Visual Design:
Research - What effect can soothing visuals have on the body?
WHAT WOULD I LIKE TO LEARN?
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What effect can visuals have on us?
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Does this depend on rhythm, movement, speed or colour?
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How can we use this in our project?
Week 11 - Visuals Research
Purpose for Research
The purpose for this section of research is to understand more into the effect of visuals, similar to sound. I'd like to explore how visuals can also be used to evoke feelings of calm and understand it's impact on physical regulation, in terms of motion and rhythm. This will effect the visual direction of our project proposal.
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My Inspiration page within Phase 3 can also be used to support this page.
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
We have established our proposed game idea to be an immersive physical space, supported by a post-experience reflective mobile application. The key aspects of the immersive space will use engaging sound and visuals to keep players relaxed as well as promote well-being. In Phase 2 and 3 I did a thorough amount of research into the effects of music/sound in regulating emotions and evoking particular feelings in the listener - this can depend on the genre of music or the key it uses for example. My teammate Kiera and I, plan to take advantage of immersive technology such as Projection Mapping and Surround Sound in a 360 degree physical space, to transport players to an alternative environment, while making them feel safe, comforted and relaxed at the same time. As I am already aware of the effects of music and sound, at this point it's important for me to have the same knowledge regarding how we can use visual design in our space to have the same effect on players. Firstly, let's outline the requirements of these visuals:
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VISUAL DESIGN: REQUIREMENTS
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Visual Design must engage and captivate players
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Visuals must be of interest to players in order to engage them
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Visual Design must make players feel relaxed, calm and at peace
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Visual Design must not be too overpowering or result in sensory overload (with sound)
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Visual and Sound Design must be designed in unison
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Visuals must be mapped 360 degrees around the room
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Now I have established the requirements for the visual direction of our proposal, I have a few questions that I can expand on throughout my research:
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What makes visuals calming?
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Does this depend on the colour of the visual design?
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Does rhythm, motion or even shape matter?
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LET'S BEGIN
As our proposal comes in two parts, for now I'll be researching Visual Design to influence the visual direction of the 'physical immersive space'. We have gathered a basic idea of how we'd like the application to appear, as we believe keeping it clean and simple is best. Within my Visual Direction section, this will all be explained.
SENSORY ROOMS & IMMERSION RESEARCH
Within Phase 3 you can find the two following research sections:
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From this research, I found existing physical spaces which use projection mapping, visuals and sound to achieve full immersion in users. This has been done in art exhibitions, museums and sensory environments to engage users/visitors and divert their focus to the world around them. This was fascinating because I gained insight to what these physical spaces look like, most of which included slow visual movement, projection of vibrant colours and sometimes, interactive elements. An example of this is when users walk across a projected surface, and the surface senses their motion so adapts in some way. Examples of this can be found in my Immersion page linked above.
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Most of these physical spaces consist of colour and motion, however, the content is almost always different. From this I can gather that the content of the projection doesn't necessarily matter, but it's the way it's displayed that does. The speed or fluidity of what's being projected for example. Similarly, in 'Sensory Rooms', the company 'Snoezelen' use light curtains, bubble tubes and interactive boxes to engage users. But what I'd like to know is, how exactly can we design the visual appearance of our physical space to encourage regulation and evoke feelings of calm.
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To make my research more distinct, I will be separating this section into 4:
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1. COLOUR THEORY - I will begin by understanding the effect of different colours, and the association with different moods, feelings and emotions.
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2. MOTION/RHYTHM - I'd like to explore how the rhythm or movement of visuals might effect how we perceive them. Does this change the way we feel? I can assume that faster movement might make us feel more stressed, or almost out of breath.
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3. SHAPE - Do shapes have an effect on how we feel? I recall reading up on this before about the effect of different shapes and I'd like to familiarise myself with this.
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4. NEXT STEPS FOR VISUAL DIRECTION - Using my research I'd like to have a clearer idea of the visual direction and appearance for our physical space.
LET'S BEGIN THE RESEARCH
THE COLOUR THEORY
"How do colours affect Mood and Emotions?"
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I found this article regarding the psychology of colour and how we can use it to influence mood and emotions. I am interested in understanding the different connotations of different colours as well as how we can convey information through colour, without the need for verbal communication.
"Colour can play an important role in conveying information nonverbally, creating certain moods and even influencing the decisions people make".
WHAT IS COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY?
