local organisation or company. Having learnt collaborative skills, mindfulness, growth mindset, etc, I can spread these values to the current team and also to the community out there that sees my future designs.

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Compulsory Question 2 - Connect CTS A to all your other modules and components.

Some of the moments I manage to apply critical thinking is during studio work. Collaborating with my peers for activities like taste and typography and rotoscoping. It is much easier to gather more ideas and progress through work when I collaborate with my peers.

I also managed to do collaborative work during the first week of crafts, where we explored with Lines. 

I do see myself applying Critical Thinking in the future when I am working with others, be it in my projects in classes or at work in the future. I think collaborative skills and emotional intelligence are very important when it comes to design. It helps to gain new ideas and be open to different perspectives and I see myself to never stop learning when I apply that to my personal life.

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Compulsory Question 1 - Discuss the seven weekly topics as a whole!

Critical thinking for me is to improve a certain set of skills to help us in our learning process and when it comes to group work. It helps to have multiple perspectives to progress through certain issues or works.

I chose this visual metaphor because of my personal interest in Gameboy and gaming in general and I find the ad interesting due to it being from the 1990s. The visual metaphor depicts gamers getting too immersed into games and forgetting to eat and hydrate as much, hence the skeleton hands that depicts malnourishment. There is a study where researchers from University of Bristol have explored ways in which memory and attention influence appetite and food intake. The research consist two groups; one ate lunch with different foods while playing Solitaire and the other ate the same, just without distractions. 

The researchers discovered that the group that ate while playing felt less full and ate as many snacks as the non-distracted group. This research highlights that distractions while eating can lead to increased food intake later in the day. This could also imply how gamers forget to eat and develop bad eating habits, whether it be overeating or forgetting to eat.

Independent, “Game playing can influence food intake”, 31 December 2010

I personally do not have an alternative visual metaphor but discovering the Gaming metaphor recently spoke to me as I do play games quite often and find myself not keeping to my normal eating habits. It also included a Gameboy and on my own time, I use my time to research gaming history and consoles Nintendo has made.

My custom Gameboy Advance SP, re-shelled from black to a translucent hot pink shell.

One of my favourite activity in this module is week 9, where we compiled our aesthetics, 

interests into categories and made it into a moodboard. I enjoyed it because I get to share with my peers the styles and aesthetics that I enjoy and also get to know theirs through this group work.

One thing I value in group work is being able to learn from my peers. It allows me to learn from what they share and their perspective and I am able to expand my ideas rather than just being in my own bubble.

I do wish that I can be better and provide more ideas and be more contributive. I am able to adapt to others ideas and lean into their designs but I also would want to input my ideas and make it happen.

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Week 3: Emotional Intelligence

We talked about “Self-Management”, “Self-awareness”, “Empathy” and “Relationship management”. Which aspect do you think you are the strongest at, and which is something you should try to improve? Discuss with reference to today’s activities, and even your Studio collaboration.

I believe I am strongest at having empathy as I feel easily for other people’s emotions and thoughts and I try to reason with them as much as I can if they were to struggle in something and explain to me on how they’re feeling. I would definitely need to improve on my self-management skills as I tend to procrastinate a lot and not organise my work easily. Hence, I get anxious often and scramble a lot at the last minute due to the amount of work I procrastinate. 

As I was not present in class, I decided to research this week’s topic online. Emotional Intelligence is important as a designer as it helps us progress through work especially with others and it helps us immerse in certain topics that we dive into. An article I read defined Emotional Intelligence with five characteristics:

Self Awareness

Self Regulation 

Motivation

Empathy

People Skills

The article talked about similar characteristics. As designers, we are building relationships with clients and things can escalate quickly with the decisions we make. An example that was shown from the article is on the matter of Facebook and ads. Ads that are shown on the app are based on the algorithm and behaviour of users. This is with the intent of designers being self aware of what people want to see and how they manage the data of the users. They designed empowerment through giving user tools to make an informed choice.

Beth Dean, “Emotional Intelligence in Design”, Medium, August 25 2015.

Another characteristic that is important as a designer is Empathy. As designers, we have to communicate to the users and be in their shoes. We need to learn, research and expect what they want from the product/design. It is really important to understand the uder’s feelings and intentions but we have to do so from their perspective. One’s reactions can differ from another in a similar situation. From this article, one of the best ways to master empathy is to sharpen our listening and observation skills. This allows the ability to interpret the difference between what people want and what they mean. Listening effectively is key to effective communication and it is really easy to misunderstand someone or a certain situation. To me, this is also similar to active listening. In conclusion, as designers, we do not just design based on the products’ aesthetic. Listening to what users want and need is important.

