yunant

[yunant]

DES303 Week 7 Exploration + Systems & Mechanics

To echo from before, the storyboarding plan was scrapped due to a lack of interaction or engagement that renders it not quite interesting enough for me to pursue [to be blunt]. For the blog sections from Week 5 to 6, I had a lot to think about during the holidays and where to take my efforts. In this piece, I will explain the upturns and downturns of my journey so far, and what it means to pivot myself from narrative to game, but still retaining the core essence of AI dilemmas in creativity.

New statement: I want to explore interactive design using visuals and words to generate more opportunities for people-led efforts to pursue creative art that doesn't rely heavily on algorithm procedures.

What happened? A roadblock came this week, with much disruption in its obstruction. Given the short period for me to cobble together a Plan B, it boiled down to me skipping over a few steps in Week 6 with the paper prototype. It was a lot, and much to uncover. There was an underlying hurdle that there wasn't enough clarity in the reflection and theory stage, so for this week's blog, I will attempt my best to fill in those gaps to coherently convey what was needed to be said one week prior. One learning outcome I expect to finalise this week is to understand how systems in design work when imagining game creations.

Experience: This week was spent whipping up the documentation to connect the dots after my change of mind. Pivoting from a storyboard narrative to a game or board game is a jump that is indeed time-consuming, with what needs to be adjusted within a short period. What I have done here is I have ventured wider, to see the bigger picture. Using the documentation from before the holidays, I dissected the work I have produced in order to trace my steps back at how I might have arrived at the conclusive decision of such a game [if not from spontaneous intuitiveness]. Not isolating down the more technical nuts and bolts, but the fundamental ones, more in theory, than software or application.

An early attempt at diagramming the flow chart is shown below, which is to display how this game could function at its most basic. It's using the format of a flow chart to visualise, much like our design systems, how a player or possibly a user (depending on the final outcome) could arrive at a decision of the perfect creative prompt or idea.

System mapping:

What these illustrations show are the processes of formulating original conceptual ideas and enacting them, much like how Design works, but for people in the creative industry with a lean in the arts. It is to challenge myself on how a game could operate within the confines of our spaces. To also challenge why we are tempted to resort to generative AI when our imagination can be enough.

To visualise how a mechanic like this works, I had to resort to alternative methods. Diverting from a conventional and linear form of this, I used the spinning wheel as a model for a series of random variable generating machines/tools. Modelled after the double diamond model, I wanted to see if I could establish a 'loop', what people in the gaming community call a cycle of play that sustains itself by how well it is designed. The second image is just me playing with the image composition and seeing where the ideas could take me on a whim.

Processing the first three trial runs, I realised those circular graphics might be a little too sophisticated and convoluted to visualise, so I decided a linear route would be more suitable to share my series of system and mechanics design for the potential board game. The first image is a rough sketch made on Procreate with a quick pencil outlining and dissemination of the paper prototype and its simplistic procedure.

Secondly, the chart on the right side is the refined version mocked up using my Miro board, it is more to the point and cuts out he excess areas of the original sketch and which I will be using for the rest of this course as a guide. At this moment, two deciding contributors would be enough, a dice and a pile of cards will have to do because of the limitations of the semester.

Here is a more refined version of this map that attempts to simplify the layouts:

What should my game do? In the best-case scenario, the outcome should be generative by nature. The investigation I am tapping into is - what if I could teach myself to create an activity to foster imaginative thinking that is more fun than using AI? Not inclined towards GPT or large language models, but helping to guide the player into coming up with an idea. Sort of like a gamified version of Pinterest; to put it very plainly, I can't replicate on the scale of published board games, so I have to be pragmatic about this. In the end, what I believe is that the game should offer a toolkit of a diverse set of options for players to choose from.

Reflection: This week, I was not as productive as I would have liked to see myself, but sometimes, these things happen out of the blue. I knew I did what I needed to do, but the reality was, time was running shorter and better organisation strategies were in dire need. It was daunting to set up my own workshop and table both physically and metaphorically, knowing there is some way forward, but I just cannot fully see it yet. This was the obstacle, and it was real.

Everything around me was clearer, and I could feel the vision being embodied in my work, but there was still more to go. However, a clearly defined system map could only take me so far. Knowing that I had come to terms with the initial plan of AI research being thwarted, I had to abruptly come up with something to compensate. Before proceeding further, I had to interrupt my session with another round of research to adjust the line of sight.

Research/Theory:

Across the vast archive of awe-inspiring talent, Behance was my go-to for existing references and sources of inspiration. I need to look around and know my stuff before getting into the nitty-gritty of it. Online, professional work came from people all over the globe, and I searched for how existing portfolios identify their area of interest and execute their goals. As someone who prized authenticity in my portfolio, I didn't want to produce carbon copies of their work; it was a study of applied methodology and appreciating people who respect the craft and dedicate themselves to it.

Throughout my analysis and noting, I have seen that Projects 2, 3 and 3 were made by creators from different countries, mainly from Europe, all designed for different purposes that go beyond mere entertainment games. Each has its ideocratic system of mechanics that a player must learn to navigate, all comprised of well-developed learning curves. Voss (2024) tells a more straightforward interpretation of these concepts, stating, "systems are about the relationships between things, and then the relationships between those relationships".

When reviewing their designs, Project 1 [Brugelism] has a historical lean for teachers and educators to teach history in a fan platform, making the lessons memorable for audiences and players (Egorova, 2019). Project 2 [Kiwetin] has a fictitious and narrative focus for a younger demographic, helping children and students cultivate artistic thinking and being exposed to the green wildness and its benefits (Paitre & Dombois, 2017). Project 3 [Kintsugi] is tailored for group self-development, with this project being more sophisticated. Made for adults who are in the workforce, with tools provided for them to unwind and reflect on their path in life (Liebute, L., 2021).

What are the connections? After contemplating the research and the existing examples, I had a couple of notes. What they all have in common is a mode of allowing user agency, to captivate a player and maintain this grasp of attention with fed autonomy. Interaction, engagement, and focus - I could see it in its making; evident in the mechanics, the rules and the reward systems. From Project 1, including attributes for historical characters, to Project 3, comprising colour codes for personal topics of discussion, these choices determine the overall perceived impact on the receivers.