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The psychology of colour assigns 'emotional and psychological connotations' between colours and emotions. This can have a universal effect on the brain, which is interesting because it can affect us all the same! - Whereas sometimes, it's not the case. Some people might associate a certain colour with an event in their life which could either make them love it or hate it! So sometimes it depends on the person.
OUR PERCEPTION OF COLOUR
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The way we perceive colours can differ between us, similar to art this is often subjective. However, like I mentioned above some colours have a 'universal meaning' and effect on people. These different colours can affect moods and also evoke a range of emotions. I'd love to look a little more into the connotations/associations between different colours, because this would help immensely in the art/visual direction of our space.
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ASSOCIATIONS WITH COLOUR:
Warm colours are often used to evoke feelings of comfort and warmth, but can also be used to project feelings of anger, so we have to be careful with our choices. Similar to this, the colour red can signify danger and seriousness, whereas with undertones of blue, can evoke feelings of calm.
WHICH CONNOTATIONS ARE OF INTEREST TO ME?
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In terms of the design of our space, it must evoke feelings of calm, relaxation, comfort and safety. These are the most important factors of our space and we have already identified ways for sound to achieve this, but next steps would be to consider the visual appearance of the space. We have not yet decided on the art style or content for its 360 degree projection, but using these colour associations we can narrow down to a specific colour palette that we might use.
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From the image above I have understood the following:
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YELLOW - The associations that come with the colour yellow are 'cheerfulness', 'playfulness' and 'brightening peoples spirits'. Yellow is often corresponded with being creative. It's the lightest hue of the spectrum which offers hope, happiness and fun. It's said to brighten peoples spirits and uplift people. Although, too much of this colour can also cause anxiety, agitation and impatience. This is something we must avoid at all costs, and using the colour yellow at all is a risk in itself!
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GREEN - Nature, balance and growth. It can be associated to feeling restful and secure, also symbolising harmony and healing. Lighter greens relate to rebirth, growth and freshness whereas darker greens can represent wealth and prestige. If we were to use the colour green we must take into consideration its shade as we aim to reflect feelings of healing and calm.
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BLUE - Blue represents trust, serenity and peace. It's known to be calming, reduce tension and fear as well as have physical effects like slowing pulse rates. It can also be associated with the feeling of freedom, inspiration and loyalty.
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PURPLE - The colour purple can imply wealth, as well as creativity and bravery. Lighter purple tones can be associated with light-hearted and romantic energy.
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WHITE - The colour white can be associated with cleanliness and simplicity which would be perfect for the design of our reflective application, as we intend to keep it as simple, clear and intuitive as possible.
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HOW COULD WE USE THIS IN-GAME?
To reflect upon my chosen colours, I believe the best palette to use for our visual design could include blues and purple tones to evoke feelings of happiness and hope as well as calm and peace. The effect of blue is powerful on its own, as it can reduce tension and have physical effects on the body similar to physical regulation. Light shades of blue can reduce heart rate and make people feel more relaxed. Although, I was interested in the colour white on it's own as it can represent cleanliness and simplicity which I think would make people feel more open-minded and optimistic. It's best to not overpower the colours we use or the emotions we evoke.
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I'd like to understand more regarding how it can impact feelings and behaviours. As our main project goal is a space to encourage emotional and physical regulation in players, I'd like to learn about the effect colour might have on mental and physical health.
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USING COLOUR FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING
"Using colours to stimulate positive emotional responses"
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Chromotherapy is the use of colours to heal! It can also be referred to as 'Light Therapy' or 'Colorology'.
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The treatment involves the following colours:
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RED - to stimulate the body and mind and also increases circulation.
YELLOW - stimulates the nerves and purifies body
ORANGE - used to heal the lungs and increase energy levels
BLUE - soothe illnesses and treat pain
INDIGO - alleviate skin problems (shades)
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
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Particular colours and shades can be used to "influence our wellbeing and stimulate positive emotional responses". It's not a cure for illness, but here is what we can do:
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"create a well-balanced environment that not only has a positive effect on patients' wellbeing, it can aid improving patients' health".
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HOW CAN WE DO THIS?
We can take into consideration colour schemes, palettes and design to create a 'greater sense of wellbeing'. Some colours can trigger a 'therapeutic reaction' and have a positive impact on mental illnesses such as depression. Soft blues and greens can reduce feelings of stress - we associate them with things we find calming like nature, soothing rivers or blue skies. Soft warm greens and whites are usually used in hospitals to represent a calm and supportive environment. Although colour is very personal, they do often have universal meaning. To ensure the colour palette we choose has the desired effect, I think it would be best to choose colours that have a prominent/well-discovered meaning such as blues, purples and greens.
