Minor Project: Sang Guardians

1 Sep 2022 - 9 Dec 2022 (Week 1 - Week 15)

Zetie Binti Bahaman / 0351297 / BDCM
Minor Project
Task 1: Proposal

Task 2: Design Development

Task 3: Final Presentation

Task 4: E-Portfolio

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LECTURES

Week 1

The first week included a briefing on the overall module expectations and the Multidisciplinary Learning Experience (MLE) Project. There are several projects to choose from for each group. We are to apply our core specialisation to solve a problem.

Week 2

What Is Design?

- creating something (solution) to solve a problem

IDEO:

The 3I's

They made design thinking easier to understand.

IBM:

Iteration - infinite loop of design thinking

-keep asking questions

Google:

- Without empathy, design is not possible.

- No judgment

- Testing until we achieve what the user really needs

Converging

-Narrowing down>Filtering out

Diverging

-Being open to absorb

User - Target Market

Tech - Do they have/need new tech?

Business - Money?Budget?

Find the center spot where all three meets.

1. Desirability - Empathy

- Understanding users via Demographics/Psychographics - Mentality

2. Feasibility - Can or Cannot

3. Financially viable? - Money and budget

Example from video shown in class:

Staying warm regulate temp of newborn premature babies

low cost baby Incubator - remote places, no access to tech + healthcare

POV: User + Need + Insight

*Needs must be written with action words

*Insight (Words/Thoughts/Actions) > Where empathy kicks in

- Deep desires of the target audience

Observe the target audience/'Shadowing'

- Go live their life as though we are them.

or Get videos of them on their daily lives/Talk to them sincerely

Key Information Holders: Community leaders/Village heads/NGO's

Don't settle for the first discovery. It's just a starting point. 

Define:

- Create a prob statement

- One same thought and same goal.

- So team won't lose their way throughout the process

How Might We's

- Questions that We Are Producing Solutions For

Persona

-Behavior Patterns of User Groups

4 Steps to Create A Persona:

1. Header of Persona

- Fictional Name

2.Demographic Profile

- Personal/Professional Bckground

- Age/Gender/Family Status

3.User's Attitude

4. Scenario

*Links: Career Foundry/Xtensio

- Design Interview Questions

- Group them into 3/4 Personas

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INSTRUCTIONS

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SANG GUARDIANS

This project is a collaboration between students from different schools/specializations and together with industry collaborators.

I have been assigned to a group that works with Industry Collaborator: R&D Studio. Our role is to help them for production for an animated series 'Sang Guardians' in:

- Concept Art (Character Designs, Environments, Props)

- Logo Title & Poster Design

- Designs for Merchandise

Week 1
Briefing with Industry Collaborator

What we gathered from the briefing was the show is targeted to Malaysian girls ages 7 - 11. They wish to share the school experiences that students or kids growing up in Malaysia had but also something international audience can also relate to. On top of that, they wanted to bring awareness to a wheelchair accessible school and create a world of where weird and paranormal things happen at that school.

There were no limitations and the collaborators encourage us to be creative and have fun exploring. We are to share our discussions through mind map tools via the MIRO Board.


Week 2
Contextual Research

My part of contextual research covers the existing local animated series and similar concepts that could relate to 'Sang Guardians.'

Week 3
User Persona

This is the user persona that was based off the list of side characters that we are to design for the studio. 

Empathy Map

This empathy map was filled up after carrying out the interview and survey.

Interview and Survey Questions

These are the interview/survey questions we came up with to be carried out via Google Forms. We divided them into sections in order to avoid respondent fatigue since they are mainly targeted to children and also will help in answering our main goals for the project.

Week 4
Survey

Draft 01

After feedback from Mr Mike, we revised the questions and added more visual aids in our survey. We had to remind ourself this survey needs to be easily understood by children.

I helped out to create some visuals for the survey.

Final Survey

Week 5
Interview with User Personas

Initially, we were not planning to carry out the interview. However, after the survey there was still a gap that needed to be filled. We wanted to propose to the studio to change their initial targeted age group. As proof, we carried out an interview to support it.

I interviewed my niece, Ayra (age 11) for the tweens category.

Interview Questions

Thankfully, the team has prepared back up and brainstormed earlier what questions to ask if we had to carry out an interview.

Here is a compilation of the questions for each interviewees.

This is a summary of the data collected from the interview. 

Data Collection and Analysis

Insights

Top 5 Ideas

Problem Statement

Attempts

Final Outcome

How Might We?