After examining the Behance profiles and other creators' portfolios, here are some things I should carry further into my journey. Going down the line, I might narrow it, but these are what I am considering if all goes smoothly:

An original character.

An original artwork.

An original story.

An original sculpture.

What's next? Dig deeper is what I always do, but this time, it really is about courage. The hard approach has good chances of my explorations finding success, but that's a discussion for later. Now, it's time to keep making the answers to challenge myself and my logic/reasoning on why I am making these creations specifically., The question of whether these exemplars apply to my current project may not be fully answered now, but they will be a part of the answer, if external factors align, such as time management.

References:

Egorova, M. (2019) Bruegelism. Behance. https://www.behance.net/gallery/80988859/Board-game-Bruegelism?tracking_source=search_projects%7Cboard+game&l=5

Liebute, L. (2021). Kintsugi Talk Therapy Game. Behance. https://www.behance.net/gallery/122375331/Kintsugi-talk-therapy-game?tracking_source=search_projects%7Ctabletop+design&l=8

Paitre & Dombois (2017) KIWEIN. behance. https://www.behance.net/gallery/47364353/KIWETIN?tracking_source=search_projects%7Ctabletop+design&l=4

Voss, G. (2024). Systems Ultra: Making Sense of Technology in a Complex World. Verso Books. https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/991-systems-ultra?srsltid=AfmBOoozRujpqMRQeUm2xB3QkL7OxtiL-zhQpIXdQOcfZiG7HsvUoccI

[yunant]

DES303 Week 6 Feedback + Midsemester Break

It was the season of giving, but such a gift may not be taken smoothly. Constructive feedback was not always the most comforting, but it was necessary to put me in the right direction. This week, I will go over the feedback that was given to me from the previous week's work and unveil what I have been working on to adjust my design process. From the critique of the voiceover narration to producing a new iteration of my paper prototype, this blog will reveal the ups and downs of my journey and the effort I took to alter course.

Feedback critque: Prepared was the material I finished up for Week 5 with the video and the blog consisting of my attempts to test on producing a functioning narrative in voiceover assisted by place-holder visuals. https://youtu.be/sPIGbXycQpg

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the in-class crit session due to being bound with my DES300 group assignment. It was one of those setbacks that I didn't expect, and I was a little disappointed that I could not attend that tutorial in person. But not all was lost. I did manage to get some thoughts and advice from friends and family.

What I concluded from my feedback and reflection was that not everything was clicking for me. In its essence, it wasn't precise, and the storyboard to other users felt to them more like a brand design or course design than a tangible outcome in terms of conceptual design, which conflicted with my interests. Something about where I was at didn't sit right with me, so I went back to doing some brainstorming to figure out the right nuts and bolts.

Below are the notes I took for the constructive criticism:

In case the image's quality is not clear enough, here is a summation written in the following paragraphs:

What did work? What worked about my creation was that, at first, the concept, I was told, was rather interesting and had the possibility of successful findings. Some of the parts of the experiment were well written and thought out, and the reviewer could tell I had solid research material. The message and theme were clear and well communicated, resonating with people; it shows a depth of understanding of my area of interest. Much like how my tech demo was reviewed, it was mostly thought-provoking as a piece with a solid knowledge basis.

What did not work? What didn't quite land well was the narration was a little disjointed due to me cutting down the content of the research for time management. Echoing what the issues were from the tech demo, the voiceover was difficult to listen to because the audio quality wasn't great. Along with the presentation requiring help, the sum of its parts wasn't as strong as I thought; not everything gelled together. The heart was there, but some craft and communication was lacking.

How did I feel? For the rest of the sessions, I accepted what happened and had to drive to move on even if there were obstacles. Because of the lack of coherence in the video's content, and the reviewer found it unclear to decipher what I was trying to do, I knew I had to alter course. Of course, doing radical changes would help mitigate the situation, but I had to undergo thorough inspection and self-reflection.

Paper prototype & experimentation In the phase, I spent some time and made an archive of the procedure that took place during the creation of the paper prototype. It was large in file size, so I decided to compile the evidence into a video. Rather than writing out an essay on this blog, here is a video explaining what went down: https://youtu.be/1yeiaBN5ApA

What is it? Essentially, this is a WIP of a board game. A lot of changes were made, some big steps were taken, and some risks were taken. The adjustments made were to address the critique of the previous iteration being too passive for audiences, too shallow, and lacking an interactive element. What was missing were the mechanics of the inner makings of a design that make it impactful, as this is what I am attempting to do. Taking lessons from learning from my previous courses in design, is this me maximising the skills I have been taught in the span of two years.

What has changed is that it is more of a game designed to provide artists with ideas for their imagination without the need for haphazard AI rather than a visual dissertation about the technology. Hopefully, this approach isn't too diverging or going on too much of a tangent from my original brief.

Each card contains a sketch, and each side of the dice contains another sketch, both printed out from the same series of sketches I've completed on my iPad. While there isn't a title for a strict set of rules for now, the rule of the game is to randomly select a card and roll the dice. It goes like this: Draw your card, roll the dice, and find your art creation. Instant inspiration; no AI is needed. At least, that's the idea. The motto is...

Draw >>> Roll >>> Create

Theory:

One additional theory I have implemented in this stage is the spontaneity of human imagination and artistry. That humans are inherently creative, and if machines can produce creative works, it is because of human I’ve unity. What the research validates is that our current machine technology does not have the capacity to compensate for such variable as of yet - rendering large language models non functional in out puts that can be truly creative and original with regurgitation of previous samples. If this from of creativity is of an exclusive human capacity, then is it reasonable to argue that every one has the potential to find that within themselves.

How does it relate to AI? Here, the prototype acts more like a response to AI in our creative ecosystem, a tool to assist artists in creating original art. This by no means is made to entirely discourage users from using AI or abstaining from any form of generative technology - it is merely another set of tools, just not the full solution. As my research has been visible, it is dawning on me that a way forward is not a substitute for AI tools. Hence, my design is intended to help instil this understanding to creatives and student creatives. By no means, this is conceptualised to replace AI tools but a complementary device that can be integrated for the actualisation of creative ideas in fields such as art.