WHICH COLOURS SHALL WE AVOID?
Greens are difficult to implement into design as people associate different things with it, similar to any colour. It can depend on different cultures too. Some people might see green as eco-friendly and soothing whereas someone might associate it to an old school uniform, which they never liked. As I mentioned before, yellow is uplifting, but according to this article it can strain your eyes over time. Because of this, it doesn't seem like the best choice to implement into an immersive environment. This article also suggests to limit the number of colours used as it can lead to a 'visually busy environment' resulting in confusion and unease. I have spoken about hypersensitivity and sensory overload before, and because of this I think keeping things simple and basic is best.
WHAT COLOURS COMMUNICATE:
PIN LINK: https://pin.it/7IaJp76
I found this diagram on Pinterest which outlines the effect of colours on emotions as well as how they might be used! I found this incredibly useful as we can apply this to our Visual Direction, considering how colours can be used in the sense of mental/physical health. We must choose our colour palette regarding what colours evoke feelings of calm, relaxation, comfort and safety. For example, looking at this diagram I can see that royal blues reduce stress and create calmness and security which would be perfect for our visual design. Whereas, pink can be used to increase pulse which we should avoid at all costs, as we intend to do the opposite.
A QUICK SUMMARY & DESIGN CONCLUSION
To summarise what I've learned regarding colour theory and colour psychology, when designing the visuals for our experience, it would be best to use shades of blues, purples and greens but limit the amount of colour used. This is because we must avoid making the design too overpowering or over stimulating which can lead to a negative reaction to our experience. The visual design must be achieved in line with its sound therefore, if we have too much going on, this will make players feel uneasy. Using blues will allow us to reflect and evoke feelings of calm as well as reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. I also like the feeling of 'security' that blue can create - this links to one of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs being safety. From our research, we know that focus on visuals and sound is important in terms of player engagement and immersion, so the focus should still be kept on these two components. As we plan to use a physical space (either the 6m Cylinder or our own construction) the colour of the room must be kept dark, as well as the lighting. This allows for projection mapping to work around the space and also not distract from the visual design.
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NEXT STEPS...
Looking into motion/rhythm!
MOTION & RHYTHM
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I struggled to find any relating articles to this topic on the internet however, I am aware of visual types/examples that can evoke feelings of relaxation almost similar to hypnosis.
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In Phase 3, Kiera and I adapted one of our ideas to integrate regulation techniques into the environment of the space however, we struggled to find ways to 'gamify' these practices. An example of this was to 'breathe with the beating pulse' which was supposedly designed to steady breathing and reduce heart-rate, resulting in people feeling more relaxed. This is an example of rhythm/motion being used to influence what players might do.
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This is my Prototype Demonstration from Phase 3 that shows how players interact with motion/rhythm using their physical bodies:
RESEARCH LINK:
https://www.pacesconnection.com/blog/calming-your-anxious-mind-through-rhythmic-movement
EXAMPLES OF RELAXING VISUALS​
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Throughout my Phase 3 research and Inspiration pages, I looked into different visual examples of slow, fluid movement which can be used to evoke feelings of calm in viewers. These visuals often consist of vibrant colours, slow rhythm and repetition of shapes/colour.
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I will be documenting a few examples that I have found so far and evaluating their possible purpose in our game:
In my Inspiration section of Phase 3 I came across a variety of visuals and video examples of slow movement and relaxing rhythm. These videos are particularly used to help people study and encourage relaxation. I came across the following:
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Can be found here: Inspiration
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This artist uses Artificial Intelligence to create slow motion/movement as a form of art. The effects of these visuals can be used to evoke calm in viewers and use slow motion to steady heart rate and make them feel at ease.
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This is similar to motion graphics which can be created using Software such as After Effects.
KALEIDOSCOPES
Can be found here: Inspiration
Kaleidoscope visuals are everywhere on Youtube, and can be used to evoke calm, peace, relaxation and focus. People use these visuals for meditation purposes. Kaleidoscope visuals have healing powers that helps up relax and reduces stress. The gentle repetitive movement of these visuals 'foster calmness and balance' within our minds and bodies. Something we might consider is using similar slow gentle movement to make our players feel relaxed throughout the duration of the physical experience. However, the design of these visuals are quite complex and almost hypnotic! I would hate for this to be too overpowering or distracting for some users, resulting in a negative reaction.
