yeonie05

[yeonie05]

WOII Compulsory: in Summary

“Principles for the Development of a Complete Mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses- especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

― Leonardo da Vinci

World of Ideas and Imagination was a really exciting module this semester. While all the topics were interesting, the ones that stood out most to me were aesthetics, post-structuralism, and art ecosystems.

As someone who enjoys philosophy, I was happy to learn that aesthetics is a branch of it. I’ve always wondered why people see different things as “aesthetic,” so it was great to connect this topic to ideas from my previous philosophy lectures.

Post-structuralism was another fascinating topic I had never encountered before. Learning that it was also philosophical sparked my curiosity, and the activity we did made the concept more engaging. It was fun and thought-provoking to match my photos with those taken by a partner without prior planning.

At first, I wasn’t too excited about exploring senior students’ work for the art ecosystems topic, as it made me think about the pressure of third year. But it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I saw work that reflected parts of my own culture, which I found inspiring.

What I appreciated most was how the topics connected with my other modules. Concepts from aesthetics, postmodernism, and design analysis helped me deepen my work in both Studio and Photography projects.

Citation

“A Quote by Leonardo Da Vinci.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/112565-principles-for-the-development-of-a-complete-mind-study-the. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Word Count: 207

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WOII: Week 12 - Art Ecosystems

An art ecosystem is a network where art organizations, platforms, and individuals—whether directly involved in art or not—interact and influence one another. Similarly, a design ecosystem is a space where designers and design platforms connect, supporting collaboration and growth within and beyond the creative community. As part of a class activity, we visited the final exhibitions of third-year diploma and bachelor’s students, where we observed and photographed the projects that stood out to us. It was inspiring to see the diverse and unique approaches students took in their work. The range of mockups and presentations made it easier to engage with their concepts and appreciate the thought behind each project. Events like these are important for building a strong creative community, expanding our network, and guiding us as we find our own paths in design.

One project that really stood out to me was by Valencia Barbie Huisaini, who redesigned Indonesia’s currency. Her point about how the current design doesn’t reflect Indonesian culture really stuck with me. I hadn’t paid much attention to currency design before, but after seeing her work, I understood and resonated with her perspective. It also made me reflect on how many currencies, like the Korean Won or USD, don’t necessarily represent their culture visually.

This experience made me reflect on what I enjoy most in design. I’ve always loved drawing, and seeing so many beautiful illustrations reminded me of that passion. One illustrator I really admire is Jisu Choi from South Korea. I researched her in semester one, and her work continues to inspire me. That’s why I plan to take illustration as my elective in second year.

Citation

Life After Human

Choi, Jisu. “Life after Human.” JISU CHOI, 2022, www.jisuchoi.net/life-after-human/.

World Heritage Festival Poster

Choi, Jisu. “World Heritage Festival Poster.” JISU CHOI, 2022, jisuchoi.net/world-heritage-festival-poster/.

Word Count: 273

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WOII: Week 10 - Post-Structuralism

Post-structuralism is a way of thinking that challenges the idea of a single, universal truth. It suggests that our understanding of the world is shaped by individual experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. This means that two people can interpret the same thing in completely different ways. In philosophy, post-structuralism questions whether any system—like language, meaning, or design—can ever be truly fixed or objective.

In class, we explored this idea through an activity where we worked in pairs to capture images and words without speaking to each other. This exercise made it clear how differently people can perceive the same subject, with each interpretation shaped by personal feelings and viewpoints. It was a reminder that all experiences are subjective, and meaning is never universal.

Ellen Lupton is a designer who clearly works with a post-structuralist and deconstructivist mindset. She often challenges traditional design rules and embraces complexity, fragmentation, and visual disruption. Two strong examples of this are How Posters Work and Alexander Gelman, Walls of the City, 1992.

How Posters Work explores how posters use layering, contrast, and disruption to communicate in open-ended, flexible ways. Walls of the City features two posters clashing visually, breaking the idea of a clean, unified layout and instead creating tension—another post-structuralist move.

Post-structuralism has helped me think differently about design. In a time when AI and constant innovation make originality feel impossible, it reminds me that being creative can also mean breaking rules, disrupting expectations, and looking at things from a new perspective.

Citation

How Posters Work

“How Posters Work.” Ellenlupton, ellenlupton.com/How-Posters-Work. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025. 