What's next? In this blog, I have explained my reasoning for shifting from linear narrative conceptual design to a more interactive design in the tradition of board games. More research on existing design is required, and to narrow my research practices. For now, I can sense my scope closing in but not quite enough for me to be confident on my targeted goals. Aspects of my design that have been altered are that the paper prototype serves a distinct function from a linear narrative or short-form documentary video. What I need to do now is integrate my new ideas into the core of my brief and thesis. Despite my head being infiltrated with doubt, I intend to push forward.

[yunant]

DES303 Week 5 - Crit Preparation

The fifth week was the beginning of a grind that I would be preparing myself to endure towards the end of the semester. Things felt overwhelming and sometimes too heavy of a burden to carry; it was a daunting task. However, what motivated me to get through was the greater anticipation of what I could possibly discover on this journey. This week will be a continuation of carrying on with my ideas, and seeing where they might take me with a reflection afterwards.

My first thought was the statement I had created from the week before. I thought about it over and over again in an attempt to unpack its meaning and relevance to the contemporary backdrop of AI anxiety. From a tech perspective, I would be lacking in experience. From a creative's perspective, I might offer responses that are more adequate and original. However, the question that might clarify this confusion I should ask myself is: who should I be designing this for? IS it for the coders and the programmers, the creatives themselves or a bit of both?

Here is my statement: Statement: I want to explore the cultural normalisation of AI by narrative and conceptual design to better understand the hidden appropriation of human labour in generative technology.

Reflecting on what I have written down already and the keywords I deployed, it is apparent that my interests lie in human society and culture. According to the Design toolkit Resilio, this is what is called the Sociosphere - the makings of society, culture, and psychology that includes all socio-cultural, political, and economic models and infrastructures; what orients human behaviors and interactions, as well as the relationships and interactions between cultures and societies (Resilio Studio, 2017).

Applying this toolkit concept using Resilio's Sociosphere could be along the lines of - how might the cost of human creative labour appropriation affect creative communities on a personal level, and how might we show it on our design to convey such a message?

The framing of these words could be explored in hundreds of ways, and what determined how I could possibly handle a Design like this was going back to my positionality. But now I know that what I can offer is an angle from the Sociopshere, according to the Resilio Toolkit. Having that narrowed down, now I release that I may not be able to offer a final result of a technical nature, but I can offer something that is conceptual and could resonate with people emotionally (if successfully managed).

Once I ran through these laps of thoughts, I began working on my positionality, noting it down and using that as a guide on how to plot out my storyboard for the narrative and conceptual design.

My positionality in tidier paragraphs: My most forefront attribute is my gender; being male without physical disabilities has gotten me privileges such as going out at night by myself and walking home alone. Financially, I am mostly stable - my family may not be rich or too comfortable, but like many Chinese families in Aotearoa, we have support from extended family and friends. Culturally and nationally, I know the ins and outs of being a Kiwi because I grew up in New Zealand and speak the language, along with the slang. And degree-wise, I have a bachelor's in Communications and am now doing another bachelor's in Design, placing me higher in social mobility.

Being a person of Gen Z, I have no problem navigating online devices; I can confidently navigate digital spaces like Windows, Mac, IOS and its software infrastructures of Office and Google Workspace. Additionally, I read a lot, whether it's fiction or nonfiction. I find it easy to get into a book and be absorbed by the material; it's my comfort zone whenever I have time. Therefore, my information gathering may not be presented objectively or neutrally no matter how much impartiality I may project - it would inevitably have a degree of personal touch based on my background and upbringing.

Design outline

For outlining a possible structure for my narrative and conceptual design, here is a sequence I could mash together. A suggestion was given to me by another tutor on how I should present AI to the audience - I was advised to show the technology in a light that was neither in black and white, nor good vs bad in the contested debate of humans vs machines. That one should take a step back and see its nuances that depict AI as an amplifier rather than merely a viral disrupter. Just like any other technology that will be eventually integrated and used in the back end of creative tools.

Part One - Setting the tone: Cold open introduction What is AI? What does it do?

Part Two - Create an argument: (re)Introduce AI art How does AI art work? Introduce human labour in art How does it affect the Industry?

Part Three - Tie it together: How does AI art affect our culture? How does it affect the environment? Connect the dots and summarise! Wrap it up and offer something (to the audience to think about).

To test out if my vision has weight, here is a video of me explaining my initial conceptualisation with an early iteration of my storyboard by attempting to test out multi-media techniques of voiceover and video editing. In three minutes, I will try my best to explain my concepts to newcomers and see if they stick the landing. The link:

https://youtu.be/sPIGbXycQpg?si=A3DvMxWEzqZgtqmS

Reflection: In this video, I recited my research from Week 4 and read it out loud, discussing my thesis and what I plan to do with AI and human labour. Stock footage was inserted in the video for placeholder visuals that I would replace with original assets of my own if I were to continue with this plan. The tools that were used were my microphone from my iPad Pro and additional built-in software on the Canva app to refine the audio quality and assemble the visuals. As it is very much apparent, the audio quality was not great, and almost nothing was polished. The experiment was to estimate what tools I should use and if I should inherit them later down the line.

What I enjoyed most about this experiment was editing the video and the clips on Canva; it reminded me of the countless hours spent inside computer labs for my communications degree, and that was a lot of fun, just pouring hour after hour editing clips. However, I also spent more time than I needed trying my best to do the voiceover because of how time-consuming it was doing take after take. Because this hurdle was a drain on my time and schedule, it has left me considering if I should adopt this method and if more of this work would be required.

What's next? Now that I have established a decent overview of my golden pursuits, I have gotten to an early stage of my prototypes, and I am now awaiting feedback from my peers and tutors. Despite my initial reservations, I am firm on what I want to explore; it's now a matter of shifting the gears until I find a good path to explore it. As I have mentioned before, I am open to pivoting into a new direction as long as I retain the core focus of my research and insights, and that is investigating the appropriation of human labour by AI.

References:

Canva (n. d.) Canva https://www.canva.com/

Muldoon, J. (2024) Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labor Powering A.I. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Narayanan, A. & Kapoor, S. (2024). AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference. Princeton University Press.

