CONTEXT
As a designer my creative aspiration lies within the eyes of everything when designing. My EYES, to venture everything will enable my imagination and creativity in a different manner. Having a great tenacity in design will enhance my productivity and outcome in another way. This approach will strengthen my understanding to challenge my mindset to think differently in everything that I do. I am mainly focussing in “Colours” as my main context of research for both of my independent and external brief. Colours plays an important part in every individual's life. As a result, I am interpreting colours in another way and to explore a deeper understanding to it. Hence, producing those books enable me to experiment with different techniques and design elements, by combining all the design principle such as curiosity, process, experiment and planning out. As a result, it allows me to set a strong discipline in aligning and organising all my projects in an outstanding outcome. The book itself is a form of experiment and a platform for children to research and gather more information regarding the topic “Colours”. Apart from that, it is also about teaching children the values of colour and appreciating the wonders of it. Every colours are unique in their own way. Challenging myself to create an educational and knowledgeable book which enable to portrays a strong meaning to it.

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PROJECTS
I have chosen Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators 2021 as my competition project (external brief) to partake. The brief is about producing a series of five illustration design based on the same theme in “Colours In Harmony”, which is suitable for children’s book illustrations. The illustration design is mainly about experiencing nature’s colours. The intention of my project is to challenge my illustration skills and cohesively communicate the story among children in a meaningful approach. In conjunction with my Statement Of Intent, the storybook is mainly incorporating my four principle of design such as curiosity, processes, experimentation and planning out. Thus, I am able to portrays a strong tenacity in design of my book outcome. Diving deeper into the context, the topic of my story is about “Colours In Harmony”. Most of my illustration piece indicates a colourful and bright outcome to the children. An interesting storyline that shows the contrast between the darkness and nature of colours. “Door to Harmony” storybook description is about a kid from a town of darkness who explores the creation of “Colours In Harmony” on its own. In the midst of exploring new things, the kid stumble upon a secret door that unveiled to another world. The kid learn more and experience the world through colours. Curiosity in colours which is mesmerising and full of kaleidoscope, makes the kid into a happy boy. Having a great tenacity in design, the story demonstrates that colours plays a huge role in every individuals life. The breakdown of my Statement Of Intent point are curiosity which enables children to visualize the outcome in another approach, process and experiment are the visual and message that conveyed in the book. Lastly planning out, children able to sort out efficiently through their knowledge of understanding. Therefore, colours is one of the most powerful visual tools for children to perceive information based on their own understanding.

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Furthermore, the topic for my independence brief is about Colours In Children Mindset. Through this brief, I am using children as a form of experimentation to research and gather information to find out more than just the colours itself in an illustration book outcome. The book portrays various aspects such as Nature Wonders, Object idea and Playing Emotion. Relating to my Statement Of Intent point, the book demonstrates that every part plays a crucial process in developing it. The intention of my independence brief is to challenge myself to explore mix media illustration techniques in an exciting outcome. In addition to that, the book itself is to educate children to be curious with colours by stimulating and evoke their mindset differently. In order to have the project engaging and fun, every design needed to visualise cohesively to test on their mindset. In every page of the book it showcases the question that relates to the content of the book that will be ask to the children. Every design in the book have a hint or clue for them to guess what is the correct answer. Not only that, the projects helps children in cultivating their knowledge deeper in a different experience of learning. The three main content (Nature Wonders, Object idea and Playing Emotion) explains about the daily aspects and objects that are around us to be realise as an important value towards lifestyle. Children will get to explore the book in a fun and interesting manner. The book “The Mindset Colours” mainly is to experiment children curiosity towards colours through their psychology. Parents or guardian needed to engage with their child by using this book as a tool to educate them. As a result, it teaches children on how to see colours in a different perspective through their child imagination and creativity. As a whole, colours in general holds a strong tenacity in design, it teaches children to appreciate and values colours.

 

 

RESEARCH
External brief - research questions mainly focussing on “How does harmony convey colours among children” while my independent brief focusing on “How to encourage children to be curious with colours”? Through this question it helps me to think wider and more in-dept towards my specific context. Nevertheless, the subsequence paragraph will further elaborate on my research methods.

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Moving into primary research, I will be focusing on qualitative methods such as conducting a virtual interview and survey among children from age 6-10 years old with guidance from their parents. According to HealthLinkBC (n.d.), children from age 6-10 have more coherent thinking power and independent in their mindset. He or she will have a more progress in an area such as physical, intellectual, emotional and social. Even though their thinking become more complex, children in this age group still think in a more concrete terms. The demographic of it shows that children are mainly exploring and curious about everything. Hence, through this target group, I am able to discover what relates to my topic “Colours In Harmony” and “Colours In Children Mindset”.

 

Furthermore, the context of interview for the external brief is about what do children think based on their perception towards colours on nature? All of the questions are based from a few picture and diagram, question such as “what can they see in the picture, have they seen scary cartoon lately, what are their feeling toward the colours mentioned, which are their favourite colours, does they know the colours of the rainbow, understanding nature in the picture and does the cartoon picture looks fun and happy. Not only that, based on my survey which I have conducted, children mentioned that they prefer and admire bright colour of nature as it looks very happy and cheerful. Furthermore, by focussing on one colour they tend to be very curious and keen to explore more. Through the interview it shows that children like to explore different colour about natures. According to Kettlewell 2017, teaching and educating children in a fun way about colours can have a creative and tremendous experience in the aspects of their life. Children will learn to utilize colour as a visual sign. It also indicates that by exposing the child to colours,  it will bring out the curiosity in them. They are able to learn and engage more and appreciate the value of nature that surround them.

