CDF Project 2: Contrast

Jessica Lee
Sep 4, 2018 · 6 min read

Introduction

This project aims to look at relationships between objects — in this case, black squares- and express different contrasting ideas with the relations and space. Here, we are looking at the word pairs Rigid + Fluid, Clumsy + Graceful, and Rhythmic + Erratic, and this project aims to create pieces that speak these words and express the contrast between the words.

Sketches

Rigid + Fluid

First 5 are rigid expressions, and last 4 are fluid expressions.

Clumsy + Graceful

First image is fluid, next 5 are clumsy, and the last 3 are graceful expressions.

Rhymic + Erratic

The first 2 are graceful, the next 5 are rhythmic, and the last 2 are erratic.

Foreground + Background

First 3 are erratic, last 5 are playing around with foreground and background.
These are some idea I have for the final product.

Digital Iterations

Iterations for the Clumsy piece

For the clumsy piece, I tried two different designs, and explored more in the piece I thought communicated clumsy better, which were stacked squares depending on each other to create a staircase. The idea I was going for, was to create a clumsy staircase, where if they were placed correctly, they would be a perfect staircase. I also wanted to place the blocks in such a position, that could communicate that they were very unsteady. So, I felt that the first one that I made (leftmost), had the top block depending on a very fragile force on the side of the big right block.

Other idea I wanted to explore

The other idea I explored was a misplaced square. Usually, if people align things correctly, you’ll get perfectly straight white lines. However, in this case, we end up with small blocks. I played around with the sides of the line, but however, I did not feel that this communicated clumsy well.


First idea explored for Graceful

I was aiming to create something that seemed like it was floating away in the sky. Therefore, I started with items that were bigger at the bottom, and smaller as they were farther away. For more depth, I overlapped some squares to see if it looked like it communicated the idea better. I added the color yellow to represent to color of floating lanterns. However, I feel like this idea did not have a very graceful interpretation, so I explored the other idea more.

Second idea explored for Graceful

This idea was to look at the idea of having curves instead, because graceful is more associated with motion. Therefore, I did a simple curved loop, so it can communicated simplicity and movement. However, I thought this was too simple, so I added another curve that went through the loop. Then, I also put color in between the spaces of the curves, to represent a striped ribbon. This piece is supposed to represent either stitching or ribbons, where I find the patterns very soothing. I played more with color for this piece.

First design explored for Rigid

This design is meant to represent order and represents space being evenly filled. I didn’t feel like I could play with this idea because it was a bit too constrained, so I went more in-depth with the next.

Second design explored in depth for Rigid

This design is exploring the use of thirds and squares, because I think that squares that are going in the same direction is very immutable. First idea, I just played with the rigidness of a grid, then put an outline over it. Then, I started playing with how I could possibly use color as a line as well, but I didn’t get very far due to my struggle with Adobe Illustrator. Then, I tried just replacing the squares with different sized squares, and ended up with the fourth design.

First exploration for Fluid

Contrasted to Rigid, this design does not have any straight lines in the relationships between the squares. So, it has a scattered, but it’s very two-dimensional, so it seems like it’s floating on the surface of something. I used blue as the color to accent in order to kind of envision water.

Second exploration of Fluid

Personally, I like this design the best. I first started with one water-trickling like pattern, but felt that this was too simple, so I found some ways to replicate it in a way that would feel as balanced as the first. The second design was just repeating the pattern 3 times, but I felt that it was crowded on the bottom. Then, I repeated it and reversed it to get a cool brushstroke.The third design, I wanted to experiment with repeating it multiple times to see how it would look. Then the fifth one, I repeated it slowly to give space. Then, I asked for feedback from someone, and they said that the first, second and 5th looked the cleanest, because it wasn’t very messy or crowded. So, I used those ideas to create the last one, which was a reverse of the fifth, but had balanced sizes of squares from top to bottom. Then, I realized there’s a stream of squares that run from top to bottom that aren’t connected, so I connected them by color. In my final version, I used blue, to represent water.

I explored ideas that were mostly grid black squares, and tried to come up with reversible designs. I liked the second one the most, however, I felt that it wasn’t clear that they were squares, so I didn’t use it. This was personally the hardest one for me, because I had a hard time coming up with creative designs.

Final

Clumsy + Graceful
Rigid Fluid

Reflection

I learned that design is a lot of work. There are a lot of ideas to try out, and lots of iterations of designs happen in place. I found it really hard to be continuously creative, so I think next time, I want to make sure I start with designs that can be worked with a little more. Usually, when I think of a design, I kind of envision that design, and that design only, so it’s hard for me to come up with similar new ideas. However, I tried breaking that for trying lots of ideas on the same thing for one of the fluid pieces, so I’m proud that I got to play with the idea a lot more. Next time, I also hope to spend more time day by day on this, because I think it’s easier to be creative in small bursts than it is to push it to the last day and try to think of all the ideas possible.

Communication Design Fundamentals | Fall 2018

An Introduction to Design and Communication

Jessica Lee

Written by

Communication Design Fundamentals | Fall 2018

An Introduction to Design and Communication

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