Olson, P. (2024) Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World. Macmillan.

Resilio Studio. (2017). The design process: A primer. Retrieved from https://resilio.nz/site/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/The-Design-Process_A-Primer_Rev-1_March-2017-1.pdf

[yunant]

DES303 Week 4b - Research & Experiment planning

Before I started, I wanted to write a thesis as an extension of the Manifesto I created during my Week 3 Tech Demo. One feedback that stuck out from the critique of the tech demo was my vagueness in the language of describing this technology to people who are unfamiliar with artificial intelligence.

What I wish to focus on isn't specifically for a local community, but more of a local trend being adopted by many communities who are in the younger demographic of New-Zealanders who are tech savvy with prompting and generating.

Here are the research notes extracted from books, articles and websites:

Noting down vital information was only a preliminary stage; it got me a solid knowledge basis, but I had to ensure an extra step to understand what I was working with as a Designer without a background in code or programming. Anything but short of a task. This meant I had to rewrite the notes in my own wording to absorb what was written on the canvases.

Here is the rewritten version of these notes formatted like a mini-essay without an introduction or conclusion:

What are we talking ABOUT?

AI can have a lot of meanings, depending on who you ask. People say AI can only be objectively good or objectively bad, but this is a binary view of the issue of such technology can be framed. Imagine all your most emotionally and mentally taxing work was used without your permission, and someone else could generate revenue using your work without your knowledge or consent (Narayanan & Kapoor, 2024). According to the book AI Snake Oil, this is the argument being presented against the normalization of generated art to make explicitly clear that AI art is the appropriation of creative labor, a technological amusement at the expense of real artists.

What does AI do?

To know what and how this technology works, we must understand its inner components physically and digitally and apply this understanding to audiences who may not be aware. What people refer to as generative AI are comprised of a series of deep-learning algorithms processed by employing sophisticated computer hardware, such as GPUs with substantial computational power. This set of actions led its software to replicate a series of patterns using existing data to assist with their training models. A deep neural network is trained to discover these types of visual concepts based on how the pixels are arranged; its output in pixels is a select set of words.

The more training the neural network learns, the more complex and sophisticated its generated output is - appearing more recognizable and palpable to the eye (Narayanan & Kapoor, 2024). A common assumption is that this technology creates works of AI, but how they are produced is by the memorization of their training data and churning out outputs that are near-identical copies of its source with slight adjustments (Narayanan & Kapoor, 2024).

How does AI art work?

As laid out by the book Supremacy, it's step-by-step process is reliant on the functioning of fast-paced chip-hardware [NVidia for example]. For image generation, the first stage is a disordered canvas with smudges of colors and frantic details. The training model follows this process by inserting values of noise or grain into the data of the canvas, rendering it entirely indiscernible (Olson, 2024). Gradually, this noise effect would be reduced as the details of the generated image would emerge in the frame's early light. As the stages advance, the canvas would transform into a picture by added clarity, not too dissimilar to a painter refining their brush strokes until they have something presentable to the user (Olson, 2024).

How does AI affect society?

Whether AI could endanger humanity or threaten its extinction is not the right question to ask, as agreed by many computer scientists and engineers, at least not for the reasons we think. What we call AI are in fact Large Language Models (LLMs), as it's the more technical term for generative transformers (Hicks et. al., 2024). Simplifying what this model does, Muldoon (2024) orients this function as "...large language models are trained primarily on text data scraped from the Internet". As it's been indicated earlier, LLMs have been used in the medium of mass media, creating information that is virtually indistinguishable from the real ones, deepening a mistrust of truth and misinformation (Olson, 2024).

Is AI real intelligence?

Unsuspecting users believe these [A.I.] fabrications to be created of sentient intelligence systems while in reality, they are word-guesses /autocompletes that replicate authentic human language and imagery. On the question of A.I. tools being truly intelligent or not, Muldoon (2024) determines this matter as "this appearance of general intelligence is merely the result of a sophisticated training program and the sheer size of the datasets and parameters of current models".

Is AI a threat to humanity?

This point coincides with the public anxiety about unregulated AI perpetrating bad will; there is a consensus in the field of experts and academics that it isn't AI being the risk; it is human-enabled ill intent [using A.I.] that is of concern (Narayanan & Kapoor, 2024). This is to show that AI is not evil, not sentient or something anthropomorphic in its existence, but that does not mean it could not be exploited for the wrong reasons. One of the reasons is the unaccounted real human labour that is extracted and used against other people. As Perrigo (2023) highlights via Andrew Strait, "[generative language models] rely on massive supply chains of human labor and scraped data, much of which is unattributed and used without consent".

Why water waste?

Speaking of threats, A.I. does present an imminent concern, and that has to do with the environmental impact of long-term usage (Muldoon, 2024). With the introduction of generative AI, many outlets have raised their concerns about energy consumption. Let's dive into why this technology sparks alarms about waste - and why advocates of environmentalism caution users against indulgent uses of AI. How AI models' functions are funneled through data centers build on cement infrastructure, including servers, storage drives and miscellaneous equipment powered by energy generators, some requiring fossil fuels (Zewe, 2025). A recent MIT article validates that the energy requirement for maintaining the flow of such data centers is the 11th most electricity-demanding consumers in the world and is projected to be the 5th in the year 2026 (Zewe, 2025).

Using the example of ChatGPT searches resulting in gallons of water being used to power and cool, the reason the article raises a concern of excess of energy consumption in the wake of a climate crisis is that a great amount of water is required to regulate temperatures of the hardware that trains the LLM models, putting a surmountable strain on local water supplies and raising concerns of sustainability (Zewe, 2025). As of now, there are no alternate solutions for this cycle of energy depletion and demand or how the tech industry might address the global scarcity if too much water is diverted to power plants or data centres (Gordon, 2024).

Reflection

Once this was finished, I realised the research had taken more time than I had previously expected, so I asked my tutors for feedback to see if I needed to adjust my planning for a more cohesive experiment with a consistent scope of focus. My tutors responded and confirmed that this outline of information covers many areas, so I have to tweak them slightly to fit my own criteria of project experimentation. This was the feedback, and it was used to format my experiment plan and outline for the coming weeks. below is the abridged version for this blog.

