Project Plan:

• Week One

  Research to solidify a game plan and direction for the project and Initial concepts informed by initial research personal artistic choices of where to take this project. Constant documentation.

• Week Two

  Further Research now with more focus into specific fields or aspects concerning the initial ideas as well as concept development driven by the research. And if I have enough to go on then starting to build. Constant documentation.

• Week Three

  Building the product all of this week in tandem with concept development if its required through the building process, as there might be problems I didn’t consider. Constant documentation.

• Week Four

  Finalising the building process along with time put aside to consider the exhibition of the build and ideally finalising the documentation, I am aware of the extra week for documentation but would rather have that finished before hand as to not bleed into the second half of Design Domain.

Concept :

I want my Control project to bring joy/satisfaction.

me (2024)

Inspiration :

I know that I want to elicit joy from my build, and now, looking into different media, I think of eliciting pleasure in several ways and media.

Martin Parr :

For inspiration, I’ve looked at the work of Martin Parr because, in my initial concepts, I want a sense of fun, joy and accessibility in the sense of classless art.

David Hurn :

Looking at the work of David Hurn, the humour and joy of Hurn again inspires me, but within his work, there is both style and conventional class as well as spirit and joy.

Bruno Munari :

Dieter Rams :

Teenage Engineering :

Sound Play Projects:

https://www.housemusic.app

Pushing your buttons:

What buttons do we want to press? What will entice an interaction from the viewer from initial sight of the button and then after the interaction, what will be the most satisfying.

What we have in the studio:

What I might need to order:

Controllers:

Switches:

Initially I have no idea on what form my project will take but I think if I follow the direction of my thought process and research then I’ll find a fitting housing and inputs that has a tactile satisfying feeling.

Concept :

What art will the build produce ?

What art can I look at to inspire the controls or outcome of the build. Simple in elements but complex in beauty and concept.

Hard Edge Painting :

John McLaughlin :

Ellsworth Kelly :

Kazimir Malevich :

Concept :

The design is too complicated and with my current ability and time frame the initial design will either be too difficult or too time consuming. It has to be simplified.

Simplify the concept :

To save time cost and manufacturing I’ll be using a simple lunch box for the body, it can be opened and closed in ease and thew hard plastic body will be secure enough to work with/on.

For the shape position on the controller I’ve removed the the joystick and went for a simpler two knob control system like an etch a sketch.

Button Layout Test :

For the XY of placing the square I

Components :

The components have been ordered and hopefully all sorted so that they can be soldered and all i have to do is put them into the lunch box.

Housing :

The classic red hard plastic lunchbox is the housing for this build.

What do I actually want the code to do :

Making the code more manageable :

Developing the concept :

Button Layout Test :

Drilling the holes :

Seeing it everywhere :

Revisiting the etch a sketch :

I would like the knobs for the directional potentiometers to be different, bigger or more attention-grabbing.

Labels:

The Code :

//defining the buttons, potentiometers and leds coming in from the Arduino
void setupArduino() {
  myArduino.pinMode(pot1, Arduino.INPUT);
  myArduino.pinMode(pot2, Arduino.INPUT);
  myArduino.pinMode(pot3, Arduino.INPUT);
  myArduino.pinMode(pot4, Arduino.INPUT);
  myArduino.pinMode(BigButton, Arduino.INPUT_PULLUP);
  myArduino.pinMode(button1, Arduino.INPUT_PULLUP);
  myArduino.pinMode(button2, Arduino.INPUT_PULLUP);
  myArduino.pinMode(button3, Arduino.INPUT_PULLUP);
  myArduino.pinMode(button4, Arduino.INPUT_PULLUP);
  myArduino.pinMode(BigButtonLed, Arduino.OUTPUT);
}

//a square class to draw the shape with a if/else loop to change the square to a circle
class Square {
  float x;
  float y;
  float size = 20;
  color col;
  float rot;
  int s = 0;
  Square(float _x, float _y) {
    x = _x;
    y = _y;
  }
  void display() {
    fill(col);
    noStroke();
    pushMatrix();
    translate(x, y);
    float r = radians(rot);
    rotate(r);
    if (s == 0) {
      square(0, 0, size);
    } else if (s == 1) {
      circle(0, 0, size);
    }
    popMatrix();
  }
}

// note of serial port coming from arduino ide

//serial point 02
///dev/cu.usbmodem1101

//using formata to talk to processing
import processing.serial.*;
import cc.arduino.*;