Alexander Gelman, Walls of the City, 1992

TypeRoom. “Ellen Lupton: Top Ten Favorite Typographic Posters of All Time.” TypeRoom, www.typeroom.eu/article/ellen-lupton-s-top-ten-favorite-typographic-posters-all-time. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025. 

Word Count: 247

[yeonie05]

WOII: Week 5/6 - How to Analyze Work of Design

Analyzing design is a crucial part of the creative process, allowing designers to evaluate both aesthetics and functionality. As Rogers states, “I look for designs that are not only visually appealing but also functional and user-centered” (Rogers, 2023). By critically assessing designs, we can better understand our own work and ensure it effectively communicates the intended message. Rogers also emphasizes that “by understanding the problem deeper than the user, you'll be a better judge on what's going to be helpful for them.” This perspective reminds us that analyzing both personal and existing designs helps refine problem-solving skills, ensuring that the final outcome truly meets user needs.

In our first activity, we categorized objects based on function and origin, placing them on a grid to distinguish between functional versus decorative, and gifted versus personally acquired. This made me reflect on how objects take on different meanings depending on their purpose and how we obtain them.

For the second activity, we went on a field trip to Kampong Gelam to photograph curated objects. My previous object was a photo strip from a photo booth—something decorative and sentimental, capturing a moment with my friend. Inspired by this, I chose “identity” as my personal theme and photographed tattoos, an exhibition sign, and portraits. One artwork that stood out was a painting of three men on a subway, contrasting their work attire with personal clothing, which reflected how identity shifts across environments.

This field trip also made me more aware of my surroundings. Normally, I don’t pay much attention to store designs, but this experience reminded me how design choices—from color to typography—affect how we experience spaces. It even made me reflect on my own shopping habits and how I’m often drawn to decorative items for their emotional value rather than function. Overall, it deepened my appreciation for how design connects aesthetics, purpose, and memory.

Citation

Rogers, Amy. "How I Evaluate Your Designs." Medium, 2023, https://amymrogers.medium.com/how-i-evaluate-your-designs-47b776cf7446.

Rogers, Amy. "Stop Asking Your Users What They Want." UX Collective, 25 Jan. 2021, uxdesign.cc/stop-asking-your-users-what-they-want-1d10ac040b4c.

Word Count: 323

[yeonie05]

WOII: Week 2 - Aesthetics

“A work of art, therefore, is not simply an object which exists in itself, like a stone or a tree. It is open to interpretation.” (Umberto, 1989). This quote highlights the subjective nature of aesthetics—beauty is not a fixed or universal concept, but one shaped by individual perception and experience. What I find beautiful may not resonate the same way with someone else, as our interpretations are influenced by personal backgrounds and emotions. While there are design principles that guide what may be considered “aesthetic,” there are no definitive rules. Aesthetics is ultimately about how we perceive and experience the world, making it deeply personal and ever-evolving.

This idea became clear during our class activity where we photographed storefronts that caught our attention. We analyzed their design elements, focusing on form, function, and target audience. It was fascinating to see how each person interpreted fonts differently, reinforcing the idea that aesthetics is subjective. We also discussed the role of typography—not just for readability, but as an emotional and communicative tool in design.

One of the most eye-opening experiences was during a logo activity with my group. I’m drawn to loud, colorful logos, while others preferred minimalist designs. Our preferences differed so much that we created two separate slides. What seemed like a challenge at first turned into a great learning opportunity. It showed me the value of embracing diverse perspectives. Design isn’t about finding one “right” answer—it’s about understanding different visual languages and learning how to work together to create something meaningful.

Citation

Eco, Umberto. The Open Work. Translated by Anna Cancogni, Harvard University Press, 1989.

Word Count: 271

[yeonie05]

WOII: Week 1 - Phenomenology

“We do not just use products; we experience them.” (Hassenzahl, 2010) This quote captures the heart of phenomenology—the belief that every individual experiences the world in a uniquely personal way. Even if we share similar environments or objects, our perceptions, shaped by consciousness and personal perspective, make those experiences distinct. Phenomenology helps us understand that subjectivity is central to how we interact with the world, including how we engage with design.

This idea became especially clear during our class activity where we interpreted the abstract concepts of shadow or time through photography or illustration. It was an eye-opening experience to explore these themes creatively and to see just how different our representations were. Revisiting my own photos, I noticed new interpretations of shadow and time—meanings I hadn’t initially seen. It reminded me that even within my own process, perception evolves.