What is the focus of your experiment?

I want to focus on investigating the concept of generative Ai and the exploitation of human labour behind the machine, the human emotional taxation of manual labor to perfect the models and algorithms.

What excites you most about this experiment? Learning about the machinations of this technology excites me the most, its relationship with humans as a tool and why we use it or feel inclined to use it. Using this time as an opportunity to immerse myself in the tech world.

What do you hope to discover, learn or refine? I want to use my tools to the best of my knowledge and effectively adapt these insights and findings into a series of graphical designs that demonstrate my explorations. If I may, I want to challenge my own beliefs and assumptions with alternate points of view, even if I don't agree with all of them.

Adapted Statement: I want to explore the adopted normalisation of AI in the creative industry [e.g. Design] through narrative and conceptual design to better understand the hidden appropriation of human labour in generative technology.

What methods or processes will you try?

Graphic Design

Zine Design

digital illustration

Concept Art

Photography

Photoshop/manipulation

How will you structure our experiment?

In this project, I will use the double diamond method as the foundational model for my ideations and iterations. Testing with various techniques and blending them in to create a cohesive output that SHOWS my gathered findings.

How much time will you allocate?

Since I am a procrastinator, i will take as much time as I will need. But I will give myself a 15 hour minimum limit per week to work on this project and to juggle my schedules outside of my studies.

Rough Outline Plan:

Inspiration (week 1-4)- find resources available, learn from anything I can about AI, technology, creative labour, etc. Use a variety of nodes of research so I do not succumb to confirmation bias around AI perspectives (e.g. AI being an instrument of capitalism, etc).

ideation (week 5-6)- conceptualize and formulate my ideas, decide on which one best suits. Find my angle, find my areas of focus. If it's Photoshop, then I could find existing projects for references and guides. Ask for feedback and refine what I want to explore.

iteration (week 7-10) - ask for feedback and adjust based on any criticism or commentary. Suss out what works and what doesn't, and do not be afraid to lean into discomfort. Discuss with my tutors and get their thoughts on my progress.

Implementation (week 11-12) - cycle between feedback, commentary and iteration until I get to a stage where I can move forward.

Objective 1: self education and knowledge To learn about the world of technology, the intersection of creative labour and labour appropriation, and the economic circumstances that enable this exploitative cycle. What makes people drawn to AI? are they aware of how and what is conducted behind the curtains?

Objective 2: Being able to discuss and share this with peers

To study this and communicate my findings in a manner that helps those who are unaware understand what it is, or what AI does outside of the common (mis)perception of sentient intelligence. To just to understand, but to help others understand.

Success criteria:

I define my own success not by victory but in discovery in the most unexpected. other than the educational aspect, I hope I could refine my skills in the Adobe suite, my sketching applications, and maybe a little photography into the mix. If there is even an incremental improvement, regardless of it being knowledge or skill, I would be satisfied. If there is no incremental improvement, I would not find it successful.

Closing thoughts

When I first began planning for the experiment, I believed I had enough time management and allocation for my creative process to cover both issues of AI exploiting human labour AND fuelling infrastructures accumulating vast amounts of natural resources for AI. However, after having a closer look at the feedback, I decided I should focus more on the creative appropriation angle and direct my experimental work in that area.

With all that said, I'm writing this statement out so I am not bound to a single idea or concept. That I shouldn't treat my work as final or be ashamed to admit that something isn't working out as I intended. Should I, at any stage of my progress, come to the blunt conclusion that my execution would no longer suit me in this project, I am free to abandon my idea [given the right guidance and decision-making] and to pursue adapting my findings into a better starting point.

Let's not wait any longer and commence while we still can!

References:

Baxter, C. (2024). AI art: The end of creativity or the start of a new movement? BBC. Article. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241018-ai-art-the-end-of-creativity-or-a-new-movement

Di Placido, D. (2023). The Problem With AI-Generated Art, Explained. Forbes. Article. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/12/30/ai-generated-art-was-a-mistake-and-heres-why/

Gordon, C. (2024). AI Is Accelerating the Loss of Our Scarcest Natural Resource: Water. Forbes. Article. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cindygordon/2024/02/25/ai-is-accelerating-the-loss-of-our-scarcest-natural-resource-water/

Hicks, M. T., Humphries, J., & Slater, J. (2024). ChatGPT is bullshit. Ethics and Information Technology. Vol 26. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-024-09775-5

Muldoon, J. (2024) Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labor Powering A.I. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Narayanan, A. & Kapoor, S. (2024). AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference. Princeton University Press.

Olson, P. (2024) Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World. Macmillan.

Zewe, A. (2025) Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact. MIT News. https://news.mit.edu/2025/explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117

[yunant]

DES303: Week 4a - Tech Demo Reflection

In this blog, I will reflect on my time in the class's tech demo using the Gibb framework as a guide, unpacking in 5 and 1/2 stages. Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action Plan. Here will be my thoughts on the week on what went down.

Description During my tech demo presentation, I briefly discussed everything that was from week 2 to week 3, and how I developed my brainstormed ideas and related them to local issues in the 2020s. Topics referred to were the introduction of generative AI into the creative industry and how it could possibly affect creatives, or if this technology is disruptive and could put certain jobs at risk.

The main argument I was presenting was that artists who earn a living creating original artwork could be impacted by the negative side effects of AI art. With my slides, I was forthright about the range of my skills and the depth of my knowledge as a student, giving them a glimpse of what I am interested in and why. The content includes samples of art drawn by me in Procreate and art manipulated in Photoshop, all showcasing how a cycle of art could be created in the world of concept art. A manifesto was created for the last slide to summarise the overall message and its themes.

Feelings Overall, I felt this tech demo could have been a little better, as I felt the slides were a little unfocused on a specific area I wanted to explore. Structurally, my presentation lacked a narrow angle, and that led to some group members being either unable to follow or disinterested in my content. As I was presenting the written material verbally, I had many difficulties trying to get across what I was trying to convey and was not very successful at it.

By the feedback of what my group members had to say, the overall response was that it was interesting sometimes but I had to work on my presentation abilities. Speaking to crowds had never been easy, even on good days. From my perspective, this part was always been an obstacle, which is the ever-ominous pervading demand of having to speak to an audience that I find challenging at all times. In truth, this obstacle would always confront me no matter where and I appreciate this was pointed out early during the course.