Arduino myArduino;

//set up which button, potentiometer and led is in which port
final int pot1 = 0;
final int pot2 = 1;
final int pot3 = 2;
final int pot4 = 3;

final int BigButton = 6;
final int button1 = 10;
final int button2 = 9;
final int button3 = 8;
final int button4 = 7;

final int BigButtonLed = 12;

//putting each button and potentiometer into an array, a tidier solution that writing out each function for each input
final int [] allButtons = {BigButton, button1, button2, button3, button4};
int [] lastButtonStates;

//final int [] allPot = {pot1, pot2, pot3, pot4};

Square [] squares;

// a selected colour palette to replicate the colours used by Mclaughlin and Malevich from the 1960's hard edge paint movement and putting them into an array
color CGrey = color(151, 134, 126);
color CRed = color(194, 35, 56);
color CGreen = color(142, 162, 65);
color CBlue = color(34, 145, 240);
color CLBlue = color(158, 193, 197);
color CYellow = color(213, 164, 9);
color COrange = color(229, 90, 59);
color CPink = color(237, 152, 161);

color [] colours = {CGrey, CRed, CGreen, CBlue, CLBlue, CYellow, COrange, CPink};

int squareNum = 0;
int shape = 0;

void setup() {

  fullScreen();
  //fullScreen(2);
  //size(1900, 900);
  background(250);
  rectMode(CENTER);


  //printArray(Arduino.list());

  myArduino = new Arduino(this, Arduino.list()[2], 57600);

  setupArduino();

  //drawing the square and taking the reading from the X and Y potentiometers
  squares = new Square[1];
  float x = xPotRead();
  float y = yPotRead();
  Square s = new Square(x, y);
  // Square s = new Square(width/2, height/2);
  squares[squareNum] = s;

  lastButtonStates = new int[allButtons.length];

  for (int i = 0; i < lastButtonStates.length; i ++) {
    lastButtonStates[i] = Arduino.HIGH;
  }

  myArduino.pinMode(BigButtonLed, Arduino.OUTPUT);
}


void draw() {

  background(250);
  myArduino.digitalWrite(BigButtonLed, Arduino.HIGH);

  for (int i = 0; i < squares.length; i ++) {
    squares[i].display();
  }


  float s = adjustSize();
  squares[squareNum].size = s;

  float r = adjustRotation();
  squares[squareNum].rot = r;

  float x = xPotRead();
  squares[squareNum].x = x;

  float y = yPotRead();
  squares[squareNum].y = y;

  // a for loop to check each button state if they are pushed or not
  for (int b = 0; b < allButtons.length; b ++) {
    int buttonState = myArduino.digitalRead(allButtons[b]);
    if (lastButtonStates[b] != buttonState) {
      lastButtonStates[b] = buttonState;
      if (buttonState == Arduino.LOW) {
        switch(b) {

          // each button has a case that defines which each button does
        case 0:
          saveSquare();
          break;

        case 1:
          createSquare();
          break;

        case 2:
          selectColor();
          break;

        case 3:
          if (shape == 0) {
            shape = 1;
          } else {
            shape = 0;
          }
          squares[squareNum].s = shape;
          break;

        case 4:
          resetSquares();
          break;
        }
      }
    }
  }
}


// reading the the potentiometer and adjusting the size of the shape
float adjustSize() {
  int potRead = myArduino.analogRead(1);
  float s = map(potRead, 0, 1023, 5, 700);
  return s;
}


// reading the the potentiometer and adjusting the rotation of the shape
float adjustRotation() {
  int potRead = myArduino.analogRead(4);
  float r = map(potRead, 0, 1023, 0, 360);
  return r;
}

// a save frame function that  
void saveSquare() {
  saveFrame();
  shape = 0;
  squares = new Square[1];
  float x = xPotRead();
  float y = yPotRead();
  Square s = new Square(x, y);
  // Square s = new Square(width/2, height/2);
  squares[0] = s;
  squareNum = 0;
}

void createSquare() {
  shape = 0;
  float x = xPotRead();
  float y = yPotRead();
  Square s = new Square(x, y);
  squares = (Square[])append(squares, s);
  println(squares.length);
  squareNum ++;
}

//cycling through a random colour from the colour array
void selectColor() {

  int r = (int)random(colours.length);
  squares[squareNum].col = colours[r];
}

// clearing and resetting the square array
void resetSquares() {
  shape = 0;
  squares = new Square[1];
  float x = xPotRead();
  float y = yPotRead();
  Square s = new Square(x, y);
  //Square s = new Square(width/2, height/2);
  squares[0] = s;
  squareNum = 0;
}

