Common Module - AY25.26 WOII

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Compulsory final post

This module has been an exciting and eye-opening experience that has helped me grow as a young designer. We explored aesthetics in Week 2, which helped me understand how visual appeal, composition and sensory experience influence how design is perceived. In Week 3, we studied semiotics, which taught me that design is made up of signs and symbols that carry meaning beyond what is immediately visible. This made me more aware of how even small visual choices can communicate ideas and influence interpretation.

In Weeks 4 and 5, we learned how to analyse design work more critically by breaking down context, purpose, audience, and meaning. 

The visit to New Bahru in week 5 further strengthened learning by allowing us to experience design in a real-world setting. Seeing how space, branding, and user experience come together made the class more engaging Weekly group works also helped me to be more confident in presenting ideas as well as learning from one another

Later in the module, exploring concepts like cultural materialism and postmodernism pushed me to think more deeply about systems, culture, and meaning in design. Working on projects such as the fictional advertisement and postmodern poster encouraged experimentation and conceptual thinking. 

(200 word count)

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World of Ideas and Imaginations, Week 11 Postmodernism  — AY25.26

This week, we explored the concept of postmodernism and how it can be applied in design. The irony of  postmodernism inspired my partner and me to create a chaotic yet playful poster featuring a Jisulife fan. Through this project, I realised that it required a different way of thinking, such as moving beyond literal meanings, challenging conventions, and embracing imagination and experimentation.

Our poster is a deliberate exercise in postmodern function. By utilizing an ironic adaptation of a familiar device to replace clean tech with chaos and humour, we incorporated a mix of styles, multiple languages as well as Singlish, and bright neon text to create a visually chaotic composition. Through our work, it intentionally rejects traditional ideas of design “perfection,” favouring unpredictability and expressive freedom instead. Languages and random bright neon texts which creates this playful chaotic poster, we have created a piece that explicitly rejects traditional design and from having our poster look “too clean” or too polished

Postmodernism prioritises expression over function, often creating fragmented work that invites interpretation rather than fixed meaning. Thus, the final outcome

I also questioned whether sincerity can exist within its irony, and found that using diverse languages and cultural elements can add authenticity within its layered and chaotic nature.

Through this, I realised that many local Singaporean artists share similar styles that could be considered postmodern. This made me question what influences or conditions have shaped this shared visual language among local artists, and why this pattern appears in their work.

(word count 250)

References :

https://philosophynow.org/issues/58/The_Death_of_Postmodernism_And_Beyond

https://anthropology.ua.edu/theory/postmodernism-and-its-critics/

Why new gen of Singaporean mostly are so pessimist and doesn't support their own locals?

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World of Ideas and Imaginations, Cultural Materialism Week 9 - AY25.26

In Week 9, we learned about cultural materialism, which looks at society through three connected levels: infrastructure, structure, and superstructure. For our task, we made an ad for a fictional product and used this framework to guide our design. We considered how things like technology, resources, and user behavior would shape both the form and meaning of our product. We also considered how cultural values would show up in the final result.

Inspired by Ready Player One, to see our fictional world as a system with its own rules.

We started by figuring out the infrastructure, looking at the technology that made our product possible. Next, we thought about the structure, how power, access, and social roles affect who uses the product and why it is important. Finally, we worked on the superstructure by making visual design choices like color and typography to show the product’s cultural meaning and make it appealing . Highlighted that even imagined worlds are grounded in material realities and social systems. By aligning all three levels, our design became more than a visual concept; it functioned as a believable artifact within its world.

Reflecting on cultural materialism has also altered my perspective on everyday objects. Items like furniture or clothing are not neutral; they influence identity, behavior, and social relationships over time. This reinforces the idea of culture as a “whole way of life,” shaped by material conditions. As a designer, this perspective encourages me to create work that is both visually engaging and conceptually grounded.

(Word count 255)

References :

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/cultural-materialism

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/cultural-materialism

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World of Ideas and Imaginations, Aesthetics — AY25.26 WOII

In week 2, we explored the concept of aesthetics and how aesthetics convey meaning and emotion. We also discussed what we think the meaning of “aesthetic” is, rather than viewing aesthetics as simply “looking good”, we emphasised how design choices represent the values of the target audience.