What left a lasting impression was viewing my classmates’ presentations. Their interpretations were deeply personal and revealed perspectives shaped by experiences different from mine. It was moving to see how much of their world was embedded in their creative work. This activity was a clear demonstration of how phenomenology applies to design: it’s not just about how something looks, but about how it is felt, understood, and experienced.

Ultimately, this exercise reinforced the idea that design is not only visual but emotional and experiential. It highlighted how our personal histories and perspectives shape our creative choices, making every piece of work both uniquely personal and universally relatable.

Citation

Eco, Umberto. The Open Work. Translated by Anna Cancogni, Harvard University Press, 1989.

Word Count: 259

[yeonie05]

CTS A - Week 12 Compulsory Question 3

Week 12 Class work

A department I would like to collaborate with is the fashion department. I've always liked fashion so I want to do a project with that department. Whether it's photography or promoting someone's fashion brand I think it would be fun to collaborate with other design branches. Though designing something alongside a fashion designer would be out of my reach, if the designer supports a good cause I would like to spread the word of their designs as far as possible.

For my final project, I would like to make a campaign based on mental health as my final project. As I and a lot of my friends have suffered through our mental health I would like to do something that helps others understand the hardships we as human beings go through. Even though the taboo against mental health has lifted and many people are more understanding of it I think there are still misconceptions against mental health.

A community I would like to work with is the SPCA to help prevent animal cruelty and help out animals who are in need. I would like to try and volunteer to see what goes behind the scenes and also give them extra help with their work. It would be nice to help them make campaigns to spread the word about animal endangerment and spread the SPCA community.

CTS helps us learn skills such as collaboration, and emotional intelligence, I think these skills will be helpful once we graduate and work in a professional environment. With all the projects I want to do in the future, I think it is important to know these skills to work efficiently with others and make satisfying products out of the collaborations.

(285 Words)

Admin. “Mental Health Awareness Month.” KeepnTrack, 9 Mar. 2021, www.keepntrack.com/mental-health-awareness-month/.

SPCA. “Home - SPCA SPCA.” SPCA, 13 Nov. 2024, www.spca.org.hk/.

[yeonie05]

CTS A - Week 11 Compulsory Question 2

Week 11 Class work

Even though I think it is possible to connect all CTS A topics with the modules I think that some of the topics connect better with certain modules than others. For example, I think that documentation and tracking your progress would connect well with the studio module. From week 1 we were tasked to document our research and what we did in class in our CPJ’s. I was confused at first as to what we had to do but now that I’ve learned more about the process of documenting one's work I’ve found that documenting one's process is quite important to show proof of work.

CPJ Works

I would put photography with emotional intelligence. The first time we went and did our street photography lesson I realized how important it is to consider other people's thoughts when taking pictures of them because not all people like their pictures to be taken. I was scared at first to take pictures of other people at first, but by asking permission it was more comforting.

Photography exercise 1/2

I would put digital skills and craft with a growth mindset. I was never good with technology and I think I have a lot to improve when it comes to digital skills. I’ve realized even though I might not be good now, I can learn to be able to use the programs when I learn enough about them hence the growth mindset. On the other hand, I don’t think I am creative enough for craft. I’ve seen other people's works and wondered to myself how they come up with their ideas. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to other people and work at my own pace, but I can improve. There is always room for me to grow.

In the future, I would see myself using the things we learned in emotional intelligence quite a bit. Although the other topics are equally as important I think that being emotionally intelligent can help you solve problems and help you converse with other people better.

(333 Words)

[yeonie05]

CTS A - Week 10 Compulsory Question 1

I understand the Critical thinking skills module by thinking about “exploring.” After learning about critical thinking I’ve started to realize that most of what we’re doing in our classes is exploring our inner mind. We’re essentially exploring topics we rarely think about and trying to learn how to go through our thoughts. I think our visual metaphor shows that if we stop exploring and give up we will never find the diamonds we were working so hard to find.

Week 10 class work

The visual metaphor we used is the meme of two people digging for diamonds and one of them gave up right before they found the diamonds. We used this metaphor to showcase how we need to learn all the topics from CTS and after learning the topics we should keep exploring what we learned. It is shown we gave up on the second week of our semester, but I hope now that we are at the end of our semester we somewhat understand the topics of CTS and never stop exploring the topics.

My favorite activity for CTS was when we made a chicken for our monument. I liked how we all worked together and were able to help out with the process of making the chicken. We didn’t know each other well so I thought it would be hard to work together, but I think being able to work in a group of people we didn’t know and being able to make the most out of it was a nice experience.