//reading and mapping the x coordinates from the potentiometer
float xPotRead() {

  int potRead = myArduino.analogRead(2);
  float x = map(potRead, 0, 1023, 0, width);
  return x;
}

//reading and mapping the y coordinates from the potentiometer
float yPotRead() {

  int potRead = myArduino.analogRead(0);
  float y = map(potRead, 0, 1023, 0, height);
  return y;
}

The Jungle :

Final Build :

Box in use :

Reflection:

I enjoyed the reaction people had to my control project; the joy and excitement they had towards it was great.

I would love to develop this piece even further; as well as bringing the electronics to a solid professional standard, I would love to add an extra level of polish to the interface and the interactions people have with the box.

If I were to take it further, I would want to work on having the ideal buttons for the box, more chunky and durable, really focusing on the satisfaction of interacting with each component, as well as the iconography on the face of the box, replacing the English labels with universal symbols.

The Brief:

Initial Ideas:

As I have a week for this project I can’t spend as much time as I’d like researching the topic and influences and will just have to trust my gut on it. Initial thoughts is to do something very simple but still effective and as Gillian instructed focus more on the nuances.

Inspiration:

Lora Lamm

I’ve looked at the work of Lora Lamm, specifically her use of straightforward yet descriptive visuals. Her use of shape and colour creates a sense of fun and brightness around her work, which is shown below, and even though my goal is to be more severe and direct, what I am to take away from this is how Lamm does so much with so little and that less can be more than enough.

Saul Bass

In a number of Saul Bass’s work When looking at Saul Bass’s work, I was drawn to the apparent simplicity of shapes, colour, and movement and how he uses such simple elements to elicit the overarching emotional reaction the movie is about to achieve. He sets the film’s tone with simple components and speaks with attention given to the movement or relationship between these components.In a number of Saul Bass’s work

North by Northwest (1959) :

The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) :

Psycho (1960):

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) :

Maurice Binder

With Maurice Binder’s title sequence in the 1958 movie ‘Damn Yankees, ‘ it was less the tone and emotion achieved but the use of movement, paying particular attention to the method used at 1:59 when the baseball is followed flying past the stand.

Damn Yankees (1958) :

Inspiration:

The News

As the brief states, the piece has to be for a news brodcast ‘Tonight’, so after establishing the style and time frame I wish to imitate, inspired mainly by the work of Saul Bass I took a look into the news broadcasts of the time.

The main iconography that stands out to me is that of the globe and the signals emitters. Another key element that I want to imitate from the original news broadcasts is the music, the large triumphant brass section to announce its presence.

From Early 60’s to Late 60’s:

At some point of actually creating my title sequence I realised that even though I was creating it with a style based of the early 1960’s, it was inspired from films and artistic pioneers of the early 60’s which didn’t trickle down to television and mainstream television until the mid to late 60’s/ early 70’s.

As this is a very quick project I wont have time to correct or delve deeper into my research but I think it’s important to note that with more time I’d love to look more into television from that era and nail the specific feel and nuances of television from that time.

The visuals I have in mind at this point makes me think of the energetic instrumentals by Werner Tautz.

So with the style of Saul Bass and the images of the globe and/or radio emitters and the music Werner Tautz, my final piece should be something inspired by the 1960’s but almost an exaggeration of it, the 1960’s news broadcast through the rose tinted glasses of nostalgia.

Inspiration:

Story Board :

Music Change:

David Rose & His Orchestra – Holiday For Strings (1955 Version)

In all honesty I can not remember why I went for David Rose – Holiday For Strings in stead of Werner Tautz – Derby Day they both seem to do the same job, Derby Day being a bit more energetic than Holiday for Strings. What I do know is that I removed Grand Central by Tautz because the the reason I loved it initially now doesn’t align with the pacing and steady feel of the final outcome. Again if revisiting this project then I might want to explore Derby Day further and create a title sequence closely tied to its tempo.

Final – Tonight1970:

With my final outcome, I aimed to create a modern recreation of a 1970s title sequence, the key elements of the design, tempo and nuances driven by our nostalgic recollection of that time period and the media that went along with it.

Reflection:

This was a quick project but looking back I appreciate that sometimes, the short sporadic nature of it means that you have to trust your gut and run with it and don’t have time to second guess yourself, some elements might have been improved with some rumination or delving deeper though.