When we were asked to reflect on the word “aesthetics,” I immediately associated it with cohesion, a kind of “organised mess” where different elements come together to form a recognisable whole. My Pinterest homepage is a good example of this: although it appears random at first glance, there is an underlying consistency in tone, colour, and subject matter that shapes its overall feel.

we emphasized how design choices represent the values the target audience has in mind. This idea was particularly evident in a class activity where we were assigned to take photos of store signs and create mood boards that represented the consumer personas behind the signs.

In my moodboard, I transformed these visual signs into a consumer persona; someone who appreciates vintage culture, values ​​physical media and seeks an emotional connection through film rather than convenience. In my This session helped me understand how aesthetics works as a form of storytelling. Every design decision, from font style to color palette , has an impact on shaping how consumers perceive and feel connected to your overall aesthetic . 

Creating a mood board made me think  critically about how visual elements influence our assumptions about lifestyle , interests and values.

(Word count 254)

References :

Internet Encyclopaedia of philosophy ( Barry Hartley Slater ; Aesthetics)

The Role of Signages in Customer Attraction and Retention

The Nature of Aesthetic Experience

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World of Ideas and Imaginations, Phenomenology — AY25.26 WOII

WEEK 1

For this week’s class activity, we were asked to interpret the idea of “shadows” or “time” through a series of images. I approached time as a phenomenon of change rather than something fixed or measurable, focusing on how it leaves visible traces in everyday environments.

One example was an electrical box I encountered while hiking in Jeju. Covered in layers of stickers, it transformed an ordinary utility object into a quiet record of accumulated presence. The peeling edges, faded ink, and partial tears reveal the slow effects of weather and touch, making time feel tangible rather than abstract. Set against the calm natural landscape, the dense collage of colours and typography felt striking, almost chaotic, yet unintentionally composed like a spontaneous archive of human expression embedded in nature.

I focused on subtle visual cues that reveal the presence of time. The first photograph captured a close-up of school steps with paint slowly wearing away, where the scuffed edges and exposed surfaces hinted at countless footsteps passing over the same spot. The second image is a row of CDs lined up on a shelf, evoking a sense of collection and memory where each disc marked a different moment, interest, or phase quietly preserved over the years. In the final image, I placed fresh green leaves beside dried white ones, using their contrast in colour and texture to highlight the natural cycle of vitality and decline. Together, the images explore time not as something dramatic, but as something gently embedded in surfaces, objects, and organic change.

(Word count 254)

References :

(The Fascinating Lore & Subculture of Urban Sticker Bombing (Dhanya Rajagopal) )

(Of leaves, rocks, and the marks of time ; Alpana Vij)

Marking Time: A Review – by Francesca Kaes

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World of Ideas and Imaginations, Design Analysis  — AY25.26 WOII

In Week 4, we were tasked with bringing at least three objects that we considered well-crafted, handmade, materially interesting, or memorable. The exercise encouraged us to look beyond function and think more carefully about texture, construction, and the intention behind each piece. During our field trip to New Bahru, we continued this investigation by searching for additional objects that related to our initial selections.

As we observed the items around us, I paid closer attention to material choices, surface finishes, and small details that revealed the maker’s hand. I aimed to identify connections between objects I had brought and the new ones I encountered, whether through shared craftsmanship, similar material qualities, or comparable design philosophies. This process pushed me to think more critically about why certain objects feel meaningful or distinctive. Instead of viewing them as isolated pieces, I began to see them as part of a broader conversation about tactility, intentionality, and the value of thoughtful making.

I would categorise this under memory

"Through gestures of kneading, weaving, casting, folding, cutting, stitching, or even copying and pasting, the artists in Rituals of Perception embody the presentiment by dwelling within the temporal cyclicality of making” Philosopher Byung-Chul Han,

Below are artworks from Rituals of Perception exhibition.

This work by Suki Seokyeong Kang, I would categorise her work under identity. Kang’s process and her visual language are rooted in a distinctly Korean artistic genealogy. 

This work by Anicka Yi would be catergorized under transformation.

This tufted artwork by Claudia Martínez Garay would be categorised under protest. Garay’s works are mostly related to the historical and social problems in Peru.

Through this process, I came to understand that design extends beyond surface appearance. It involves recognising how objects relate to specific categories, their historical context, material qualities, and the intentions behind their creation.

