01
PRACTICES & DEVELOPMENT
Building on last week’s sketches, this week I started developing them further to form clearer visual outcomes and establish a more defined visual direction.
RESULT & REFLECTION
PHOTOGRAPHIC & ILLUSTRATION BASED
✍️ Texture-based visuals work especially well with text-led layouts, adding depth while preserving clear hierarchy.
✍️ I found that stroke-based illustrations work better when treated as a collective pattern rather than individual images, as this approach feels more aligned with Hanoi’s visual rhythm and atmosphere.
✍️ Adding colour accents makes the overall composition feel more alive and energetic.
PATTERN EXPERIMENTS
✍️ This pattern is developed from last week’s sketches. In a Vietnamese cultural context, each pattern carries layered meanings.
✍️ The first pattern is inspired by 'phong bat', commonly seen around construction sites, referencing manual labour visually, while in Gen Z slang it also carries a secondary meaning of showing off.
✍️ This pattern is developed from woven bamboo fiber (soi tre), a familiar street material used in baskets, fans, and everyday tools. Visually, it represents manual craft and repetition, while conceptually it reflects how simple units interlock to form collective meaning.
MATERIAL EXPERIMENTS
✍️ Each pattern translates into a different visual reading and highlights a different story, even though the actions represented are entirely everyday.
*Displayed in natural light; due to the pale base layer, additional lighting such as LED panels is needed for better visibility.
(1) A well-off family, shown through matching patterned outfits.
(2) A poor father serving his country, patching his child’s clothes with a national star.
(3) A farmer father enduring hard labour so his child can go to school.
(4) A blind father, for whom the child becomes his source of light and guidance.
PHOTOGRAPHIC & TEXTURE EXPERIMENTS
02
RESEARCH POSTER DESIGN
Next, I started designing the research poster and explored how the visual experiments developed earlier could be translated into the poster layout and overall visual language.
👩💻 I chose a visual direction that blends Concept 1 and Concept 2 from my Week 8 proposal. The visual language is inspired by Hanoi newspapers, but translated into a slightly more contemporary form
This approach reflects the final refinement of my theme, drawing attention to street-based publications that are often overlooked, yet carry layered values passed down over time. The colour treatment is intentionally muted, referencing how these visuals are usually experienced at night rather than in daylight.
RESULT & REFLECTION
✍️ I explored two title options using the same layout, but chose option 2 because LED projection tends to soften textures. This option creates a stronger visual hierarchy, ensuring the title remains legible and impactful even when the back surface is less visible..
✍️ This is the final visual layout. At first glance it feels messy, but intentionally so. I chose to partially obscure the imagery to reinforce the core message through imperfection, density, and recognisable character.