Evaluation Other than the area of my verbal communication being highlighted as in need of improvement, the final product was fine for the most part. The part that I needed to develop more was showing the details of the craft. I believe if I were to assess how well I performed, I may have gone a little off track and focused on theory and research rather than demonstrating what my skills are.

In my feedback, there were some comments suggesting it would have been a better demonstration if I opened up my Procreate or Photoshop and showed them how all of the making behind the scenes worked for my final product. For example, with Procreate, some members wanted to know the specific techniques I used to create my textures for the characters I've drawn, which was selecting the right brush and smudging the shading until the blend was just right.

Analysis The second conundrum in the room that may cause a strain later down the line is that I am not a computer scientist, nor do I have a background in computer science. As mentioned before, I am not a highly qualified expert in either programming or art - my position would always be from the view of a Designer. This precludes that I cannot provide an insightful analysis of the inner components of how AI algorithms work, such as the data being trained on and who gets to keep the data. An acknowledgement of my position would be apt for the next phase of this project, being transparent with the audience about my skillsets. Since I could never manifest something as competent as a COMPSCI student, I must know my scope and how to enact it as a designer.

Conclusion & Action Plan In summary, my demo had mixed reviews with underlying gaps in my delivery and my understanding of the topics I was presenting. What was not accounted for was that everyone in the group had varying ranges of background knowledge in diverging disciplines as Designers, while I spoke as though I assumed they knew on the same level as me [which is in graphic design specifically]. What this session has enlightened me is the priority to be a more effective communicator in my engagement, not by WHAT I present but HOW I do it. If I may confess, there are moments I feel the need to create something profound for a high achievement or to prove myself, so scaling back and focusing on the essential rubric helps.

The plan for the next stage is to dedicate more time to proofreading my work and getting more feedback from my tutors and peers to ensure I am on course. The aim and lesson taught here was to not go so far out of my way to be groundbreaking or revolutionary but to synthesize existing creations into an original piece of work. The next set of actions is researching, ideating, and iterating with fruitful feedback in between the sessions. I would need to remember that everything that works has been designed, and chances are, there are existing sample projects that could help me gain more insight.

Here is the Miro board archiving my progress:

[yunant]

DES303: Week 3 - Tech Demo Preparation

Preparing for the Tech Demo in the third week of the course, I planned out a fun sprint-activity to showcase what my skills are coming from a background of graphic design. Putting a bookmark in the AI discussions, I will lead a series of 2D works in images where I apply my skills without being assisted by generative tools.

Full disclosure: I am not a Maestro, and I'm not an artist or a craftsman who's a master of his craft. I am the [skill] intent. who set upon the [Designer] on a road that will ask many questions. The intent is not to show a grasp of decisive action of what my final outcome would turn out, but more of trying to showcase what I could do with Procreate and Photoshop given a short span of time in a few days.

Here are the many things I could create:

Poster design

card design

Concept art

Book cover design

Web page

art installation

game concept

film concept

Spatial design

Manifesto design

Zine design

mural design

Tonight, it will be a poster, for starters. If I want to show something to an audience that is easily digestible and done within a given amount of time, I figured a poster would suffice.

Image 1 - Connie/Good Time: Rather than my usual shortcut to extracting random photos from the internet, I thought I might challenge myself and draw the images I found on Pinterest that most compelled me to create an artwork. Via Josh Safdie official Instagram.

Image 2 - Hitman/Agent 47: In this test run, I could extract the main subject of each of these images and try to create an original artwork without using any generative technologies. Neither give me guides or assets that are of AI origin. Via IOI Studios.

Image 3 - Hitman/Agent 47: This is not a declaration or a conclusive decision to rely on these tools of creative 2d art for my final capstone project, just testing out options. Via IOI Studios.

Figure 1 - Connie:

My first sketch on my iPad was the character Connie from the film Good Time played by Robert Pattinson. It grew from the basic get-up of his costume with the tracksuit and trousers, and then I added the purple briefcase and baseball bat. The point was to not attempt to replicate the photograph but to take the illustration in another direction in the most absurd fashion. Just to explore what my mind would come up with.

As I admit I am not the best when it comes to using brushes to draw realistic hair that appears natural, I decided to give him a beanie. As the facial details indicate, my intent is not to recreate the likeness of Pattinson, but instead try my best to give the figure its own unique visual identity.

Outcome:

Though it wasn't my best work given the time constraint, the final outcome resembles a Sims character that you would get when pressed auto-generate. The outfit looks ridiculous on purpose, just like how those games have a barrage of customizable appearance choices. By the end, it was no longer Connie from Good Time, just another random NPC character.

Figure 2 - Fish 47:

The second sketch was more challenging because it was a medium shot of a man's [Not Agent 47's] face. The pose of the subject holding a fish for that matter is playfully using the humor of how media censors content for younger audiences, replacing firearms with random objects like walkie-talkies or a fish. This illustration in particular took much longer to produce due to the very specific hand posture with the fish, as drawing fingers can prove complicated.

The screenshot above was my very first attempt at drawing someone's face in full detail, not as easy as the pictures made it out to look. As visible in plain sight, those early stages showed how his nose was out of proportion and missing a tip with only nostrils. Again, not recreating the video game character but creating a Sims-esque depiction of a realistic face.

Outcome:

To be honest, wasn't quite there yet but viewers would be able to put together that this man in a black suit and red tie is holding a fish in a peculiar way. There, I drew my favourite game character from my favourite video game. yes, he's holding a fish. Yes, a fish can do many things.

Figure 3 - Miami 47

drawing out the hand gesture there was more challenging than the others, due to the very specific position of the hand and the lighting. No matter how much I tried to adjust it using multiple tools in Procreate, I could not match the exact image from the reference screenshot. It could be interpreted as either throwing an object or holding an object - if the viewer can notice either depending on the rest of the composition, I would be happy. As long as I didn't take too much time.