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A post shared by Stephanie | Digital Collage Art (@mindfulnista)

Anu Sharma, “Why Emotional Intelligence can make a difference for UX designers”, Medium, April 15 2020.

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Week 2: Collaborative Skills

Describe your strengths and weaknesses as a collaborator. What did you do well, and what are some areas to improve? Discuss with reference to today’s activities.

My strengths as a collaborator is my active listening, my ability to adapt, and to add on ideas. However, my weaknesses are my lack of creativity in the beginning and being easily anxious. For today’s activity, we were tasked to design a monument for anything and we were working in groups. I did well in adding on ideas to my group mates' ideas, I easily adapted to what they suggested and gave a lot of input on what we could work on. I could improve on my hands-on as I was anxious to draw. I allowed my other group members to take the lead as I was scared that I would end up making it look bad. I hope as I progress along this course, I will be able to improve on that.

If you had more time and an unlimited budget, how would you design the monument differently? Include pictures of the group work and your personal ‘ re-design.

If we had an unlimited budget, we would use more expensive materials and definitely make it into a bigger scale. We decided on making a monument for Van Gogh, where we build his ear and it is an easy point of his life to build a monument as most people know about that fact. Van Gogh also documented it in a painting, his own self portrait with his bandaged ear. 

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889

Van Gogh cut his ear off when he had disagreements with Paul Gauguin, an artist who he had been working with for a while in Arles. This also depicts and tells us about Van Gogh’s illness where he hallucinated and suffered attacks in which he lost consciousness. 

Van Gogh Museum, “Why Did Vincent van Gogh Cut Off His Ear?” 

It is somewhat rumoured that he gave the ear in a packaged box to a prostitute. It would be cool to implement that in the monument as well. If I were to design it alone, I would use the design of Amazon boxes as it depicts a delivery and boxes remind me of deliveries since online shopping is so accessible lately and it is easy for lovers to deliver gifts to each other. With an unlimited budget, it is also possible to get a sponsorship with Amazon. As for the ear, I would have it painted the way Van Gogh paints as it is his art style. 

Paufigueresortiz, “Mungo Thomson - Snowman, 2020” January 15 2021

The Re-Design

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Week 1: What is Critical Thinking?

Describe your understanding of critical thinking that you had before the class, and reflect on what you may have learned.

Before this class, Critical Thinking is to analyse a situation and to interpret it on different sides to form a judgement or to decide whether it is wrong or right. After this lesson, I feel that Critical Thinking is to allow yourself to step back and properly analyse the different facts and opinions and to be adaptable to it. It allows me to be open to different points of views and reflect. In difficult citations. For example with friends or family, it allows me to reason with both sides and balance the views, to interpret it in a wider perspective. 

What have you learned about Mindfulness? How might you integrate this into your learning environment?

Mindfulness is to take time for the mind to rest, to take a break from everything in this hectic world and to allow yourself to breathe, meditate and let my mind rest. It is to be present in the moment but to also not let my mind wander elsewhere or get lost in the thought. Ways I can integrate this is by using mindfulness apps to pace myself when I am swamped with assignments. One of the mindful apps that integrate design is ‘Lungy’, designed by a designer-cum-doctor, Luke Hale. 

Unlike apps like Headspace, Lungy encourages users to keep their eyes open, using nature-inspired visuals to help them connect with their surroundings and feel that each breath has a positive impact. The designer explained that this will hopefully give people who experience stress and anxiety more sense of control. 

Liz Gorny, “Mindful app Lungy is designed to make breathing exercises as satisfying as possible” 16 January 2023, It’s Nice That

Pi-A: Lungy (Copyright © Lungy, 2023)

Pi-A: Lungy (Copyright © Lungy, 2023)

Apps like this allow me to practise mindfulness and be inspired by designs. It benefits me to build habits that reduce stress, increase focus and improve my emotional well-being.

Describe an eventful moment you have experienced in this class

We had a sharing session of our background, where we came from in terms of home and education. It was nice to see everyone coming from different backgrounds and races and it gives me an open mind to be accepting of people from any background. It was especially heartwarming when I shared my education background and the lecturer says it takes time to figure out what we want to do and takes a lot of trial and error. It made me feel that this is a new start for me and I feel more encouraged to keep going and work with other people.