Design Principles Task 3

TASK 3 (DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN)

ZHANG YUNQI | 0390947 | Bachelor Of Design In Creative Media | Design Principles |

Final Design

Magic Apple
8th Mar 2026

Items In This Article

| Recap This Task | 

| Conduct A Visual Analysis And Complete My Work |

| The Ideas I Have Extended |

| Teacher's Feedback |

✦ PART ONE | Recap This Task |

For Task 3, my core objective is to complete an independent design project. I will first conduct a systematic and clear analysis to elaborate on my creative concepts, design intentions, and the theoretical knowledge applied. Then, I will gradually develop and refine my work using a variety of color schemes and compositional structures. Once the design is completed, I will upload it in the required format and seek feedback from the instructor. Finally, I will integrate the knowledge I have learned and the tasks I have completed throughout the course, and summarize the insights I have gained from it.

✦ PART TWO | Conduct A Visual Analysis And Complete My Work |

Following my supervisor’s advice, I selected Sketch 3 for further development. I plan to create a decorative graffiti illustration in a dark fairy-tale style, featuring one of my original characters.The apple is a central element in my work. Not only is it a fruit I greatly enjoy, but it also carries rich connotations in Western culture—symbolizing knowledge, temptation, and sin, among other meanings—making it highly fitting for my thematic focus.

The design principles I mainly focused on and further developed include: Balance, Contrast, Emphasis, Movement and Pattern.

• In Task 2, I had already drafted a preliminary composition. For this design, I will use symmetrical balance as the core framework, while incorporating a few asymmetrical elements to avoid the rigidity that can arise from excessive order. For the color palette, I experimented with blue and red to create a warm-cold contrast, using yellow and green as balancing tones. Given my personal preference for low-saturation visuals, the overall color saturation of the piece will be kept relatively low.

• To align with the theme, I first designed the character’s costume. He is conceptualized as a “little prince,” but his true form is a wooden puppet toy, with the core imagery of a “puppet.” I referenced various styles, including fairy-tale aesthetics, court fashion, and little prince-inspired outfits, ultimately achieving a naive and childlike visual effect.

• To clarify my direction for subsequent drawing and ensure the final outcome is effective, I first “scribbled” the intended overall atmosphere in a very spontaneous manner, aiming to check the visual coherence. In terms of brushwork and techniques, I drew on approaches from various flat illustration styles, such as Constructivism, Memphis design, picture-book aesthetics, graffiti, and Pop Art. By incorporating a rich variety of dots, lines, and shapes, I aimed to enhance the composition’s decorative quality and layering. Additionally, I sought to “hide” deeper meanings within the artwork’s details—for example, a castle is subtly embedded in the character’s clothing. This attempt inspired me: in future works of this style, I can use such “small clever ideas” to elevate the work’s depth and interpretive potential.

• With the preparatory work complete, I followed my usual creative process: first outlining, then applying color, and finally refining details step by step. As I worked, I continuously reflected on how to arrange such a diverse array of elements without making the composition cluttered. I also differentiated decorative techniques across different areas: “hard” structures were rendered with more straight lines, while “soft” sections relied primarily on curves, and dot elements were used for transitions and small-scale accents. The use of shapes was somewhat random; for instance, sea urchin-like patterns were applied to the top of the head to convey the direction of the hair, and highlights were marked with “sparkling” shapes like four-pointed stars, while other areas were approached more freely. After finishing the character, I added a background color and small decorative elements to avoid an empty composition and to alleviate the visual fatigue caused by an overly dark central area (in line with my personal aesthetic preferences).

✦ PART THREE | The Ideas I Have Extended |

• Texture

                                                               After                                                    Before

After painting, I added a noise effect to the artwork, which gives it a more grainy texture and a stronger picture-book graffiti feel.

• Composition

Balance

Imbalance

I experimented with different compositions, including bilateral balance and unilateral imbalance, achieving distinct visual effects.

• Colour Palette

The color palette is closely related to the visual effect I want to achieve. I tried several different color schemes by adjusting colors directly, and they can be applied to different atmospheres and creative needs.

However, I finalized the colors directly on the color palette this time, so the overall color effect may be less harmonious and natural than adjusting gradually during the drawing process.

✦ PART FOUR | Teacher's Feedback |

That's a good progress work. The development process is clearly shown and the idea is refined well from the earlier sketches. The progression towards the final design is clear and the composition is visually balanced.

The final outcome is well presented and demonstrates a good application of design principles. Overall, this is a strong final design. Good work.