Attempts

Final Outcome

Weeks 6 - 7

Proposed Design Solutions
Concept Art/Moodboard

This is the colors that we propose to the client for the world of Sang Guardians. We still wanted it to be cutesy with bright pastel colors but also when the magic/paranormal stuff happens, it will give a dark mysterious feel to it using muted colors.

Relating to the responses from the survey, majority answered that the school toilet was where they mostly felt it was scary. Therefore, we wanted to show a spooky toilet to the client proposing that perhaps an abandoned area of the school is where a spooky toilet would be situated.

 I was assigned to sketch out for this environment. It looks run down and there are water spills on the floor from the broken/leaking pipes and faucets. Cubicle doors are broken down and ceiling/tiles are coming off. There are graffiti on the wall and the bathroom, perhaps the work of naughty students that were brave enough to go in.

Additional notes for a wheelchair accessible toilet facilities

Proposal Slides Compilation

Attempt 01

Final Task 1
Proposal

Link to MIRO Board

Week 9 - Design Development

Gantt Chart

As we proceed to the next steps of the project, we created a Gantt chart to help us track our progress and the overall timeline for executing the final output. 

Each member is to work within one of the four aspects that were later split down into more detailed works:-

• Haura and Lianne - Character dept.
• Zetie and Athirah - Environment Dpt.
• Han Rong - Logo/Merchandise

Week 10 - Design Development

Master Moodboard

To ensure design consistency, all of us brainstormed together in creating a master mood board which we will use as our guide in terms of colours, art style, brushes, strokes, and textures. 

Weeks 11 to 14  - Design Development 

Environment Concept Art - Production

Works in progress by the team:
-Logo and Concept
-Character Progression

Background Design - Attempt 01
left executed by Athirah // right executed by me

School Classroom - Attempt 01

Issues: 

-Perspective is all wrong

-Color Palette not matching the reference provided by R&D Studio

I had to improve it by matching the scenes to the project references and try to achieve the benchmark set by Athirah. 

So the team decided that I will work on the base colors and textures when possible but ultimately the final render will be executed by Athirah so all the final line up will have a consistent look. 

Amendments
-Working on my perspective and a new layout of the classroom.

Revised School Classroom - Sketch

I tried to recreate the classroom, changed the windows and used wooden tables and chairs as I feel that it adds on to the personality of a school where all weird things happen.
 

School Classroom - Final Base Colors
executed by me

School Classroom Props - Final Base Colors

executed by me

School Classroom Props - Final Render

executed by Athirah

Abandoned School Toilet
Sketches

Abandoned School Toilet - Attempt 01

Abandoned School Toilet - Final Base Colors
executed by me

Abandoned School Toilet - Props
executed by me

Abandoned School Toilet Props - Final Render
executed by Athirah

Abandoned School Hallway - Attempt 01 in Lighting

Abandoned School Toilet - Attempt 02 in Lighting

I decided to change the layout of the abandoned hallway. I feel this is better to connect to the abandoned toilet. I also worked out and improved the base colors.

Abandoned School Hallway - Final Base Colors
executed by me

Abandoned School Hallway - Final Render

executed by Athirah

School Hallway Interior - Final Base Color
executed by me

School Hallway - Lighting

School Hallway - Props
executed by me

School Hallway - Final Render
executed by Athirah

Greenhouse Interior
WIP - Sketch

Greenhouse - Final Base Colors

executed by me

There were many props in the greenhouse interior but these are a few of them that I wanted to highlight. 

- A magical plant merged from a hibiscus + pitcher plant

- Hourglass that perhaps help the characters track their time there

- A smaller version of the magical plant in a glass dome.

- A pestle mortar that could be use to grind herbs.

- A framed diagram of flowers that represents the main characters, - Melati (Jasmine), Kemboja (Frangipani), Anngerik (Orchid) and Raya (Hibiscus).


Greenhouse Props - Final Render

executed by Athirah

Week 15 - Final Task 3
Final Presentation - Pitch Bible

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FEEDBACK

Here is a compilation of all our feedback from Mr. Mike

More detailed feedback is recorded here in the project tracking document.

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REFLECTION

It's been an interesting journey as I rarely work in groups for my specialization. We were able to learn from each other as well as become team players and help out whenever we need support. Based on this module, I have learned what to expect when proposing a pitch to a client and designing environment concept art for animated series that is up to industry standards. This will be useful for my future as my industry collaborator is also from the animation which I specialize in. I'm glad that my team members have been helpful and I can seek guidance whenever I need it. In future, I hope to use my design thinking skills where it is applicable and continue to work on areas that I need to improve on.