If I was to spend longer in this project then I would have spent more time planning and narrowing down exactly what I wanted to achieve and exactly how I was going to do it, as well as perfecting some elements like movments and pacing and fixing others completely like the font.

Process

PRE RECORDED TALKS:

PANEL DISCUSSION:

INITIAL IDEAS:

When starting my initial ideas and creative process, I kept the theme of process in mind. Honestly, I read and wrote it so much that it was beginning to lose meaning.
When I considered the theme process, two things kept coming back to me: the process of ageing and the number of processes used in photography.
But as I was trying to not do what I always do, I didn’t want to lock in the first idea I had.

MY CREATIVE PROCESS:

ACCIDENTAL BEGINNING:

When discussing the idea of documenting progress in peoples hands I remembered that during a drunk train ride home I took the picture of the stranger sitting opposite me.

I could tell so much from one picture of his hand and the situation it was in.

HAND TEST ONE:

RESEARCH:

Below are works from Sally Mann, Henri Cartier Bresson, Herbert List, Elliott Erwitt, matt black, Fan Ho, Dorothea Lange, Mary Ellen Mark, and Ansel Adams.

I’ve grouped the works of all of these photographers together to try and inspire myself to do something as half as good as any of them. Like an inspiration board of good photography.

John Hilliard

Camera Recording its Own Condition (7 Apertures, 10 Speeds, 2 Mirrors) 1971

Susan Hiller, Monument, 1980-1 (Tate Britain installation shot)
Tate; Copyright Susan Hiller; Image: Tate Photography/Sam Drake

HAND TEST TWO:

Familiarising myself again with my camera in the studio.

HAND TEST THREE:

DESIGN DOMAIN WRITING:

When considering the theme of the process, two interpretations kept coming back to me: that of ageing and that of photography. The process of getting older, changing and learning is something we all have in common, and our experiences in life are a big part of that. What we do and what happens to us is a big part of who we are, and through life and those experiences, we use our hands to communicate, create, move or connect with others; our lives are on our hands one way or another and after realising most of my projects have a focus on people and humanity I knew I wanted to focus on the humanity we present with our hands. And the multiple processes of photography, from the simple processes of lining up and taking a shot to the development of physical film to the editing processes after initial photography. So, using photography and the ageing process, I decided to focus on the process people go through with their hands and document that as best as I could.

Everyone’s hands tell a story of their life and what they have used those hands for.

My primary research and creative process were interlinked; I had to get my hands on the camera and start taking pictures again, which informed my process and interactions with the people I was photographing. There is no clear line between the research part of my proposal and the making part. As I was researching, I was making, and as I was making, I was researching and learning more as I did more in an almost symbiotic system between the two. I wouldn’t have gained as much if I had studied the camera without any subjects or gone out and discussed the projects with those I was photographing without the camera.

To learn about people, we need to know them, and photography gains something through conversation. So going out and actually having a conversation with people as you take pictures adds another level to the understanding of the photo, which is already quite a personal thing; someone’s hands are how to interact with the world and can tell us so much about that person when we focus and pay attention to them. If I don’t go out and research or take pictures with a telescopic lens, I may save myself an awkward conversation, but I rob myself of interacting with that person personally and learning about who they are.

Taking this further will be done in two ways; firstly, I want to photograph a wide range of people and show the diversity and differences in people’s hands and lives, developing an extensive collection of people and their stories. Secondly, I want to develop a very tactile and satisfying way for people to view the photographs in a way that they can use their hands to view them. Another possibility is to show them in an exhibition or gallery space as one extensive collection to show their relationship, as through this process, I’ve learned that on their own, they make less of an impact than they would as a collection. A wall full of people and their stories.

DESIGN DOMAIN PROPOSAL:

DESIGN DOMAIN: OPEN STUDIO DISPLAY

GOING FORWARD:

Going into this project, I’m already thinking about what I’ve done in the realms of data visualisation and how I can do something different from before.

I initially did data visualisation before I even really knew what it was in the year one Hello World project with the amount of music I listened to.

And then again during Colab 1 in year one in the visualisation of lithium battery usage within the studio and my family.

BRIEF :

One of the critical things I have in mind for this project is to make the data personal and relatable. To have a data visualisation that means something to someone as well as informs and educates.