My favourite part of drawing this was trying to recreate a Tom Cruise-Maverick-style shade. it makes him look like that particular rapper from Miami [Mr. Worldwide] minus the facial hair, but I found it quite endearing. It isn't supposed to be him but if you google search images [of him], I believe you will find a photo where he's wearing a pair of shades identical to this one.

Outcome:

In the final result, the hand movement wasn't quite there but it would have to do. Subtle with swagger, but not actually Pitbull of course. Fun fact: the original reference screenshot features a game-level set in Miami, Florida.

Photoshop creation:

Then came the part I was looking forward to - using Photoshop and playing around the subjects. The original screenshot had the character tossing a bag of sugar but I thought it would be more suited to have him interact with a cupcake or a muffin. I didn't have enough time to provide a detailed sketch of a muffin so I just took a photo of one I was eating and inserted it.

When the straight camera angle wasn't working as intended, I opted for a tilted Dutch angle to create a more visually engaging piece of composition. I tried many versions of the character downright throwing the muffin but none of them worked because I had to resort to using a motion blur technique, which I didn't want. What I landed on was him holding the muffin like it was his cell phone.

For the background image, I wasn't entirely sure if we were permitted to use royalty-free assets so I let the application use its default tree leaf pattern and expanded it to the entire Canvas. Then added a light source to the MUFFIN to make it look like it's emitting a divine light, a truly precious artifact indeed.

Outcome:

Essentially what this argument creates is no generative algorithms could create something as sweet as a blueberry muffin and a good catch of the day. What makes it interesting for me at least is the dominant image of the suited corporate-presenting subject holding on to the [Tuna?] fish like his dear life depended on it. At least, I am pretty sure some New Zealanders could relate to this feeling, nothing beats a sweet muffin and a big fish to feed the family. No AI is needed.

Bonus: Here's the AI version! Created using Microsoft Copilot.

Closing thoughts:

In this series of demonstrations, I curated my art process into designing a poster that is visually appealing and able to communicate a message relevant to my local issue. To reiterate what I said earlier, this exercise was never created to find a conclusive product to design. It's more apt to label this a testing phase, the stage where ideas are discussed between peers and feedback is given.

Obviously, this mish-mash of different toolsets is not a perfect final presentation by all means. Not even a prototype, more of an attempt to enact ideas that I have been circling around in my jumbled mind. I feel this is about 1/2 of what I personally believe is work that is of the final completed stage. If people hired me for my services, this is something I wouldn't present as I'd let my work be shown for feedback, have it integrated and then finalise it with finishing touches.

I know that talking about the quality of the poster itself is beside the point; the point is to demonstrate and communicate to the audience my set of skills as the DEMO. That aspect is what I should be centering my presentation around. Realistically, a timespan of a couple of months can only improve my techniques so far. hence why I find it more critical to spend more time being educated about the methodologies and how to conduct the required research as an autonomous learner.

In conclusion, I would need to reconsider my angle and reflect on what could be improved. I hope this tech demo inspires ideas for my peers, generates fruitful dialogue and provides valuable feedback for the rest of my course. What I will do next is archive the work and use it as a learning opportunity to see what worked well, then refine my strengths there. Should I choose to continue this path, surely some modifications and alterations to the original brief would be made.

[yunant]

DES303: Week 2

Lets use the notes from the previous week and insert the letters AI - how does that change the game? For many people, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence is regarded as a beneficial tool to their lives, albeit with disruption and moral panic like any other new technology shipped to the market. This week, I will make plans to explore the implications of AI on the domains of my interests, and the many crevices of my skills AI could intersect with.

How do I define AI? The most daunting work for me is to discover a zone of creative thinking that could overlap with the topics that are jotted down. Though I have highlighted the interest of Artificial Intelligence, I would like to have a specific definition of this. Not referring to some sentient machine like Skynet in Terminator, but a set of codes created to interpret human data and predict outcomes as these sets of information are inputted by human labour and generated to replicate the authenticity of human-made artifacts.

AI is a broad umbrella term that could mean so many things, but in many creative and academic fields, it is referred to as generating AI, such as ChatGPT or Midjourney, which are tools I believe could produce valuable findings. Tools such as these smart-learning coded applications have become unanimous with how contemporary society defines AI, so I will use this as a guiding set of definitions

Before we begin this investigative rabbit hole, I will ask this question to myself... What am I good at, really? Before we go any further, here are some factors to consider about me.

my first and most valuable skill is my curiosity as an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction. While I do not have the best technical or artistic skills, being able to find resources and read them thoroughly is what I do most in my free time. I do love a good book or article.

My second valuable skill [not those I have full mastery of but disciplines that I would always enjoy unconditionally] is worldbuilding and character creation, specifically in the realm of fiction and speculative fiction. However, that could be neither here nor there when it comes to design methods and research if not used appropriately.

With the more technical skillsets, I am most comfortable with photo manipulation, photo bashing and [remixed] art created using Photoshop, not exclusive to meme creation. E.g. extracting elements of [third-party and self-taken] photos and repurposing them for my work.

In the domain of 2d creations, I can use Procreate and draw ranging from people to objects to scenes. my sketching technique is very much self-taught, so as my photo manipulation technique; whatever worked I would use, in a tone of the DIY and experimental approaches.

Lastly, I can also utilize Figma and XD [with assisted guidance] competently, and I am able to mock up decent creations of web content. On a good day, I could create a reasonable-looking web or mobile layout. Analysis Now that I have listed the tools I am confident of using in my everyday student and work life, I must raise the question of AI. Proponents of this technology would agree that whatever tools could be invented, it will replicate the human capacity to produce such works, to advance beyond the need of more obsolete practices. But in reality, such ideological inclination to this inevitability is not so cut and dry.

Is AI capable of replicating or even surpassing these strengths I have developed over a quarter of a century? If I relied on AI, would it make my previous skills more of a necessity to my Design or redundant? These questions are given-out to be rhetorical, but a lens of understanding how I could embark on a journey of critical findings and exploration.

What isn't hypothetical is the crisis of plagiarism in generative AI. With the debates around the ethics of AI and how this tech plagiarises working artists and deprives them of their living, of course, I am against the idea of my work potentially being quantified as mere training data and having a machine duplicate my work without my consent. Any artist or creative in such a position would adopt this view.

