Design Principles - Task 3: Development & Design

 15 / 3 / 2026 -12 / 3 / 2026 （Week 7- Week 8）

YANG SHUO / 0384037

Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media 

GCD 60804 / Design Principles

Task 3: Development & Design

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INSTRUCTION

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Task 3 — Development & Design

Recap 

Task 3 requires us to choose one idea from the 3 sketches in Task 2 and develop it further.

1. We need to refine the chosen idea through color exploration, composition, typeface, positioning, and other visual adjustments with design principles in mind.
2. We need to finalize the design, give it a suitable title, and present it in A4 size, JPEG format, at at least 300 dpi.
3. A 200-word rationale is also required to explain the design decisions, the meaning or purpose of the work, and the design principles used.
4. The lecturer' s feedback must also be included in the blog.

Sketches & Work Progress

Sketches

I use Procreate to draw sketches. I think a single line drawing can't capture the feeling I want, so I did some simple coloring.

Fig 1.1 Sketches in task 2

Sketch 1: 

For this sketch, I wanted to create a dreamy scene, so I drew a girl riding a giant paper airplane through pink and purple clouds. I also added a flock of birds in the upper left area to make the composition more balanced.

Sketch 2:

For this sketch, I took inspiration from Arknights and created a dreamlike scene of a girl standing on a volcano and looking at her hometown. I added sheep floating in the clouds to suggest that the scene is not real, and I used the green forest and fiery clouds to create color contrast.

Sketch 3:

For this sketch, I used The Little Prince as my inspiration and placed the Little Prince, the rose, and the fox as the main elements in the scene. I wanted to create a warm but slightly lonely atmosphere by showing the Little Prince and his rose on planet B612, looking toward the fox in the distance.

Chosen Sketch

I chose the third sketch because it feels the closest to my reference design, FLIGHTPATHS, in both composition and atmosphere. Compared with the other two ideas, it has a clearer center and a stronger focal point, so the overall design looks more complete. It also gives a warm but slightly lonely feeling, which is closer to the quiet mood of the reference. Another reason is that The Little Prince is a story that many people already know, so the characters and scene are easier to recognize and connect with. Because of this, I think this sketch has the most potential to develop further in Task 3.

Fig 1.2 Chosen Sketch: Sketch 3

Work Progress

1. Refining Light and Shadow

My initial draft was mainly a color study, so the lighting and forms were quite rough. In this stage, I focused on improving the light and shadow, especially in the cloud areas. I adjusted the brightness around the center to make it feel like a light source, and deepened the dark blue background to create stronger contrast. I also added highlights and soft edges to the clouds so they look more layered and surrounding the center naturally.

Fig 1.3  Process 1 -Refining Light and Shadow

2. Adding Details

In the second stage, I added more elements and refined the existing ones. I developed the Little Prince, the rose, and the small planet at the bottom, and added more background details like stars and shooting lines to make the space feel more active. I also included elements like the ringed planet, fox, and flowers around the edges to build a more complete scene and guide the viewer’s eye around the composition.

Fig 1.4 Process 2- Adding Details

3. Typography and Color Adjustment

In the final stage, I added the central title text to match the reference structure and strengthen the focal point. I adjusted its position and glow to make sure it stands out but still blends into the scene. After that, I tested four different overall color schemes, including a high-saturation pink and purple version, a low-saturation cool-toned version, a medium-saturation pink and purple version, and a darker version(Fig. 1.6). In the end, I chose the medium-saturation pink and purple scheme(Fig. 1.6, Bottom left) because it keeps a dreamy feeling without being too bright, so the atmosphere feels calm and slightly lonely.

Fig 1.5 Process 3- Typography and Color Adjustment

Fig 1.6 Four different color schemes

Progression Video

Final Design

The Little Prince_ Yang Shuo_ Task 3

Fig 2.1 Final design- The Little Prince (A4, 300dpi, JPEG)

 

The Little Prince_ PDF

Rationale of My Design

My design is called The Little Prince, inspired by the classic story. I looked at the composition of FLIGHTPATHS and used the empty space in the middle as the main focus, so people's eyes naturally go there. I didn't draw a clear shape, but used clouds, stardust, and other things around to make a natural frame. It surrounds and guides the eyes, making the center more noticeable. The title is placed in the center with a soft glow to create emphasis and guide the viewer's attention.

For contrast, I mainly used colors and light to make layers. The dark blue background makes the light clouds soft, and the warm-colored planets and characters make the center pop. The Little Prince and the rose are at the bottom, while the fox and rose garden are on opposite corners. This asymmetrical arrangement creates a natural balance, so the picture looks not forced but still organized.

Repetition can be seen in the cloud shapes, star trails, and circular forms, which help unify the image and create rhythm. At the same time, I also hope this surrounding element distribution can give people a feeling of being "embraced" warmly. 

In order to create harmony, I maintained a soft halo at the edges and used invisible colors, making the overall atmosphere and tone appear dreamy and unified.

Overall, this design is my visual expression of The Little Prince story, also my personal understanding of it. I want to show a quiet, gentle, but a little lonely feeling, while keeping the picture dreamy and attractive.

Fig3.1 Contrast between warm and cool tones
and diagonal composition

Fig3.2 Contrast: Light and Dark Relationship

Fig3.3 The use of repeated elements

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FEEDBACK

Week 7

No tutorial class, continue to complete Task 3 and the final assignment.

Week 8

No tutorial class, continue to complete Task 3 and the final assignment.