Design Principles - Task 1 (Exploration)
2nd February 2026 (Week 1) - 2026 (Week 4)
Insha Thahirah Rajab - 0360671
Design Principles - Section 02
Bachelor's Degree in Creative Media (Honors) - Taylors University
Task 1 (Exploration)
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CONTENTS
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LECTURES
Lecture playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_GyF4MZT-lWliJiuMr3mBRGL38VqIdim&si=9E7kPwrMAMa-tQ9V
The introductory lecture brushes up on the Elements vs Principles of
Design.
Week 1
Introduction: Elements & Principles of Design
Elements of Design
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INSTRUCTIONS
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TASK
Task 1 - Exploration (20%)
1. Recap this task (summarize your understanding of what you are required to do)
2. Describe each of the design principles listed below and select suitable design examples to demonstrate your understanding. Students are NOT ALLOWED to reuse the images from the lecture notes/videos. The examples and any information you borrow from other sources must credit the source.
• Gestalt theory
• Contrast
• Emphasis
• Balance
• Repetition
• Movement
• Harmony & Unity
• Symbol
• Word and Image
3. Select a design work that piques your interest.
4. Upload the design (JPEG file, min. A4 size, 300dpi) in your Task 1 blogpost.
5. Beneath the design, include the credit line of the design (title of design, designer’s name; year, size, medium used to create the design and the source).
6. Explain, in a writeup of about 150-200 words, why you chose that design.
7. List (no need to elaborate) the design principles you observed in that design in the Task 1 blogpost.
8. Include the feedback that you received from your lecturer in the Task 1 blogpost.
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1: GESTALT THEORY
- Principle of Similarity
- Principle of Continuation
- Principle of Closure
- Principle of Proximity
- Principle of Figure/ Ground
- Law of Symmetry and Order
2: CONTRAST
Figure 2.4 Use of Contrast in Poster Design(https://crashpadart.com/products/trapped?_pos=15&_sid=f76872d1e&_ss=r&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic), Week 2 (10/02/2026)
3: EMPHASIS
4. BALANCE
- Symmetrical Balance
- Asymmetrical Balance
Van Gogh uses asymmetrical balance in his infamous "Starry Night" painting by distributing unequal weight on each side. On the left is the dark long cypress tree which is balanced out by the smaller light crescent moon on the right. This makes the piece evoke more emotion, and depth.
- Radial Balance
5. REPETITION
6. MOVEMENT
Movement is the principle used to guide the viewer's eye throughout a design from one direction to the next in a way that visual information is communicated coherently. This occurs when elements seem to be moving in the work, through the use of lines, curves, shapes, and forms.6. HARMONY & UNITY
7. SYMBOL
8. WORD AND IMAGE
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:RESEARCHING DESIGNS
- Week 1
- Week 2
:SELECTED DESIGN
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
- Contrast
- Emphasis
- Asymmetrical Balance
- Harmony & Unity
- Principle of Figure/ Ground (through the silhouette)
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REFERENCES
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FEEDBACK
Week 1
Specific Feedback: -
General Feedback: There will be no Physical class
for this week. Please start on your e-portfolios through
blogger. Watch the tutorial before doing so.
Specific Feedback: -
General Feedback: There will be no Physical class for this week. Please start on your e-portfolios through blogger. Watch the tutorial before doing so.
Week 2
Specific Feedback:
You do not need to provide lecture notes, just your own
understanding of each design principles with references
provided.
I think your second piece has a stronger visual language, I
advise to use a design rather than a painting. Develop this
further and perhaps provide 3 examples to choose
from.
After your development, I can clearly see the last piece with
the most visual interest, I like this piece the most. If there
is no artist or name, that is okay, as long as you can
strongly deliver your interpretations/ thoughts/ feelings and
list each design principle.
General Feedback: Download the Module Brief from
Campus Central or through our Teams group chat. Please label
your reference as "Figure 1,2,3 etc..". Make sure your pieces
not only follow the brief standards, but be able to express your
tone through your work, explain to me why your piece works in
order to be a star student.
Specific Feedback: You do not need to provide lecture notes, just your own understanding of each design principles with references provided.
I think your second piece has a stronger visual language, I advise to use a design rather than a painting. Develop this further and perhaps provide 3 examples to choose from.