(word count 304)

References :

An investigation into the relationship between product form and perceived meanings

Multidisciplinary artwork connected to the histories of Peru

Exploring Design Thinking Methodologies

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CTS A | compulsory question 3 | WEEK 13

This week's prompts:

Connect CTS A to your learning and professional journey.

What collaborative project/s would you like to do? Elaborate on at least one idea.

What final project/s would you like to do? Elaborate on at least one idea.

How would you engage your community? Propose at least one community or group that you would like to work with, and specify how.

How might CTS A help you with professional development? Describe how CTS A could help you achieve your particular career goal, and/or how it could help you in that job (for at least one desired job position).

For our week 13 collaborative project, my group decided to work with the Animation students. One idea we developed was to produce an overview video based on the courses Lasalle offers, for future LASALLE applicants.

This collaboration would combine mixed-media videography, photography, and editing from our course with sound design and animation contributed by the Animation students. By merging these strengths, the final outcome could offer an engaging and visually dynamic introduction to the school experience.

For our final project, I am interested in expanding this concept into a larger multimedia campaign. This could include behind-the-scenes student stories, short-form videos, and interactive visual elements that showcase the diverse creative practices across faculties. Developing this further would allow me to explore visual storytelling, production planning, and cross-disciplinary communication in greater depth.

To engage the community, my group proposed organising a “Student Day,” where students come together to create a collaborative doodle mural based on a shared theme. This event would bring together participants from different programmes to visualise collective concerns, ideas, or identities. Beyond strengthening inter-programme relationships, the mural could become a public artwork that represents student voices. Which i feel would also encourage many students to participate in. Additionally, for community and non-profit engagement, we selected Food from the Heart. Our idea is to design posters that raise awareness of their mission and encourage more volunteers to support their food-distribution initiatives.

CTS A plays a significant role in supporting my professional development. Strengthening my critical thinking skills allows me to produce artworks with deeper intention and social relevance.

(258 words)

References : Patel, Nadya S., Shermain Puah, and Xiao-Feng Kenan Kok. “Shaping Future-Ready Graduates with Mindset Shifts: Studying the Impact of Integrating Critical and Design Thinking in Design Innovation Education.” Frontiers in Education, vol. 9, 2024, article 1358431.

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CTS A | Week 11:

How do you understand the Critical Thinking Skills module? Explain your choice of visual metaphor. Do you personally have an alternative visual metaphor? 

Which was your favorite activity or session? Why? Which aspects of it were mentioned for you?

What is the value of working in a group?

What do you wish you did more of, or better?

For our group’s visual metaphor, we chose an apple tree because we felt it represented the process of critical thinking in a clear and meaningful way. The roots symbolise the foundational knowledge and personal experiences that shape our initial interpretations. Each branch extends outward in different directions, illustrating how ideas can grow, diverge, and connect to new perspectives, much like how we branched out our points during the activity.

The apples at the ends of the branches represented our three main points, showing the conclusions that emerge after careful reasoning. We also discussed how a tree continues to grow over time, which reflects the idea that critical thinking is an ongoing, evolving skill rather than a fixed ability. This concept aligns well with Dweck’s research on the growth mindset and the belief that abilities develop through effort and continuous learning (Dweck).

Out of all the CTS A sessions, this week’s activity was my favourite. Looking back at our previous lessons allowed us to reflect not only on what we had learned but also on how we could apply critical thinking across our other modules and in everyday situations. I realised that the value of group work goes beyond dividing tasks. Listening to my groupmates’ reasoning helped me identify gaps in my own thinking and encouraged me to evaluate my points more clearly and confidently. I personally feel that some things I could have done more of was to evaluate my points clearly. This supports Yeager and Dweck’s findings that collaboration and shared inquiry can strengthen understanding and resilience through constructive feedback (Yeager and Dweck).

Grammarly used to correct grammar and phrasing

(264 words)

References

Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House, 2006.

Yeager, David S., and Carol S. Dweck. “Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed.”

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CTS A | Week 12: Summative Assessment Prep — Session 2

This week's prompts:

Connect CTS A to all your other modules (and components).