INSPIRATION: David McCandless

INSPIRATION : Photoviz by Nicholas Felton

INSPIRATION : David McCandless (again)

INSPIRATION : Mitsuo Katsui

The critical factor I want to take away from Katsui’s work is his openness to colour and how vibrant and almost dreamlike it is. The bursts of colour and blurring and mixing of those vibrant colours

THE LEGO IDEA:

The Lego idea is visualising the data I have in my room daily. I keep looking at how to make it more personal to the viewer and how to make the data relatable. But, I’ve forgotten a lesson I learned during my first year: I’m not yet the exact precise scalpel of a trained artist/designer, but I am still learning, the blunt sledgehammer.

Using the old saying, write what you know; if I want it to be relatable and personal, it should be something unique to me and I can relate to.

I build Lego to relax and almost meditate while doing something I enjoy and having an outcome at the end of it.
So even with the added layer of my personal experiences with these sets, there’s already quantifiable physical data there as well as a quantifiable emotional aspect within the data such as the level of joy I’ve got from it, the relaxation I feel before and after it on top of the number of pieces, the colours used, the themes that inspire the sets.

WORKSHOP 02:

DATA VIS BELT : Test

The belt was a concept I had for Data Visualisation that initially was just an idea on how to show data physically, something personal by proximity. Data that can be worn. But through my life and the discussion of men’s mental health that has been happening more and more in society, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to use my data to bring more attention to it, but as I’ve been working through the concept, I feel that at this point I can’t do it justice as well as the fact as that I am not finding the data and designing around it but starting with a concept and trying to cram the data in to fix it and the outcome won’t be good enough for myself or the cause I’m trying to help.

I need to find the data, collect it, let it guide the design of the visualisation, and find a way to show that in an exciting and informative way.

THE LEGO IDEA:

LEGO PROPAGANDA:

INSPIRATION: Jean Widmer

INSPIRATION: Rosemarie Tissi

A CLEAR PATH :

Mens mental health:

https://www.menmatterscotland.org/team

https://www.brothersinarmsscotland.co.uk/about/

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2021-volume-1-main-report/pages/7/

https://www.gcu.ac.uk/currentstudents/support/wellbeing/spotlightonmentalhealth/spotlight-on…mens-mental-health

https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/suicide-statistics-for-scotland/suicide-statistics-for-scotland-update-of-trends-for-the-year-2021/

https://www.scotpho.org.uk/health-conditions/mental-health/data/adult-mental-health/

LEGO AS A MEDIUM:

WHICH FORM ?:

SUPPORT SESSION:

After the support session with Paul, I have a clearer thought process. Before, I felt I had all the puzzle pieces but no connective path; I had the data/ starting point, the medium and reasoning, and a general idea of the outcome. But with no clear way to get there, I couldn’t have said for sure.

My plan was initially to look at each Lego piece as a singular unit. Still, again, when discussing with Paul, there might be too many Lego pieces or something that will not fit into my time frame, so with the eight Lego studs on each block, that will represent eight men.

https://domesticstreamers.com/projects/lifeline

Exploring Forms:

Above is further exploration if form and how I can show each brick but still within a stable structure.

297 bricks are in the main structure shown.

THE CODE:

THE PHYSICAL:

8 MEN: Grid

8 MEN: Sculpture

Reflection:

While reflecting on this project I’ve realised I really do believe in it.

Each aspect separately is something I stand by and the concept of using a non-threatening medium to tackle harder issues in a non invasive sculptural piece is something I’d like to try again or develop further.

Taking this further, I would like to upscale it to a human level while still considering the importance of keeping the material informal, relatable and personal.

Project Launch

Workshop 01

Visiting the Case Room

I was drawn to the EVERY OTHER THING print, and I’m not entirely sure why. I instantly saw and loved the bold Font, colour choice, and spacing of the lettering. I’m still determining if I want to bring anything of it into my project. Still, I thought it essential to document how much it affected me.

Research

Space Type Generator

Above are just messing about with the Space Type Generator, seeing what I could make with it, pushing it to the maximum and minimum settings.

Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton.

The book does a fantastic job of telling you what and what not to do how to use type well and effectively, and what not to do, but I thought about what happens if you do what Lupton is asking you not to.

Mark Making

An idea I initially had last year when talking with the then 2nd year students was to use some sort of liquid or gel to write the text like shower gel (shown here) or washing up liquid. Essentially using the same techniques as piping bags and icing but with its own distinct properties due to its nature.

