Intercultural Design - Final Compilation & Reflection

05/02/2024 - 25/03/2024 / Week 1 - Week 8
Adriena Tan Yan Zi / 0351236
Intercultural Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Final Compilation & Reflection

Lectures

01 Culture & Design
Culture and design are inseparable, and as future designers, you need to be able to understand and express both as part of your creative skills development. Visuals are powerful persuasive medium to provide most of our information about the world.

Why do visual graphics exist? Why do they look the way they do?

1. Everything that can be seen
This definition is wide, all-inclusive including nature - BUT NATURE IS NOT CULTURE - unless there’s meaning and representation attached to it

2. Everything produced or created by humans that can be seen
This proposes that the visual is everything that can be seen and which is produced or created by humans for the purpose of visual representations that has functions, content and communicative purpose.

Design significance

You are able to identify the social, cultural & political sphere where the design elements reside.

By understanding the significance of the graphics in its cultural studies, philosophy, sociology and origin history.

Cultural Sensitivity Awareness

1. Symbolism and Imagery: Certain symbols and images may carry different meanings in different cultures.
2. Color Considerations: Colors can have cultural significance, and their meanings may vary across different societies.
3. Typography and Language: Choosing fonts and text styles that are culturally appropriate is important.

Addressing Cultural Sensitivity

1. Inclusive Design: Designers should strive to create products and experiences that are accessible and inclusive for people from various cultural backgrounds, including those with different abilities and needs.

2. User Research: Conducting thorough user research, including ethnographic studies and user testing across diverse groups, helps designers gain insights into cultural preferences and behaviors.

3. Localization: Adapting designs to specific cultural contexts through localization can enhance the relevance and acceptance of a product or service.

4. Cultural Awareness Training: Design teams may benefit from cultural awareness training to develop a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives and sensitivities.

Instructions

PROJECT 1: Proposal

Description:
A proposal to concretise ideas, supported by research, for a final design revolving a given theme that reflects students’ understanding and interpretation of global issues and design aesthetics.

Requirements:
- The general theme is “Cultural Sensitivity in Design”
- You are to study a cultural phenomenon, or a particular subculture that is perceived as ‘sensitive’, and “frame” your study within the chosen theme.
- You are to convey this cultural aspect without altering the actual facts but within a presentable interpretation and adaptation that raises awareness from the viewers.
- Produce some preliminary ideas on how to visually express your interpretation using design language. Each idea is to be supported by a short rationale. Conduct visual research to help expand your idea generation

Submission: Our assignment entails crafting a proposal consisting of a 200-word write-up, complemented by visual aids and research materials in a PowerPoint presentation. We have the flexibility to choose between presenting one topic with three sketches or three topics with one sketch for each. Following the creation of the presentation, we will record a group presentation video, summarizing our proposal and concluding our Project 1 submission.

Prelimilnary Research and Brainstroming

After the first physical lecture, we formed a group and went home. Later on, we got into a group meeting to discuss and brainstorm what ideas that everyone would agree on. We gather everyone's previous ideas and researched materials on the topics that the lecturers had informed us to prepare the week before so that finalising on the main topic wouldn't face too much hindrance. Every teammate takes turn to propose their researched topic before everyone settled down to vote for the potential topics.

Voting for the compiled topics

I opened a voting pole for all of us to vote for 3 ideas each member to to come down with the main 3 ideas to further develop our research on. In the end we came down to 3 main ideas which is Idea 1: Cultural sensitivity in game design, Idea 6: Inaccurate Cultural Representation in Genshin Impact and Idea 8: Cultural Symbolism of Dragon.

Research Materials

Idea 1:

Idea 6:

Idea 8:

Initial sketches

For Raiden Shogen, I extended the front part of her kimono which was initially above her thigh high socks. I also added a piece of frilly cloth to cover her cleavage which was very obvious with her low neckline kimono. The added cloth gives her more freedom to move around while still allowing her to pull out her weapon from her chest.

For Xingqiu, it was quite straightforward, I just extended his booty shorts to a straight pants which i feel would suit his role and his gender better, make him seem less girly.

For Yae Miko, much like the Raiden one, Cheng Yue extended the front part of her dress to cover up her thighs. Other than that, she also rise up the side sleeves so that her side chest wouldn't be half out anymore.

To conserve Venti's role as an archon, we decided not to change too much. Cheng Yue added a mesh cloth to the belly and also gave him sleeves to his top.

Final presentation slide

Final Presentation Video

PROJECT 2: Data Collection

Description: Students will conduct a data gathering collection process about the culture with relevance to the theme and your research objectives.