In Week 12, we were tasked with connecting the skills and insights gained from CTS A to all our other modules and their components. The critical thinking skills i developed in CTS A proved invaluable across multiple areas of our coursework. In Studio 1, CTS A helped me approach Visual Thinking activities, such as mark-making and image-making, with more analytical awareness, allowing me to evaluate the effectiveness of each visual element. Similarly, in Research Frameworks, the ability to critically assess quotations, sources, and library references strengthened my approach to gathering and synthesising information.

In Typo Sensory, I better understood the emotional impact of type that became more intentional through CTS A, as I could better analyze the reasoning behind design choices and how they communicate feeling or meaning. The Craft, Techniques & Technologies component, particularly the craft workshops, benefited from CTS A’s focus on problem-solving and iterative thinking, which guided me in experimenting with mark-making techniques, textures, patterns, and color palettes. In Photography, CTS A enhanced my ability to evaluate compositions, technical aspects, and the history and nature of photographs, enabling me to make more thoughtful creative decisions.

Finally, in the Digital Skills and Applications component, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, rotoscoping, and Premiere Pro, CTS A encouraged me to critically consider workflow, layer organization, and visual hierarchy while making creative and technical choices. Overall, CTS A has served as a foundational module that strengthens analytical, reflective, and evaluative skills, allowing me to approach each module and its components with a more deliberate, informed, and thoughtful mindset.

Grammarly used to correct grammar and phrasing

(255 words)

References

Brookfield, Stephen D. Teaching for Critical Thinking: Tools and Techniques to Help Students Question Their Assumptions. Jossey-Bass, 2012.

Eisner, Elliot W. Art and Knowledge. University of Illinois Press, 2002.

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CTS A | Week 5: Growth Mindset

This week's prompts:

Describe an eventful moment from the class, bearing in mind the key ideas of the day.

Include selected images of your personal sketches, and discuss how you developed them. Were any sketches more or less ‘successful’ in your view?

Why? How would you develop any of them if you had more time?

In Week 5, we were tasked with sketching fifteen variants of a redesigned logo using our non-dominant hand. This challenge was made even more difficult by the strict time limit of 30 minutes, which meant each draft had to be completed in just two minutes.I started the task by starting with simple and direct concepts inspired by the original store sign. I experimented with noodle-shaped fonts, placing the “A9” text inside a bowl or xiao long bao box, and even explored cartoon-style ideas such as caricatures of the shop owner. These quick sketches allowed me to rapidly test different visual directions, even if they weren’t as clean or polished as I would have preferred.

The outlined sketch shown was one of the concepts my group selected. We chose it because many of our individual sketches shared similar elements, such as the store uncle, the dumpling-head character, or variations of the store name integrated into the logo. Selecting a design that reflected these common themes made our final direction feel cohesive and representative of everyone’s contributions. If I had more time, I would have focused on making the drawings cleaner and more refined.

This exercise also reinforced the importance of having a growth mindset. Using my non-dominant hand forced me out of my comfort zone and reminded me that creativity doesn’t always come from producing perfect work, but from exploring ideas, gathering knowledge, and learning through trial and error. A growth mindset, as described by Dweck (2006), emphasizes that abilities can improve through practice, feedback, and persistence. This aligns with educational research showing that embracing challenges is essential for developing new skills.

(272 words)

References:

-Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

-Dweck, C. S. (2015). “Carol Dweck Revisits the Growth Mindset.” Education Week.

-Yeager, D. & Dweck, C. (2012). “Mindsets That Promote Resilience.” Educational Psychologist.

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CTS A | Week 3 Emotional Intelligence

This week's prompts

We talked about "Self-management", "Self-awareness", "Empathy" and

"Relationship management".

". Which aspect do you think you are strongest at,

and which is something you should try to improve? Discuss with reference to today's activities, and your collaborations in other classes.

I personally feel that my strongest aspects are self-management and self-awareness. Some examples of self-management are creating specific calendars for different schedules, like personal and work/school-related. This is to ensure I have enough or an equal amount of personal time and adequate time spent on school/ schoolwork, so I will not get drained out from either socialising and going out too much or spending too much time on work to the point it's unhealthy. I create to-do lists to ensure I do not fall behind too much, as I am afraid of having too much workload load which will then prevent me from getting too overstimulated and stressed. And when I do get stressed, I know different ways to manage my stress, like hobbies and activities I can do. And whenever I am in the process of an assignment or project and I feel stuck, I would never hesitate to reach out to whoever to ask for help. Thus, I feel like my habits correspond to why I think those are my two strongest aspects.