Above is an ad for a Scotto Overcoat I picked from an antique shop years ago. I’d like to use this in my mark-making process to see what it will look like when printed.

Workshop 02

Support Session

Legibility and running with the Eye Test

After my talk with Paul, I had a direction to go on. I knew I wanted to do something with legibility and not be able to see what you are supposed to or needed to do. Still, then, pulling from personal experiences, the idea of eye tests and out-of-focus text was something I wanted to follow or the over compression of text and pixelisation of it.

Print Research

Workshop 03

Game Plan

With one week left, I needed a game plan; the first week, I was honestly half distracted with finishing the Realtime Events project, so I did get research done and had ideas but might have been more informed or had time for exploration, but we can’t go back in time only forward. With my game plan, I looked into eye tests and creating one.

Eye Test Chart

Research into traditional recognisable eye tests and how I can make mine as close to the original as possible. I don’t want it to be evident that mine does or says something different.

Important Signage

When thinking about the mock eye test, I kept thinking about the importance of being able to see. Words, signs, warnings. How important is it to see what we’re being warned about and what would happen if we couldn’t?

Testing the Blur

Snellen Chart vs LogMAR Chart

LogMAR Font : Optician Sans

LogMAR Blur Test 01

CAN YOU READ THIS ?

CAN YOU READ THIS? : PIXEL

The poster(s) you can never read.

Below is an initial concept for an installation with the poster collection. The concept show would be the blurring effect. When the viewer gets closer, the poster gets harder and harder to read.

Taking this concept further, each poster effect can be animated and triggered by proximity, devolving or warping in different ways.

Reflection

Reflecting on this project, I got so caught up in one aspect and didn’t keep my mind open to different avenues and methods. As well as neglecting the Processing/After Effects aspect and the projects and just focusing on the print.
A point I had lost was the importance of the actual words and what I was reminded of in the review. Making the poster something people want to read, the words having importance to the viewer and making it more critical when they can’t read it.

Further Development:

Workshop 01/ Launch

Video Game Art Styles

Initially, looking at art styles will help with where I want to take my Unity project. Now, I think it to say that I don’t know if I can research, learn the basics of Unity and create a gripping hyper-realistic scene in 3 weeks, so the Unity scene might need to be heavily stylised as I want to do this project justice and not just focus on the aesthetics of the game but the user experience as well as the sound design of the scene.

The skills I’ve gained in year one on programs like maya helped a lot with the workflow and interface of Unity and I’m sure that when I start moving deeper into Unity the differences will become more obvious but it seemed to help with the basics.

Below is a screen grab of a test scene done in workshop 01. I might change but initially I do like the visuals of a city lost at sea and the mystery that can surround that.

When thinking about user experience, I aim to draw them in. A possible way of simplifying each aspect of the scene but not reflecting on quality. An inviting art style, intuitive controls, compelling audio and a clear vision for the story/theme/mystery.

Low Polygonal (Low – Poly)

Shown here is the hyper styled Low-Poly action shot of SuperHot. A unforgettable game with visuals to match, from its interesting yet intuitive mechanics, striking visuals and effective sound landscape. I don’t intent to imitate SuperHot but take inspiration from how it does so much with so little.

Realism

Realism, is shown here in The Last of Us 2, to the right level between artistic style and realism. Sometimes with a realistic style it can go too far in to the ucanny valley and distract from the intended purpose. Realism when done well can really immerse the player in the experience of the game.

Fantasy Realism

It is closely tied with the goals of the realism aesthetic; the fantasy aesthetic aims to make the fantasy world the game is set in as believable as possible to help immerse the player.

Cartoon

Cartoon can incompass a number of styles from 3D to 2D and as cartoon styles change these game aestheics can change as well. Shown above are two examples of both cartoon that are widley different firstly is the 1930’s rubber hose style of Cuphead and then the almost Pixar inspired style of Overwatch.

Flat

An example of flat pixel art I’ve used is Nidhogg. Now, it is imitating the flat pixel art of the 1980s but with a vibrant colour pallet that wouldn’t have been available in that era.

Pixel

An example of pixel art I’ve chosen to look at is Fez because it was published in 2012, and this specific style was selected without the limitations of the decade and era the style comes from. Fez then subverts these traditional 2D aesthetics by allowing the player to switch between the four planes of this 2D/3D pixel world while style maintaining its aesthetic.

Cell Shaded

I was first introduced to cell shaded animation with the 2003 classic the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, that has contuined to show that a cell shaded can still look good years later.