The value of working in a group is we work better when we are with others. There are many things we can learn from each other and we can also find out what we are good at with others help. With all the group work we did I've asked my groupmates how I was when doing group work and with the feedback I got I wish I contributed to the group work more. I think with more self-awareness I will be able to start contributing more in group projects.

Group work process

(341 Words)

[yeonie05]

CTS Week 5 Growth Mindset

While doing our class activities today, seeing the different types of fonts was exciting, and the fact that I don’t remember many of them was even more intriguing. Thinking about the fonts more clearly helps me see them in more detail and see what attracts or diverts my attention from them. I think being able to analyze a font that I never think of was very eye-opening and helped me realize that there are many things that attract me to a specific logo. This activity made me realize that I always have more to see in this world and even more to remember.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

These are the two sketches I liked the most. Fig. 1 I enjoyed playing with the mustaches of the origins logo and putting the brand name on them. I think it’s very fitting, and the brand name fits with the mustache really well. Fig. 2 is like how I wrote the brand name. I think the boldness of the words made me like them more since they are more out there. Though I like both, I think it would've been better if I made Fig. 1 with the font of Fig. 2.

Fig.3

Fig.4

I think I didn’t put too much thought into these two figures, so it didn’t come out as satisfying as the others. I do like Fig.3, and if I had put more thought into it, it could’ve come out better, but Fig.4 feels ‘lazy,’ and it feels like I did not put too much thought into it. I think because it was one of my last designs, I ran out of ideas and couldn’t conjure more.

(273 Words)

[yeonie05]

CTS Week 3 Emotional Intelligence

The flaw that you immediately notice  in someone you meet  Is probably a flaw of yours, too. If you didn’t have it, You wouldn’t have noticed it so quickly. -Haemin Sunim p.131

Sunim, Haemin, et al. The Things You Can See Only When You Slow down: How to Be Calm in a Busy World. Penguin Life, 2018.

Today, we were paired up and interviewed to delve deeper into understanding each other. Interviewing each other made me realize that there are more things I need to work on, but it also made me realize that I’m more than I thought I was. Being able to know what I lacked when working with others helped me realize I should take more time to fix some habits of mine, but I was also relieved to hear what my partner had to say about my strengths. I was told my relationship management was better than I had initially thought, which brought up my confidence. It helped me realize I should become more confident when talking to people to improve my communication skills.

While I have much to improve in all aspects, I am best at being self-aware. I often have time to myself at night, which helps me reflect on the whole day. I may be too critical of myself, but I think being self-aware is excellent because I can know my shortcomings and always try to fix them in my spare time. Though it may be good to be self-aware, I should improve my self-awareness because I become too self-aware to the point where I get scared to speak up. I may be good at being self-aware; however, I’m not too good at managing myself. I’ve never been good at time management and managing my work. My work ethic has never been good, and it is slowly getting better, but I think I have to put aside separate time to work on my self-management.

(264 words)

[yeonie05]

CTS Week 1 Critical Thinking

Before this class, I understood that critical thinking is a way of delving deeper into something and its meaning and picking apart everything until we reach the base of the topic so that we have a better understanding of the prompt. I learned that there are more things to consider when critical thinking, and there are steps I haven't learned before. 

I learned that mindfulness involves being more aware of oneself and the environment around us. Although I’ve learned about being mindful plenty of times, I’ve barely practiced it daily. I realized that practicing mindfulness daily can improve my livelihood and the livelihood of people around me. I’ll start by being more aware of myself and how I can improve myself, not only for myself but also for the people around me. I will also be mindful of my actions because even minor mistakes can have significant consequences. I will also learn to slow down every now and then to see my surroundings, be more aware of who I am, and see how I’ve changed through the years.

"Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes." -Thich Nhat Hanh

Listening to everyone introducing themself was eventful. Listening to what they liked and disliked was interesting. Listening to what they’ve been up to until they came to Lasalle was an excellent start to everyone's introduction. I came to an understanding that everyone has eventful lives, and all of them have fascinating interests. It’s nice to listen to the wonders of people since no one is the same.

(245 Words)

Mishra, Nishant. “Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes on Mindfulness, Peace, Love, and Happiness.” Medium, Medium, 16 Apr. 2018, medium.com/@thenishant/thich-nhat-hanh-quotes-on-mindfulness-peace-love-and-happiness-11b1cca4b502#:~:text=Mindfulness%20helps%20you%20go%20home,that%20you%20have%2C%20happiness%20comes.