Something I feel like I should try to improve on regarding today’s activities is trying to step out of my comfort zone or put in more effort in trying things out with my groupmates, as even though everyone seemed to have understood the task and how we were going to execute it, it still felt awkward and felt like we did not put in enough effort in preparing. What I think we could've done was to practice the skit a few times to sort of understand the flow better and how we could fully use up the 2 minutes given for the skit.

(279 words)

References : Dr Felipe Cervera(2021) From Emotional Intelligence

Kendra Cherry (2024) From 3 Steps you can do to increase your emotional intelligence

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CTS A | Week 2 Collaborative Skills

This week's prompts

• Describe your strengths and weaknesses as a collaborator. Discuss with reference to today's activities, and in other classes.

If you had more time and an unlimited budget, how would you design the monument differently? Include pictures of the group work and your personal re-design.

Some of my strengths and weaknesses that I noticed as a collaborator are a lack of unity, as well as having a bad habit of always striving that my projects are to perfection, which I personally feel caused me and my groupmates to waste a lot of time on planning rather than executing the task. With reference to week 2’s time group project, where we had to build a monument, my groupmates and I were unsure whether or not we should move forward with the current theme that we were going for, which was overconsumption of blindboxes as well as useless trends. Some strengths I have as a collaborator are good communication, as well as open-mindedness. While planning out and executing the project, I make sure everyone is clear about what theme we are going for, for example, what concepts we are getting inspired from for our monument, as well as what everyone has to make. 

If I had more time and an unlimited budget, I would design the monument differently, firstly by cutting out the different box templates with more precise measurements. Secondly, it is to decide and plan out more carefully on what kind of base we would be placing our monument on. As our monument was mostly made out of construction paper and recycled paper, it was not very sturdy . I would use thicker craft paper so it would be able to hold up well. Third, our monument was not very stable as we did not have enough time to stick everything down, which had inconvenienced me and my group to reassembling it when moving it to another table.

(272 words)

References:

Melissa Quek (2021). From Collaborative Skills

Emily Steward (2021). From Why do we buy what we buy

Amea Wadsworth (2025). From The rise and fall of labubu

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CTS A | Week 1 What is Critical Thinking

This week's prompts

• Reflect on what you have learned about critical thinking. How can you use it to improve your creative practice and in your daily life?

• Reflect on an eventful moment you have experienced in the class.

• How can you utilise mindfulness to improve the quality of your learning and your life?

What I learnt during this week’s lesson about critical thinking after watching Pooja Nansi’s video in class. In the video, she had mentioned some questions, and one of them that stood out to me the most was how I want to practice/make art. Like what are the principles that matter to me, e.g., feminism, anti-racism, and sustainability? Thus, I feel that asking those questions when starting a new piece of work/ while in the process, would help me, as an artist, reflect and think more deeply, how I could further develop my work. I realised I had applied that during my first photowalk for Studio 1. During my first out-of-campus class, I was a bit worried and a bit stressed, especially because it was our first assignment, it being an unguided project where we had to capture sufficient pictures that were of sufficient quality to use for the project. I then thought about how I could view the given location as a brand to simplify things for myself. What image and feel would Chinatown want to give off the their customers and their target audience? By simply breaking it down, I was able to easily organise and plan out simple routes around the area that would get me and my friends sufficient images that we could use to create our different styles that vary in visual designs, despite us almost sharing the same type of images

An eventful moment that I had experienced in class in week one was attending my first mindfulness session with my new friends, and what were their thoughts and reactions about how we felt overall, and how it actually benefitted us, especially during classes, as well as how to cope and manage stress

During this week’s lesson, we were also introduced to and taught about the importance of mindfulness practices. What I have learnt about mindfulness practices is how it helps maintain a calm mind and a healthier body while also helping to develop our level of focus. One example is to either watch and follow along with simple breathing exercises. Slow, controlled breathing helps to calm down our minds.

(368 words)

Reference:

Eoghan Ryan (2022) Critical Thinking | definitions and examples

Pooja Nandi (2021). Critical thinking skills.