Monochromatic

An example of monochromatic style that first came to mind in video games is the Return of the Obra Dinn, that even though it is a 3D game it uses this monochromatic rendering to imitate an almost printed look.

Scene Idea

My initial idea for the scene was to follow the same idea I had in Workshop 01, the city lost at sea. The scene would take inspiration from games like Journey or Flower, a semi-peaceful world that beckons the player forward through curiosity and discovery.

Workshop 02

Workshop 02 focused on several things, one being building prefabs and streamlining populating a level or scene and animating those prefabs within the scene. Also covered was the animation within Unity, which had a lot of similarities to how animation was done in Maya, and again, I’m sure on a deeper dive, the differences will become more apparent. Still, the basics are the same, and the same animation foundations and techniques can be used.

Styles by Decade

• 1970s

  

  https://elgoog.im/space-invaders/

  The video game style of the 70’s was rudimental shapes and simple interactions that paved the way for the rest of gaming to follow. For my project, I think the simple interactions and style can inform the simplicity of my scene.

• 1980s

  

  https://supermarioplay.com/

  The classic that is Super Mario Bros brought level design that guided and taught the player almost instantly to the masses and again should be a primary consideration when a player is interacting with my scene. How do they learn how to interact with the world and what objects are in the world, along with functionality to teach them?

• 1990s

  

  With the 1990s and the introduction of fully realised 3D environments, games developed again to allow players to interact and move characters around those environments. There was no universal or commonly understood button layout at this time as it was still being carved out. Ocarina of Time and its odd controller from the N64 did a lot to find ways of moving within that space. My main takeaway from this game is its sense of adventure and story.

• 2000s

  

  With the 2000s (and 2010s), there came a sense of storytelling maturity in gaming, with some leaning more toward movies and QTEs and others taking this maturity into the realms of more complex and compelling stories to rival that of film and TV whilst still being fun and exciting games as shown in Bioshock above. Now, some, in hindsight, missed the mark, but the takeaway from this is that a real story can be told. It doesn’t have to be simplified or catered to a younger audience.

• 2010s

  

  In the 2010s, maturity and storytelling started in the 2000s were refined. The stylistic choices of some games became more deliberate, and realistic games, such as Uncharted 3 (shown above), became more beautiful and polished with each game throughout the decade. In the way of visuals, though, the differences between the 00s and the 2010s became slight and then slight again when comparing the 2010s to our current decades’ visual quality.

  
  Tieing back to my scene, there is no way of producing a AAA title, but the scene could be compelling by taking thematic inspiration from games of the 2010s.

• 2020s

  

  Most recently, with Spider-Man 2 on PS5 and looking back at the past ten or even twenty years of gaming, there has been a steady rise in graphical style and high-quality graphics of video games. Still, in the ways of innovation and change, it has been stagnant; a similar button mapping is being adopted by most game devs and the spaces for radical ideas, or strange new game mechanics have been left to the indie devs and smaller studios for the most part. So Far…

  
  With a small scene to create, there is an opportunity to try something odd and different.

Gao Hang

Gao Hang uses oil painting to imitate the low-poly style of early ps2 graphics and characters models. An intereresting thing to takew from Hangs art is that he was born in 1991 and that this style of vidoe games are from his formative years.

Sequelitis with Arin Hanson

Now, there are a lot of jokes and swearing in this, but the main thought about game design stands and how video games are a unique medium that can be communicated without a manual or hand-holding and by simply interacting with the game or scene, the player can discover what they want to know for themselves and that the feeling of accomplishment after figuring it out is a reward.

Scene Idea

Unlike the other idea, this one is more focused, and even though I don’t have a style or theme for it, it’s driven by simplifying aspects of the scene so that more effort and focus can be put into other aspects of the experience. Like making it smaller scale so I can put more time into the sound or user experience.
I know what I want to do with this logically, but I am still trying to figure out what to do in aesthetic stories or triggers of the scene.

Support Session : The Fork in the road

After the support sessions, I felt like I had more of a focus on what to do. I did not have a direction, or my efforts were halved between two ideas and too focused, but after the support session, I have a concentrated direction.

For my scene, I will be doing a linear narrative walking sim with a monochromatic colour scheme; what I now need to figure out is the art style of the scene, the story of the scene and everything that comes along with that.