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Often consists of repetitive shapes, colour and motion.
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Movement is slow and mesmerising
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Similar to hypnosis
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Can be created using physical kaleidoscopes, facing a particular object, image, place, thing etc
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Often used for meditation.
CALMING VISUALS - MOOD-BOARD:
Can be found here: https://pin.it/7eA8Lqp
From my Survey results in Phase 3, I was able to gather responses and evaluate what visuals people find calming/make people feel safe which I put together to form a visual mood-board. These responses were the most universal, meaning they were answered more than once - from this I can assume that most people can agree that these are the most therapeutic:
EVALUATION​
From this, what can I assume regarding motion/movement and rhythm:
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COMMON FEATURES:
Looking at my research and documented visuals, I have been able to recognise commonly features/patterns between them:
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RHYTHM - Rhythm can help to 'integrate our body and mind'. It's great for our physical bodies and mental health! Repetitive movement can give our bodies the chance to reset and encourage healing. This is an example of rhythmic movement which can be associated with meditation. It's therapeutic and healing. The article linked above states that movement is a good way to release tension and become more relaxed - maybe in-game, the visuals can link with interactions and encourage players to move physically in order to interact. This can be fulfilled using motion sensors or gesture control. In terms of regulation, how can rhythm help? It allows us to reconnect with our bodies using a grounding technique. As I learned before, grounding can elevate mood and make us feel secure during times of stress, panic and overwhelm. During my 'Lux Exhibition' visit, I visited the room of waves where rhythm was used to relax and comfort visitors.
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REPETITION - I briefly covered the impact of repetitive movement. Repetitive movement allows us to keep focused and improves concentration. When I think about both repetition and rhythm, I remind myself of my Phase 2/3 research into Music, specifically the use of 'Metronomes'. Metronomes are used in music to keep a steady tempo, rhythm and beat. I have used a metronome myself and I can agree that it helps to remain focused and play steadily. We could incorporate this into the design of our visuals by keeping movement steady and repetitive, so players know what to expect. Another example of this might be the ticking of a clock, which is always on beat/time.
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GENTLE, SLOW AND FLUID MOVEMENT - After a lot of research into Immersive spaces and exhibitions, I noticed that the visuals displayed often consist of slow movement where you can really capture the detail of the object/thing. This captures the viewers focus and interest, resulting in them feeling relaxed and soothed. Examples of these visuals are as seen above like crashing waves, moving clouds or water droplets/rainfall.
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A QUICK SUMMARY & DESIGN CONCLUSION
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Now I have a greater understanding of the effect of movement, rhythm and motion on the mind and body, I have a clearer vision of the appearance of our physical space. In order to fulfil our goal of calm and relaxation in players, it'll be important for us to introduce slow movement into our visual design, whether that's trees swaying in an environmental setting or motion graphics moving on a dark background. Movement should be kept slow, gentle and repetitive. This way, players will remain focused and relaxed throughout. On top of this, as established from my research into Colour Psychology, these visuals should consist of blue shades and potentially greens and purples too.
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NEXT STEPS...
To conclude on my visual design research and effects on the body, I'd like to look into shape.
UNDERSTANDING THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SHAPES TO DESIGN BETTER
"Perception plays a critical role in the success of any visual component"
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The last component of visual design I will be looking at will be Shape. Our physical space must consist of mesmerising and calm evoking visuals as well as a heavy focus on sound design. To ensure our visual design is as effective as we can make it, it's necessary to consider all elements of visual design including shape and colour!
This article is based on how we can use the psychology of shapes to improve user experience.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SHAPES
The psychology of shapes is the science behind understanding the influence of shapes on individuals.
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SQUARES AND RECTANGLES
These two shapes are often associated to our mobiles, furniture, books and monitors. Straight lines and 90 degree angles 'offer a sense of reliability and security'. Common meanings of these shapes are strength, courage, security and trust.
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CIRCLES, OVALS AND ELLIPSES
These shapes portray eternity - this is self-explanatory as they have no beginning or end. These shapes are associated with cosmic objects like the sun, moon and earth. Rounded shapes can project feelings of magic, mystery and secrecy and appear more softer/mild Common meanings include eternity, universe, magic and mystery.