This week began with using the ideas I conjured during the previous week and then adding the word A.I. as an adjective to the brainstorming. Once I jotted down what I could and could not do, I tried asking some hard questions to myself. How would that change the perception of what AI is? Do they make them better or worse? But more importantly, does introducing those things help people more than it makes money?

Following the third stage of brainstorming, I introduced notes displaying keywords for my upcoming projects, which foreshadow the various domains of a local issue I would like to present. Words that would often be brought up about integrating A.I. into our everyday tools and its impact on the market, on culture, on creativity etc.

AI + Climate Change

@zerowastestore - Instagram What comes after the discussions of human artistry and authenticity in an era of environmental degradation as a side effect of AI usage is the matter of framing these issues into a cohesive argument or thesis. To refine what potential local issues I want to address, here are some bullet points that have been circling in my head:

Too many students are using AI for their homework

Using AI can be considered lazy by some people if they don't know what it is or does.

Many people in New Zealand, especially younger people use AI as a personal assistant to excessive means, depending on guidance on technology.

Using Ai for means such as art may not have the best learning experience in SOME contexts.

How to identify what is good or bad Ai usage, and if those terms are helpful.

Obviously, they can be regarded as overly simplistic talking points made by Luddites, people who are anti-technology or against using any form of tools that are new. There are cases where it could be argued that AI could be abandoned entirely because of excessive resource consumption, being the architect of the environment's decline and people should stop using any AI to guard the planetary boundaries of quality existence of life. But that argument could be reductive as in it being a close-ended imperative to tell people to just STOP.

In our discipline, I believe these debates should indeed be open-ended and ongoing in an era of much-needed human-lead initiatives to sustain the environment through Design. As a Designer, I should explore the possibility of outcomes that can solve matters of problems created by human-made inventions in this case, AI. However, this should NOT be the intended message to be provocative for the sake of being controversial or rage-inducing fallacies resembling an elongated Twitter bout, a weak argument riddled with subjectivity and opinionated biases.

Here are some questions to frame these matters that offer an open-ended dialogue.

How should I address this issue to the audience other than just saying to use LESS technology?

Why does this issue matter? can I make an argument to convince an audience this should be something tackled using Design?

How might I use AI to raise awareness of the wage struggle of creative professionals?

How do I use Design to generate discussion of AI being beneficial or exploitative?

How do I visualise the intersection of AI tools and their relevance to real-world issues?

How might I design a visual narrative of the cycle of exploitation with AI and big tech companies? Here are some questions in my attempt to frame these conversations with critical engagement rather than hostility to AI.

Can I use my design skills with AI to improve the lives of people without contributing to exploitation?

How do I use design to communicate the ethical struggle with AI art?

Can I use design methods and research to explore how much water and essential resources AI tools consume?

How might I create a collaborative product to help people understand the nuances and consequences of AI tools? By adapting the essence of what most of these questions are trying to ask, this is a modified argument, fitted into an earlier draft of a manifesto. Some students are too over-reliant on AI tools for creative means, as AI tools can be too consuming of one's own time and natural resources. To make students' studying time more productive, they should be exposed to learning how to be skilled at creativity rather than being dependent on generative applications. To help students understand emotionally, it should begin with provocative art [one not created with AI]

What's next? My plan going forward is to keep what works in this process and phase out the parts that do not work; supported with a sufficient quantity of quality research to back my case. By the alignment of the laid-out steps of this process, it is apparent that not all of this is coherent to be regarded as a well-conceptualised view of my identified problem/issue.

[yunant]

DES303 - Week 1: Prologue

Short self-(re)introduction: I am a quiet, introverted student who enjoys playing video games and reading books. I'm most delighted when immersed in the many worlds of creativity. Someone like me may not always be the best sketcher, sculptor, web designer or crafts artist for the occasion, but it's my curiosity and drive to help people that fuels me with the desire of what I could explore. What is eternal torment but the agony of a life unlived? When all the lives you could have helped is only a figment of your imagination because you dwelled in what-ifs and could-nots. I half-remember a quote like this from a sound-bite I heard on a podcast, but I cannot remember who posted it or what it was about. How is this relevant to this blog? Well, recalling and inserting random bursts of ideas and thoughts is the functioning of my mental and creative workflow, spontaneous and going unplanned, sort of like my train of thoughts when I operate as a Design student.

In my first week, I didn't have a clue what my capstone project would be and what kind of research I would embark on for my third year of Design. This was going to be an exceptionally challenging journey, and I started showing myself what I was most drawn to or what sort of things I was putting most of my energy towards.

Examining the range of subjects I am interested in, I gathered my underlying zone of devoted fascination in my brainstorming, and perhaps why I would be interested in such topics other than for hobbyist purposes. How this could be interpreted at this stage of my project is, that I am confident in my commitment to understanding people, the communities they belong to and the world(s) they live in.

Whether it's seeing people in films, reading about them, or playing as them in games, the kind of work that resonates most is one that puts me in their shoes empathetically.

A second brainstorm shows the kind of people I am either drawn to or aspiring to connect to. Because I am a student in Design, I have also listed people who work in the educational department and those who are employed for their skills in the creative industry. At this stage, I have not decided on a definitive demographic to design for, as this will be done later on. This map was to jot out possible candidate communities that exist in Aotearoa, and how my project could be rooted in this whenua. What's next? leaving the comfort zone, but the point is not to jump to a premature solution. A move is closer to my milestone, but not so close that I am stuck in a wedge of a creative process where I am unable to grow, stuck in a stagnant rut where I would be null of real learning opportunities. That is what I should avoid if I should progress.

It was a long-winded fashion of saying chill out and feel the current. Once I am able to narrow down the selected community and demographic, I should commence my research on existing projects that have evidently shown to have beneficial effects on their recipients. Then, study why they may or may not have worked through feedback and peer review.

https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVISlRdno=/?share_link_id=630381456022 Here is a twist: that quote I recited is neither a citation nor even a paraphrase. It was from a podcast so long ago that I could not recall the exact wording, so it's more like a paraphrase of a paraphrase of a conjecture. A reinterpretation of a reinterpretation is perhaps how some designers evaluate their work. You regurgitate existing things for solutions based on how other things were made up.