Inspiration:

Monochromatic art style in use

Limbo

Return of the Obra Dinn

Echochrome

Colour with a direction

Mirrors Edge

SuperHot

Unfinished Swan

Walking Sims

What Remains of Edith Finch

Firewatch

Everbody’s Gone to the Rapture

Monochromatic Art

Workshop 03

Support Session : Overhaul

I’m keeping the basic ideas of the scene but changing the setting and feel of it. Before, there was a lack of warmth, and that sense of wonder kept becoming. one of fear or uncertainty. The scene will be in a forest in the morning, with the warm summer sun peaking through the trees, guiding the player forward.

This week has been quite tumultuous in my personal life, and I have had to spend too much of it inside. When I needed a break, I went outside whenever I could to get some fresh air and to calm myself, listening to the wind through the trees. I want to bring as much of that as I can into my scene.

Tree Test

This is my initial test on what trees I should use, how dense they need to be, and how the light reacts through the leaves. After this test, I’ve learned that the trees need to be much denser to achieve the effect I’m after and taller to give the impression of the far-reaching top of the forest.

Terrain Test

Above is my first attempt at experimenting with the terrain in Unity and how the player interacts with and traverses the terrain. In my scene, the terrain will be more subtle, but I will use the terrain so conceal the limitations of the scene.

Tree/Terrain Test

In this attempt, I wanted to ramp up the density of the trees to the extreme just to see how many trees there has to be to imitate the look of a forest. What still needs to be changed is the trees’ height and thickness to bring the forest’s stability to life.

Finding the sounds of the forrest

The sounds I wanted to find for the forest focused on subtlety. Nothing too dramatic but just the wind moving through the trees and animals in the distance with more active sounds that can be used in triggers such as a bird chirping or a branch breaking.

Support Session

Building the Scene

Between the images above and below, I have imported a different tree prefab and adjusted the height as much as I could, used terrain and tree density to hide the limitations of the landscape, paid more attention to the ground of the forest that colour and texture or the grass and foliage.

I am happy with the terrain on this iteration, though; the soft hill doesn’t feel out of place and creates a natural horizon break to hide some limitations and creates a natural path or endpoint for the player to climb.

At this point, I dropped the monochromatic filter idea for two reasons. Firstly, time management because I wasn’t sure how to actually do it and do it well, and secondly, I didn’t want to take away the natural colours of the forest because, without it, it loses some of its comfort and warmth.

At this stage, I am fine-tuning the look of the forest with the correct tree prefabs, ground textures and grass billboards. At this point, I’m trying to balance the computational power, the almost realistic style and the player immersion simultaneously so that the feeling of a forest or at least the calm of one is apparent.

The fold-out pages in my notebook that seem like the scribbles of a madman were actually the XYZ of the sphere triggers and light locations on the terrane.

Music for the scene

Music I’ve been considering for the scene in Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. I was reminded of it by my younger cousin, who was playing it on guitar and had asked for me to sing along to it. The softness and warmth but still with the rugged strength of the song is something that I want to bring to the scene to bring this feeling of wilderness and ruggedness but still comfortable and safe.

The Soundscape

I was considering using Harvest Moon as the scene’s music, but it was pointed out that it has a definitive start and end and that if the scene is to last longer than the song or if the player wanders, then the music will need to loop. As well as the length of the song, the complexity of it might be an issue if I want to put music triggers or sounds over the top of it, then the soundscape can become messy or cluttered.

So, instead, I’ve opted for keeping the quiet sounds of the forest with a looping 1-minute guitar piece that is subtle so as not to distract or overpower but still brings warmth and comfort to the scene.

Final Scene : The Walk

Below are some stills from the final scene showing the final look I went within the time I had. It’s based on a realistic style but leans into the limitations of time, computational power and available textures to find a look similar to the late stages of the PS2 era and early stages of PS3.

Play Testing

After finishing the scene and building it, I sent it to some of my colleagues and family to get feedback and see if they could find any game-breaking situations or areas.
Below is feedback from my course colleague, Stewart.

Reflection

At the start of this project, I was understandably distracted and didn’t have a clear path, but I think my personal experiences informed this project in the positive; I don’t know if I would have changed it to the forest and the calming nature of the trees if they didn’t also bring me calm in a difficult time.

If I had more time with this project or had things happened differently, I would have liked to have a definitive ending to the game along with a more polished feel.
I was happy with the final look of the scene. Still, I had limitations from the machine I was using and the available space. In a stronger machine or one with more internal memory, I could have ranked up the overall quality of the project, upping its visual quality and scale.

Semester One:

Semester Two: