My Design Process.

To help with my context module, I am recording my typical use of the design process, using my final major project from my BTEC National Diploma as my main example. My final piece was a short flash animation promoting awareness and support for depression sufferers. I also produced a range of storyboard designs to complement my animated piece.

Firstly, I chose a main theme of narrative imagery, where I would use animation and imagery to show action and/or emotions. This led to me basing my initial ideas on pictures telling stories and incorporating photographs and picture frames into my work. Therefore I photographed and sketched such things for primary research. Secondly I had to mind map subjects to base my animation and storyboard imagery on. Depression and mental health was my favoured issue to promote, therefore this was something I looked into in great detail. For example, I researched and contacted a charity I chose to use in my work, as well as looking at existing imagery for similar purposes.

The main part of my research and idea development was looking closely at artists whose work I admired. For instance, two of my main influences were Tim Burton and Benoit Guillaume, and I used this research to come up with illustrative styles to use in my animation and storyboards. I used these developed styles to influence my ideas, which I developed from my initial storyboarded ideas from the start of the project. From these, I chose my final ideas and started to produce rough animations and storyboards. This involved firstly hand-drawing my imagery, then scanning it in, manipulating it, and putting it together on Adobe Flash. These rough pieces of work gradually became my final outcomes as I tweaked them after frequent evaluation of my work. (This happened everytime I made a major change to my work and its appearance).

Storyboard Design 1

Storyboard Design 3



Linear Background - Ink Wash



Original Figure Drawings

My Flash Animation