WEEK 1 - WEEK 3
DAVIES ANNIKA ANGELA/ 0362108
INFORMATION DESIGN
Bachelors of design in creative media/ Innovation and technology faculty
EXERCISES 1 & 2

INSTRUCTIONS

Exercise 1 - Quantify & Visualize Data

In this exercise we are to sort items that we chose in 2-5 categories that we see fit. I found some paperclips in my house and decided to use that.

Paperclips Without Being Categorized

At the beginning of the project, I simply laid out the paperclips in a random fashion. This step allowed me to observe them as raw, unorganized objects, free from any imposed structure or meaning. Seeing them in this way helped me appreciate their individual forms, colors, and shapes without any preconceived pattern. The scattered arrangement created a sense of chaos, which served as the perfect starting point for exploring organization and creativity. This initial step made me wonder how meaning and aesthetics can emerge from disorder, setting the foundation for the next phase of sorting

Fig 1.1 paperclips without being categorized

Paperclips Sorted by Color

After observing the randomness of the paperclips, I decided to bring some order to them by sorting them according to color. This process was both methodical and visually satisfying, as it highlighted the differences and similarities between the various hues. The arrangement helped me see patterns that were not obvious before—some colors were more abundant than others, and certain shades complemented each other beautifully. This step made me reflect on how categorization can bring clarity and make information more digestible, much like how data visualization works in design.

Fig 1.2 paper clips sorted by colour

Paperclips as a Bar Graph

Inspired by data representation, I took my color-sorted paperclips and arranged them into a bar graph format. This transformation added a new layer of meaning to the objects, turning them into a form of statistical storytelling. The height of each bar represented the quantity of each color, making it easy to compare them at a glance. This arrangement reinforced the idea that visual organization is a powerful tool for communication. It was fascinating to see how a simple set of paperclips could be used to mimic the way data is structured and interpreted in real-world applications.

Fig 1.3 paperclips as a bar graph

Zig-Zag Organization

Wanting to explore a more dynamic structure, I reassembled the paperclips into a zig-zag pattern. This arrangement introduced movement into the composition, creating a sense of rhythm and flow. The pattern felt playful and engaging, almost as if the paperclips were forming a continuous wave. This step challenged my perception of order—rather than being strictly linear like the bar graph, the zig-zag formation suggested connectivity and interaction between the elements. It also made me think about how unconventional layouts can make a design more interesting and visually compelling.

Fig 1.4 Bar graph Zig zag organisation

Flower Arrangement Idea

Taking inspiration from nature, I began to experiment with forming paperclips into flower-like patterns. This shift in approach brought a sense of organic beauty to the project, transforming the mundane into something artistic. The curved shapes of the paperclips mimicked the delicate petals of a flower, showing how geometric objects can be arranged to resemble natural forms. This phase made me appreciate the versatility of simple materials and how they can be used to evoke different emotions and aesthetics. The flower idea also symbolized growth and creativity, setting the stage for the final transformation.

Fig 1.5 flower arrangement idea

Final Arrangement – My Paperclip Garden

Bringing all my explorations together, I created the final arrangement: My Paperclip Garden. This composition combined elements of structure, movement, and organic design, showcasing the evolution of my thought process. The garden symbolized harmony between order and creativity, with each paperclip playing a role in forming a cohesive whole. This final step was deeply satisfying because it demonstrated how a simple object can be transformed through different stages of organization, perspective, and imagination. It also reinforced the idea that design is a journey—from chaos to structure, from data to art, and ultimately from an idea to a meaningful creation.

Fig 1.6 Final arrangement: MY PAPERCLIP GARDEN

The idea for My Paperclip Garden came from experimenting with different ways to organize and display paperclips beyond their usual function. Initially, they were scattered randomly, but as I started sorting them by color, I saw the potential to create something more visually engaging. The idea of forming them into flowers came naturally, inspired by how petals radiate outward in a structured yet organic way. The final arrangement turned into a “garden,” symbolizing growth and transformation from something simple into something artistic.

The title and font were deliberately chosen to reinforce the theme. The font used mimics the loops and curves of actual paperclips, making it feel like the text itself is part of the artwork. The hand-drawn style adds a playful and personal touch, complementing the creative and experimental nature of the project.

Exercise 2 - L.A.T.C.H infographic poster

WHAT IS THE LATCH THEORY?

L.A.T.C.H is a way to organize information so people can find things easily. It was created by Richard Saul Wurman and has five main methods:

Location – Organizing based on where things are (like sorting a map by cities).
Alphabet – Arranging in A to Z order (like a dictionary or contact list).
Time – Ordering by when something happened (like a timeline or news feed).
Category – Grouping similar things together (like a music playlist by genre).
Hierarchy – Sorting by importance, size, price, etc. (like ranking best-selling books).

Why It Matters?

Helps designers structure websites and apps in a way that makes sense.
Makes information easier to find and understand.
Tools like Card Sorting help in choosing the right categories.

In this exercise we are meant to

Create an infographic poster with organized data.
Apply the LATCH principle (at least 4 categories).
Use a photo editing or illustration app.
Ensure visuals are created to complete the poster.
Allow for image reuse within the design.
Size resolution: 1240 × 1750 pixels or 2048 × 2048 pixels.

I initially wanted to to make a poster about Snakes in the world and then decided to narrow it down to snakes in africa and make one according to the most vernomous snake of each area in Africa and the least vernomous.

RESEARCH

Below is my research

L.A.T.C.H Snakes in Africa Research document

VISUAL REFERENCES

Visual designs for L.A.T.C.H poster

Key Takeaways from My moodboard I might want to use

Color & Aesthetic – Use warm, earthy tones (inspired by the Botswana sunset) with dark, dramatic accents for a bold look.
Infographic Style – Structure the poster like Snakes of the World and Snakes of New York, and categorize snakes by region and danger level.
Typography – Experiment with bold, vintage fonts (like Apex Predators of Africa), or integrate snake shapes into the title (like Instinct and Snake Coil).
Layout Ideas – Use a circular or layered approach to organize the snakes, making the most venomous ones stand out.
Textures & Background – Add subtle snakeskin patterns or an African landscape to enhance depth.

I decided to use 4 out of 5 of the L.A.T.C.H principles which are

L - Location - (Different regions of Africa)

T - Time - ( how long it takes for snake to kill you using venom)

C - Category - ( Venomous & Non venomous)

H - Hierarchy - ( Most venomous in Africa indicated with skull illustration)

SKETCHES

I then used the Visual References to brainstorm some ideas for the poster.

Sketched ideas for L.A.T.C.H poster

I decided to go with the first idea and started designing my poster in illustrator

PROGRESS

Background ideas

I wanted to have a snake skin background so I looked for patterns I think would suit the poster and decided on this one

Removing background

I removed the background from the pictures that I used an Ai image generator named oepenartai and saved them as a png and the imported them into my illustrator file

Background ideas

I liked the rustic old paper look so I wanted to use the initially for my background

Rustic paper background

I then designed the poster and added the snakes and information and used arrows to indicate which regions each snake is from and used red to indicate the venomous one and green for non venomous.

Snake skin background

I wanted to incorporate the snake skin idea and I was testing and seeing how it would look.

Snake skin and gradient background

I also wanted to keep the venomous snakes on the left and non venomous on the right so I created a gradient using a rectangle and gradient tool.

Font used

I also wanted a jungle looking bold font so I used the font Snap itc.

Trial 1 poster design

I then continued working on the poster and made the title have a sunset kind of gradient to represent the gradients of the beautiful sunsets in Africa I also inflated the text in the 3D effect panel to make the letters look tube like the way snakes do.

Trial 1 poster design

I liked the outcome of the poster but felt the lines were a bit of a distraction and so I abandoned the line idea to identify the different regions the snakes are from and instead use a compass and incorporate a key in the poster.

Compass generation

I used the Ai generation tool and generated a compass and coloured the arrows in either red or green and made a key.

Key for poster

I then made a Key and ranked the different levels of snakes venom power.

FINAL POSTER DESIGN

FINAL POSTER JPG

FINAL L.A.T.C.H poster pdf

REFLECTION

I really enjoyed these exercises actually it challenged my creativity and made me reflect on all the knowledge I gained since starting this degree as I was thinking of how to arrange information in a dynamic way as I learnt in Advanced Typography. I also applied knowledge from Typography where I learned about type expressions and I feel like it created Harmony in my design. I also found myself remembering Design principles and applying them to my poster to make it more visually appealing.

For exercise 1 I enjoyed finding different ways to arrange information and I feel like this helped me just learn that information can be arranged in a way that caters to human psychology and how humans take in information. I feel like skills learnt from this exercise can be applied in aspects like presentation designs as well as branding for companies.

Search This Blog

DAVIES ANNIKA ANGELA (0362108)

EXERCISES 1 & 2