03/03/2025 - 17/03/2025 (Week 5 - Week 7)
Samantha Kristalyn / 0373905
Design Principles / Bachelors of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's
University
Task 3 (Development & Design)
JUMPLINKS
INSTRUCTIONS
TASK
1. References
For the references, I found two Van Gogh collages on Pinterest. Both of them included emphasis and showed different sizes and parts of the artwork which correlates to my goal of visual emphasization.
2. Original Sketches (Mock Up)
Initially, I have made three sketches last week to help me visualize on how I will remix the artwork later on. Each sketches were made thoughtfully while keeping the goal of creating the remixed work in mind. The main goal here is to visually emphasize and communicate the historical background of the painting that I have chosen beforehand. Below are the rationales of each of the sketches.
(Left-to-right)
Sketch 1: Woman in Gold is illustrated in this sketch as an infographic where the salient features are emphasized in close-up shots of the artwork. The typography is simple and clear to ensure readability, with the artwork serving as the focal point. The image and text are allocated in a balance that creates an informative and visually interesting format.
Sketch 2: This version takes the infographic concept further with the addition of a color scheme and emotive, bold type. The bold font style enhances visual appeal, and the detail close-ups accentuate the painting's intricacy. The structured layout offers neat information flow with a dramatic, modern presentation.
Sketch 3: Following Mr. Fauzi's feedback, this composition prioritizes a close-up perspective to emphasize the intricate details of Woman in Gold. The minimal yet effective text placement complements the artwork without overshadowing it. This layout maintains balance between visual storytelling and informative content, ensuring a strong focal point.
After further consideration and feedback, I have decided to follow the direction of the first sketch that I have made. Here is a closer look of the sketch:
After gaining a few more ideas and references as to how I was going to execute this project, I started working on the finalized product using digital editing software.
3. Progress & Works
At first, I started off by opening a blank landscape document. After doing so, I added in the artwork and enlarged the picture for emphasization. Moving along, I added the letters 'G', 'O', 'L' and 'D' which makes up the word 'gold' to enhance the composition and reinforce the theme of gold as well as creating a visual connection between the text and the artwork.
I removed some parts of the letters 'O' and 'L' to create a sense of depth between the text and the artwork. By doing this, the letters appear as if they are partially behind the woman in Woman in Gold, rather than floating on top of the image. Also known as overlapping or layering, this technique enhances the visual hierarchy and makes the composition feel more immersive and natural.
After I was done with the text, I added multiple of the artwork and used the masking tool to crop some parts of the artwork. I made sure that the three parts of the cropped artwork included different sizes (small, medium, and big) so that there is variety in scale and emphasis within the composition.
I added a subtext, "Woman in Gold" above the eyes to reinforce the theme of the artwork and provide context.
To enhance and improve the readability since the background is very flashy and there's a lot going on, I added the Drop Shadow effect so the text is more visible for both the individual letters 'G', 'O', 'L', 'D' and the 'Woman in Gold' text.
Lastly, I just added the body text with a subtle Drop Shadow effect.
First Draft
Based on Mr. Fauzi's feedback and advice from Week 4, I started working on the first draft. I just made the first draft very quickly to help me vision what I was going to do later on. On the 5th week, Mr. Fauzi reviewed the first draft and gave feedbacks. I was told to move the 'L' that I have placed on the back slightly to the left so that the tail of the letter would be more visible. I was unsure whether the body text on my work is readable because of the flashy background and Mr. Fauzi suggested that I add something like a black background for the text or lessen the opacity of the artwork so the readability of the text increases. He also told me to neat up the body text since most of them are still justified.
After receiving Mr. Fauzi's feedback, I started to make alternative versions of the work.
I started with trying to lower the opacity of the background first to make the body text more visible. Here are the two versions of the work:
For the first one, I just added the body text without any background, but with the Drop Shadow effect on Photoshop.
For the second one, I just added a black background on the body texts with the information. I lowered the opacity of the text background to 55%.
After that, I added black backgrounds onto the body text to help improve the readability. Here are the two versions of the work:
For the first one, I added a text background for the body text using the rectangle tool on Photoshop, and I just changed the color to black.
For the second one, I just lowered the opacity of the text background so it won't look too "block-like." I lowered it to 55% opacity so the viewers can still look at the details of the artwork on the background.
4. Final Work
After consulting further with Mr. Fauzi, I ended up choosing the 4th one as my final work. Mr. Fauzi said that the placement and composition of the 4th one is the neatest one. Mr. Fauzi also reminded me about the submission requirement, which involves resizing the final design to fit an A4-sized composition so I went ahead and re-sized my work but kept the composition the same. Here is the final work after further editing:
Rationale (204 Words)
The ultimate goal of this design was to visually emphasize the intricate details of Gustav Klimt's Woman in Gold while simultaneously communicating its powerful historical narrative. Without heavily altering the artwork, I aimed to highlight key elements by applying the principle of Big, Medium, and Small; creating visual contrast and guiding the viewer's eye across varying scales of detail. This variation helps viewers appreciate the craftmanship in different parts of the painting, from textures to patterns.
To help strengthen visual emphasis and theme cohesion, I incorporated bold, cropped typography that spells out "GOLD", seamlessly integrating the text with the artwork through layering and partial overlap. This not only reinforces the golden theme but also creates depth and visual hierarchy. Strategic placement of close-up sections enhances engagement and draws focus to specific facial features and ornamental details.
The use of contrast, emphasis, balance, and hierarchy ensures clarity in both visuals and information. Supporting text is placed thoughtfully with drop shadows and semi-transparent backgrounds to improve readability without overpowering the artwork. At its core, the design serves as both a visual celebration and an informative piece, helping viewers not only admire the art, but also understand the emotional, cultural, and historical depth behind Woman in Gold.
FEEDBACK
Week 5
Mr. Fauzi told me to move the letter "L" a bit more to the left so the tail is visible. I was unsure about the readability of the body text since the artwork has a striking background and Mr. Fauzi recommended 2 ideas; such as lowering the opacity of the background or adding a black background for the body text. He also told me to rearrange the text a bit since all of it are still justified.
Week 6
During the meeting, Mr. Fauzi checked on all of the alternative versions of my work that I have revised. Before I finalize my work and choosing one of them, I wanted to consult to Mr. Fauzi first. He told me that out of the four, the fourth one has the best composition.
Week 7
Mr. Fauzi reviewed my task 3 blog and also my final compilation blog. I was unsure of how my final work turned out but Mr. Fauzi reassured me and said that it is good and it is how he would usually edit artworks for advertisement purposes.
REFLECTION
Experience
Through this project, I learned how to apply design principles practically and creatively. It taught me the importance of balancing aesthetics and functionality in layout composition.
Observation
Visual emphasis can be achieved not only through scale and color but also through thoughtful layering and hierarchy. The importance of typography in guiding viewer attention became more evident through this task.
Findings
Iterative design and feedback are essential to achieving polished results. Small changes in text placement, background contrast, or opacity can impact the overall readability and effectiveness of a design.
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