 

Moreover, for the independent brief, I am doing interview with children alongside their parents or guardian on survey questionnaire. The interview are based on their daily aspects that associates with colours. All of the questions are based from a few picture and diagram, questions such as toys that they like to play, which picture that they like to colours, choosing two of the objects to colour, which set of colour pencil would you choose, which noodles to choose and which chocolate to choose. Through the interview, I understand that children loves to know more about colours that they admired. Every children have a different perception towards understanding the subject of colours in their own way. In order to have a more concrete reason behind it, I did a survey questionnaire to the children’s’ parents regarding their understanding of colours in a more deeper sense. Reflecting to my project outcome, I have uses some of the question and answer to experiment in another approach by using the children as a test subject to gain more information from it.

 

According to Kirsteenlaine 2016, studies have shown that how different colours impact us in our own unique ways. For example, warm colours, such as red, yellow, and orange, stimulate emotions ranging from comfort and warmth to hostility and anger. Typically, warm colours make us feel happy and cosy. Bold shades of warm colours also help stimulate our mind and energize our body. On the other hand, cool colours, like blue, green and purple, relax us but can also make us feel sad especially if they are too dark. Therefore, colours plays a huge role in how children think towards it.

 

 

DESIGN
Based on my illustration style (competition brief), I have in-cooperated several mediums by giving it a different feeling of the look and feel, it will enhance the overall outcome to it. In conjunction, by experimenting this illustration style, it has given me a great opportunity to try new method along my design process. For instance, by mixing with colour pencil and doing digitally, the outcome looks really satisfying rather than just relying on one technique of illustration style. As well as for the drawing of the book design, I am keen on trying this sketchy type of illustration style as I wanted it to look raw and nonlinear in terms of the details of every part. Implementing this techniques it shows that my Statement Of Intent “Tenacity Design” able to cohesively rationalise along with the project that I produced. The storyline was derived and inspired from a few fantasy movies such as Trolls, Alice In The Wonderland, Into The Woods and others more. All of these portrays the context to my story. According to Kendra, 2020 colours act as a form of communication tools on how people react to colours differently. It shows that colour can have various meaning such as impact on people mood and behaviour. In comparison to the research, my external topic Colours In Harmony shows that colours plays an important role in delivering the message to the children. As a consequence, understanding the context in different way will encourage the kids to know more than just colours itself. On the other hand, the book does not only show the significant of the colourful illustration design but able to shows a great Tenacity In Design. The purpose of this storybook is to enhance the children understanding to strive their imagination and creativity towards Colours In Harmony. Having them to exposure more to outdoor and experience the creation of nature. Every colours has its own beauty and harmony to it. There’s a quote saying that “Never take anything for granted. Learn to appreciate what you have before it’s no longer yours to appreciate”.

According to a research from the University of California, it determined that young children chose bright colours to represent positive feelings and dark colours for negative feelings. They were even able to identify how specific colours made the children feel. For example, red represent mad, blue represent sad, yellow represent happy and green represent glad. Colours can therefore be a very helpful tool in accessing children’s emotions (Parent Co, 2016). Thus, every colours are so diverge and universal in their own way. It holds a strong denotation and interpretation to it. Further to that, according to a researcher, Cathy a PhD in Arts and Health, 2016 mentioned that art therapy has a great significant effect among children to improve their mindset on their critical thinking skills. In addition to that, art therapists who work with children include various play activities such as toys, puppets, props, games and others to supplement art therapy and stimulate children’s creative expression. The research demonstrates that by implementing art therapy techniques among children it will further educate their mindset in a knowledgeable and distinctive manner. Compared to “Colours In Children Mindset” (independent brief), every objects and items which I showcase have its own terms and interpretation to it.  For instance, crumple paper to form a tree, rice to represent moon, sewing threat as birds feathers and match the dots to find out the hidden clue. All of these were used by mix media technique to form the design outcome. This shows that, by approaching and playing with objects in a different way it will stimulate children curiosity and psychology to strive towards their freedom and exploration of understanding. Therefore, experimenting and exploring in a different approach, will engage the children to use their imagination and creativity in a deeper context.

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REFERENCES

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Cathy (2016, January 31). Child Art Therapy: How It Works. Retrieved July 25, 2021 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/201601/child-art-therapy-how-it-works

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HealthLinkBC (n.d.) Growth and Development, Ages 6 to 10 Years. Retrieved July 25, 2021 https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/te6244

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Kendra (2020). Color Psychology: Does It Affect How You Feel? Retrieved July 25, 2021 https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824

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Kettlewell (2017, October 24). The Importance of Colour During Your Child's Early Years. Retrieved July 25, 2021 https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/the-importance-of-colour-during-your-childs-early-years-stsetivw-vs~45115534

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Kirsteenlaine (2016, November 2). How To Improve Your Child’s Mood With Colours”. Retrieved July 25, 2021 https://theforeveryears.wordpress.com/category/kids-and-colour-therapy/

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Parent Co (2016, November 1). How To Improve Your Child’s Mood With Colors. Retrieved July 25, 2021 https://www.parent.com/blogs/conversations/how-to-improve-your-childs-mood-with-colors