After your development, I can clearly see the last piece with the most visual interest, I like this piece the most. If there is no artist or name, that is okay, as long as you can strongly deliver your interpretations/ thoughts/ feelings and list each design principle.
General Feedback: Download the Module Brief from Campus Central or through our Teams group chat. Please label your reference as "Figure 1,2,3 etc..". Make sure your pieces not only follow the brief standards, but be able to express your tone through your work, explain to me why your piece works in order to be a star student.
Week 3
Specific Feedback:
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Include the Module Information (MI) and the Module
Assessment Tasks documents at the beginning of Task 1
blogpost.
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You have included suitable examples for each of the
design principles so far. I like that you include a
simplistic image for explanation of a principle, followed
by a specific design for that principle. It shows your
understanding.
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Include a reference list at the end of Task 1 for the
research you have conducted.
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Please complete Task 1 by the time we meet next week in
class so I can give you further comments.
General Feedback: For next week's (19 Feb) class,
there will not be face-to-face class on campus. It will be
replaced by online, written feedback on Friday, 20 Feb. Please
INDIVIDUALLY send me your Task 1 blog link (updated version)
before 12pm on Friday, 20 Feb.
Specific Feedback:
- Include the Module Information (MI) and the Module Assessment Tasks documents at the beginning of Task 1 blogpost.
- You have included suitable examples for each of the design principles so far. I like that you include a simplistic image for explanation of a principle, followed by a specific design for that principle. It shows your understanding.
- Include a reference list at the end of Task 1 for the research you have conducted.
- Please complete Task 1 by the time we meet next week in class so I can give you further comments.
General Feedback: For next week's (19 Feb) class, there will not be face-to-face class on campus. It will be replaced by online, written feedback on Friday, 20 Feb. Please INDIVIDUALLY send me your Task 1 blog link (updated version) before 12pm on Friday, 20 Feb.
Week 4
Specific Feedback: Using an abstract piece may be difficult to conduct a visual
analysis on. Plus, with your specific artwork chosen, with no
artist details or background on the work, Task 2 will be
unattainable. Changing the chosen piece is the best possible
option. Maybe look into something you connect with, art deco
or other styles. Possibly music genres you are interested in,
take inspiration from album covers, such as from rock or punk
bands. Any source of design works, as long as principles are
present and they can be analyzed further in Task 2.
The
artwork you have chosen is approved for finalization. I like
the colour palette! Very cute piece. Make sure you can
identify and explain the design principles as well as the
artist and their techniques used.
General Feedback: Submission will be this Sunday. No
further edits can be made after the due date. Make sure to
include a reference list please.
Specific Feedback: Using an abstract piece may be difficult to conduct a visual
analysis on. Plus, with your specific artwork chosen, with no
artist details or background on the work, Task 2 will be
unattainable. Changing the chosen piece is the best possible
option. Maybe look into something you connect with, art deco
or other styles. Possibly music genres you are interested in,
take inspiration from album covers, such as from rock or punk
bands. Any source of design works, as long as principles are
present and they can be analyzed further in Task 2.
The
artwork you have chosen is approved for finalization. I like
the colour palette! Very cute piece. Make sure you can
identify and explain the design principles as well as the
artist and their techniques used.
General Feedback: Submission will be this Sunday. No further edits can be made after the due date. Make sure to include a reference list please.
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REFLECTION
Experience: Task 1 was a task I found relatively interesting and easy. I enjoyed learning each principle, summarizing through my own understanding and finding my own reference images to suit each one. Classes felt productive and feedback from Dr Jin Chi was super helpful and insightful, I felt my progression improve through classes every week. Overall, this task was to the point and very reseacrh-based, which I enjoyed as I prefer self-learning.
Observations: While talking through peers I understood that many would offer the same questions and doubts I had, a lot of us were able to discuss together. By looking through past pupils work, I was able to gather more understanding on the structure of the e-portfolio, as well as notes on each principle. However, I made the mistake of assuming we needed to write lecture notes from the YouTube videos Dr Jin Chi sent, which was later then cleared up through consultation.
Findings: Through my research, I discovered all the different uses of Gestalt Theory as well as Design Principles through a variety of art medium: Paintings, Photography, Advertising, Graphic Design etc. This really interested me as I understood how powerful understanding theory was, and how a message can be delivered beautifully to an audience.
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