Requirements:
- The students are required to collect visual, oral, textual and tactile artefacts that would be part of their research materials for the ideation in Project 1 (proposal).
- All collected artefacts and materials must be recorded, kept and documented, accompanied by necessary information such as the type of artefact and material, its purpose, its symbolism, its cultural/historical background, and more, depending on the kind of artefact and material.
- Data Collection Methods Some of the methods by which you can collect data:
• Observation study.
• Interview of relevant stakeholders (from the lecture series, you may approach any of the guest speakers for an interview, if you deem their presentation useful for further research).
• Online and/or actual physical material* visual research of the selected culture (the people/arts/symbols/architecture/text/calligraphy etc.)

Submission: We are to compile the collected field studies data into a slide accompanying with description and additional information. As well as proves of the collected google drive to submit to conclude the submission Project 2.

Resketching and colouring the characters

For the resketching and colouring before presenting to our interviewers and attaching to the google form, Cheng Yue and I both resketched and recoloured the character with similar colour palette as the original outfit and character design.

Collecting data with Survey

Click here to view google form and responses

Targeted Professional Respondents

Insta accounts:

1. baleys816

2. Ari

3.yumibatgerel

4.129gamestudios

5.shashakukou

6. ⁠pyrosculpts

7. ⁠wingfoxcg

8. ⁠https://www.instagram.com/moonlike_com?igsh=MXJicWY5MzN0enQ0NA==

9. little_dchan

Screenshots of proof

Interview Responses

Data collected slide

Intercultural Design - Group 32 by Cheryl Chooi

FINAL PROJECT: Visual Design

Our final is that we would be putting the redesigned characters as wishing banner as well as on a collaboration merchandise (cup sleeves collateral).

Role Delegation for the last task:

Complete splash art for 4 characters

Venti:
- Sketching & Line art = Cheryl
- Colouring = Elysa
- Rendering = Zi Qi

Xinqiu:
- Sketching & Line art = Adriena
- Colouring = Adriena
- Rendering = Zi Qi

Raiden & Yae Miko:
- Sketching & Line art = Elysa
* Colouring = Zi Qi
* Rendering = Zi Qi

Collateral:
- Done by Han & Wan Qing

Revised sketch (based on feedbacks)

Lineart and base colouring splashart

In this part, Cheng Yue and I both took Xingqiu and Venti each before passing it to Zi Qi for rendering. Elyssa also helped do the sketching and base colour for Yae Miko and Raiden shogen before passing it to Ziqi for rendering.

Final Redesign Character Splashart

Cup sleeves

This part were actually handled by Thanaphorn and Wanqing as they needed to design collateral cup sleeves for the collaboration. They were asked to design a background that would be fitting for both the male characters, Venti and Xingqiu.

Exploring cup sleeve designs

Final Cup sleeves design

Final cupsleeve poster

Han and I came up with an idea to make a poster to showcase the cupsleeve design and and redesign outfit more.

Final Submission

Final cup sleeve design #1

Final cup sleeve design #2

Final cupsleeve poster

Final Raiden Shogen Banner Design

Final designs compilation.pdf

Final presentation.mp4

(Final Project) Intercultural Design - Group 32 by cwqing 124

Final project google drive link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bdYBf2FH0z6lgNTmUmSHLWKiKtbJoQ-0

Feedback

Week 5

We had the opportunity to consult Mr. Charles regarding our ideas and collected data. Initially, there was confusion about the research objective, but after further explanation, he approved of our idea and approach to the research. He emphasized the importance of ensuring our research questions and findings were genuine to yield accurate results. Mr. Charles cautioned that not all Genshin players might initially agree with the idea, but suggested that if our research could demonstrate its impact in addressing the issue, it would still be valuable. Overall, he expressed satisfaction with the redesigned outfit sketches and recommended seeking additional feedback and perspectives on our idea.

Week 6

We presented our progress and interview responses to Mr. Charles. He expressed satisfaction with the diverse methods we employed to gather data, particularly highlighting the value of professional feedback on our sketches. He concurred that the questions and responses appeared unbiased. We informed him of our intention to modify the sketches based on the received feedback, to which he approved certain adjustments but questioned the necessity of changes to some aspects. We endeavored to find a compromise in response. In the end, he's satisfied with our progress and gave us the greenlight to continue our project within the given time limit.

Reflection

Throughout this project, we initially experienced smooth sailing, with effective delegation, excellent communication, and clear understanding of tasks among the team members. However, as we progressed, we encountered the beginning of a challenging phase. The professionals we reached out to during our field study weeks were unresponsive for a period of two weeks, setting us behind schedule. Additionally, we faced delays in securing interviewees. Later on, we entrusted the task of completing our official character design to the artists in our group, but they began working on it much later than anticipated. This resulted in last-minute requests for assistance from the rest of us, leading to a rush to contribute to the line art and base color. Overall, as we approached the end of the project, it became increasingly hectic. Reflecting on these challenges, I am beginning to consider the notion that relying solely on oneself may be more dependable than depending on others.

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ADRIENA TAN YAN ZI (0351236)