ILLUSTRATED VECTOR MAP: Learner's Log
- deepikagupta20
- Feb 25, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 23, 2021
ILLUSTRATED GLOSSARY:
1. Abstraction: Use of shapes, dots and lines to depict the essence of something without any details.
2. Movement of the eye: When your eye moves along with the image unconsciously.
3. Harmony: arrangement of elements in such a way that they create a sense of completeness.
4. Balance: When everything is in equal proportion and there's no specific point of focus giving a sense of stability.
5. Negative Space: Space around or between the subject of the image.
TRANSLATING MY VISION INTO MAP:
Use of texture:
The use of texture to depict the vibe of the map was one approach that was very successful. Just like colors, textures too have a certain feeling associated with them
So I decided to given a grainy texture to my map as this texture is associated with nostalgia. Even in the 70s or 80s movie due to low image quality, this texture would appear. But who knew that the noisy texture of that era could also be reminiscent of sweet memories.
USE OF COLORS:
At Stage 2:
The reason for choosing this color scheme was that I always associated nostalgia with pale or dull shades of the pastel colors. So I took some references and picked out the colors that gave me a snappy yet happy feeling.
The color scheme acquired a monochromatic theme and added liveliness to the map. It helped me achieve the nostalgic vibe by reminding me of the beautiful memories that I have spent here.
But on the other hand it also made my map a little monotonous and the icons did not do justice to the map.
If I could've considered other color schemes and also different textures/line work/patterns, then maybe my map would've had a totally different outcome. Maybe, it would've been better or maybe it would've become worse but there's no way for me to tell this until I try.
UNDERSTANDING PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:
I wanted my map to have mainly three principles, that is, HARMONY, BALANCE and MOVEMENT OF THE EYE.
Created topographical line to show harmony and movement of the eye
Tried changing the pattern to make it balanced
At the end, I changed the entire color scheme as the composition was becoming monotonous and lacking harmony. So now this composition had most importantly balance with a little bit of eye movement and decent harmony
EXPERIENCE OF WORKING DIGITALLY:
Advantages:
Accessible: One can start creating any time as everything is available at a click.
Undo option: The option to undo our work helps us to correct our mistakes.
Experimentation: It allows you to keep exploring and experiment with its different tools and methods
Secures information: The information can be easily saved and recovered whenever needed.
Easy sharing: Due to the digital platforms, the work can be easily shared over long distances at zero cost.
Disadvantages:
Increased Screen time: It is not easy to work on a laptop for hours and also the blue light can harm our eyesight.
Technical glitches: Sometimes technical glitches become intolerant.
Losing data: Even though, it saves the information securely, sometimes the data is lost if not saved on time.
Various tools: Even though, various tools helps to enhance our work, it is difficult to learn how to use them.
REFLECTION:
Since, I joined late I had very little time to indulge in a long thought process about how I wanted my map to look like. So, I just moved ahead with whatever idea that came first to my mind and I think that it somehow made my outcome less interesting. This happened because I was so overwhelmed by the pressure of extra classes and submissions that I did not perform my best.
While the exact opposite happened while doing abstraction as now I had received my feedback for stage 2 and honestly speaking, I was very upset about it. So, it kind of triggered me to roll up my sleeves. I tried to include Emphasis, harmony and eye movement in the abstraction part which was not there in the previous stage.
(Swipe to see my previous stage map)
What helped me in learning was the feedback and all the lectures about principles of design. During the course of this project I realised that what you visualize is always different than the outcome as there is not limit to imagination but when you actually start doing it there are sometimes difficulties and maybe you even have to change the whole idea.
It made me understand that sometimes all you need is a little push to help you get back in the race. Overall the whole project was very exciting as I was able to depict my feelings and emotions onto a map which I never thought of.
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