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TRIANGLES
Associated with motion and direction. The placement of a triangle can result in different feelings/emotions. For example, an upright triangle can evoke feelings of stability and balance whereas, placed the opposite way can evoke risk and uncertainty. This makes it quite risky and difficult to play around with. Common meanings include excitement, risk, balance and stability.
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SPIRALS
Spirals are often correlated with the circle of life, journey and growth. They can also be associated with creativity and being open-minded. Common meanings include growth, creativity, calmness and intelligence.
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ABSTRACT SHAPES
Abstract shapes are not as defined and usually difficult to comprehend. These are often used to convey a message without the need for verbal communication or text. A lot of artists use abstract shapes in their art to do the same. Common meanings include uniqueness.
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NATURAL SHAPES
Natural shapes can include leaves, flowers, animals and trees - almost anything created by mother nature. Each object, animal or thing has its own connotation/association, similar to how roses are associated with love. Common meanings of these shapes include organic, balance and refreshment.
HOW CAN WE USE SHAPE IN OUR VISUAL DESIGN?
Using my research above, for the visual direction of our physical experience we can consider the impact of certain shapes on users' mind. For example, looking at the common meaning and association of spirals and rounded shapes they often relate to calmness and an open-mind, which is essential to encouraging emotional regulation in our players. Whereas, triangles can be related to uncertainty and risk, which we do not want to convey. Our experience is mostly based on the effect of these components and conveying a message, rather than directly communicating this to players. Furthermore, our visual design must be able to captivate and engage users for it to have an affect.
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We have a choice between abstract or more natural shapes for our design. For the majority of my Visual Design research I have been thinking too much about the deeper meaning behind things when really, natural and more organic shapes can be used to do a similar thing. This can include the associations behind nature, animals and plants for example, which are more apparent. Using natural shapes, players will not have to use much thought to convey particular emotions from what they see, and instead find it easier to feel calm and relaxed. An example could include a 360 degree display of slow moving clouds.
WHAT SHALL WE AVOID?
Using abstract shapes will be the most difficult - most artists use abstract shapes in their artwork to convey a message or meaning which sometimes can be interpreted in different ways. If we were to use abstract shapes (difficult to recognise), players may not be able to comprehend what they see on screen and therefore become confused and frustrated. As well as this, the impact we want from our visual design will be ineffective. It's best for our to stick to more natural shapes with apparent associations and connotations, which don't require too much thought or understanding. This way, players will be aware of whats on screen and will feel a particular way towards it.
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Essentially, it will be easier to design an environment with natural and more distinct shapes to evoke feelings of calmness, balance and security.
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As for our supportive mobile application, the visual design should be kept as clean and simple as possible. We don't want the design to require too much thought or understanding and aim to keep it as intuitive as possible. This is because we want to keep the same level of calm created from the immersive space - we do not want to frustrate or make usability complex for users.
MOOD:BOARD: Shapes & Colour
PINTEREST BOARD 1: https://pin.it/7eA8Lqp
PINTEREST BOARD 2: https://pin.it/2CAmb0T
Taking into consideration my shape and colour choices, I have made a mood-board to influence our choice for visual direction for our physical space and app:
Mood-board for physical space Visual Design, consisting of the kind of shapes and colour palette we might use:
Mood-board for reflective mobile game visuals, consisting of clean and simple interface examples and basic colour palette we might use:
SUMMARY & DESIGN CONCLUSION FOR VISUAL DESIGN
My research into Visual Design has helped me immensely with imagining what the space might look like including colour palette, motion, animation and shape. From looking into the psychology of colour, shape and motion, It's clear to me how we should design this physical space to ensure players feel relaxed, calm and at peace throughout, using the appropriate connotations to lead our design. Using calming colours, natural shapes and slow gentle movement will blend together effectively to create a sense of immersion and relaxation in the space, making players feel at ease and calm during their experience. This could also result in interactions in the space, as I discovered motion is an important element of physical regulation therefore, maybe players could interact with visuals through touch or gesture control, which affects their environment in some way - essentially, providing players with agency and control.
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For our next steps, It'll be necessary for us to take our individual research and work collaboratively to conclude on a visual direction for our proposal. Although we don't need to narrow it down to one art style at this current moment, It will be good to have at least 3 examples that we have explored during Phase 4.
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NEXT STEPS...
Next I plan to research into Sound Design before concluding on our Sound direction for our experience. The follow-up sections from this page can be found here:
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