Information Design - Final Project : Animated Infographics

11/01/2023 - 07/03/2023
Week 1-Week 8 
Tan Pei Yun / 0345386
Information Design /Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Final Project : Animated Infographics

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Instructions

Research on Mental Health

Fig 1.0 Research Mental Health in Google Docs 

To understand more about burn out for our final project, we decided to do some research so we could have a better understanding of what the final project topic is about. The documents include some of our findings, such as:

- What is Mental Health ?
- What is Burnout ?
- Burnout vs. Stress
- What are the signs of burnout ?
- Relationship between mental health and burnouts
- What are the 5 Burnout Stages?
- Disadvantage of Burnouts
- How to prevent / stop burnout?
- Ways of recover burnout / deal with this mental health

Each of us did a few research findings in mental health in order to proceed to the next step, which is brainstorming visual ideas.

Brainstorming - Visual Ideas 

Fig 1.0 Burn out script in google sheets 

When I looked at the script that Mr Martin provided, it was quite hectic, I didn't expect that there was a pretty long script and also a part where we had to provide our visual suggestions. Thus, we decided to hold a meeting where we could brainstorm our ideas and fill it all up together.

Fig 1.1 Screen-grab one of the part about the script 

Planning always proves to be the most challenging part. In this stage, there are quite a few things to consider, such as matching the art style and illustration with the voice over and planning the visual suggestion. Obviously, the hectic are getting heavier and more painful in me, and when working in a group, I do feel more like a listener (typical INFJ personality) however, I still put my ideas in a visual form through the Miro-board (see below) to make them easier to explain and show during our meetings. It was also nice to see everyone cooperate enough to give their best ideas for this animation.

Inspiration Mood-board

Fig 2.0 Group 1.5 - Miro-board 

I believe it will be easier to understand in visual, therefore it is the best to have a miro-board, where we could compile our idea inside all together. Inside the miro-board, I had saved bunch of gifs and visual reference that could helps and apply into our own motion graphic too.

Miro-board link : miro-board-group1.5-motion-graphic

Visual Reference 

Fig 3.0 Dealing with anxiety and depression video by Minddistrict

Fig 3.1 Visual Reference (@Minddistrict)

During our discussion, Siew Weng showed us this motion graphic video and the members enjoyed the minimalist illustration and how it was transformed into an easy-to-understand motion graphic. Despite the simple appearance, it contains quality work. Therefore, we decided to keep it as a visual reference and move on to our storyboard.

Story-board 

Week 4 , Storyboarding stage - our group divide to split task by drawing the chosen scene. During that stage, we don't have a confirmation of the art-style, so after that, we'll choose the final one's art-style in one of the group members' storyboards.

Fig 4.0 Divide task in storyboard 

Storyboard - Assigned to 

Scene 1 : Hoi Yee 

Scene 2 : Jamie 

Scene 2 :  Siew Weng 

Scene 3 - 5 : Pei Yun

Scene 6 - 8 :  Selina 

Scene 9 - 10 - Jia Hui

Fig  4.1 Scene 3 to 5 , Storyboard

Fig 4.2 Scene 3 to 5 - Storyboard in JPG

I chose to storyboarding about scene 4 and 5 , the main part of the scene is about overworking, perfectionism and loneliness of our main character the ball / circle. After receiving feedback in week 5, Mr Martin suggested that we animate the storyboard so we could see what it could approximate look like. The group members decided to choose and focus more on my art-style, and here we go to the next step again into animated storyboard.

Fig 4.25 Compilation of Group 1.5 Storyboard 

Fig 4.3 Character design and Assets 
 

Fig 4.4 Animated storyboard Progress

Week 5 , the group members were more focus onto matching the illustration style , and I also assigned into making a character assets in Ai, illustrator to make sure everyone Ai art-board and illustration are consistency and same.

Animated Story-board 

Fig 4.5 Animated storyboard by Group 1.5

Moving on, its finally time to focus our final motion graphic, the group were discuss and split into illustration team and animation team, in this time, me and siew weng were focus onto illustration while others will be animation part.

Illustration Progress

Fig 5.0 Overall Illustration Progress in Ai

I don't know how many illustrations have been changed at this stage. Fortunately, it was glad that there's a good communication and have a tacit understanding with Siew Weng. We make sure that both of our illustrations had the same stroke size, background color, font, and even wrote some notes on the artboard so the animation team could easily follow our ideas.

Fig 5.1 First draft and modified version of illustration

As a result of our discussion with Siew Weng, the first draft was my own idea. I agree more with her idea where the background is plain and easier to understand rather than too vibrant as mine, which could affect the visuals.

Fig 5.2 Illustration changes during week 7

For example, week 7 after showing Mr. Martin our progress, there was actually a lot of stuff that needed to be enhanced or changed over and over again, there was a scene where the circle rolled off the bed, However, Mr. Martin wasn't really understand about this part , but suggested that the bed could be smaller to fit the character better. So I decided to draw another cozy bed for the character 

Fig 5.3 Final Scene 1 to 5  Illustration 

Subtitles & Sound Effect Progress 

Fig 6.0 Overall caption & sound effect progress

Thank's to Siew Weng, after I had gotten all her compile files togethers , I managed to moving on to add the subtitles (which was an additional task as few of us agree to do) and doing the sound effect part. At this point some team members weren't sure if we should add subtitles, somehow the first end result video was quite plain and flat,  which making me and siew weng worried (the illustration team) not really satisfied with the outcome, we could actually do better, therefore we came up to do same extra task by enhance and to "upgrade" our video again. Siew Weng and Jia Hui was kind enough by re-animate some of the scene again while I would put the finishing touches, add subtitles and sound effects.

Fig 6.1 Subtitles Progress in PR 

Fig 6.2 Font and Size matter 

Luckily subtitles wasn't a hard thing especially we live in an advanced generation where there's a auto subtitles function which is super useful and time saving. In this step, I learnt quite a few where actually the font and font size that's matter a lot, I even went to google and search the standard size and font for subtitles .The standard font size for subtitling is around 22 points but is flexible with each font used and the subtitle Fonts for videos are mostly : 

• Arial

• Lucida Grande

• Futura

• Tahoma

• Impact

• Georgia

• Verdana.

• Times

At last, the final decision is to choose and use Arial in regular and 30pt size, which I think it's look comfortable and suitable for our motion graphic video. 

Sound Effect

Fig 7.0 Amount of sound effect that used 

Fig 7.1 Sound effect progress

Sound effect are fun yet challenging at the same time, it took me quite some time to keep listening and looking for suitable sound effect for the motion graphic , especially the volume need to consider and avoid to loud to affect the voice over. But in overall, I really impressed by how sound effect could enhance the result of the motion graphic , lastly after showing to the teams and we are ready to submit ! 

FINAL OUTCOME : ANIMATED INFOGRAPHICS

Fig 8.0  Final Outcome - Animated Infographics by Group 1.5

Glad that we all managed to did it together, heres the final outcome of our animated infographics videos -  burn out by group 1.5 , thank you ,yayy !

youtube link :  https://youtu.be/PeSWmHIlLp4

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FEEDBACK

WEEK 7 FEEDBACK

Feedback that provided by Mr Martin and we had a small meeting where how we could improve on and enhanced it to make it better.

 

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Reflection

Reflect to our final project of this group assignment was kind of an up and down both mixed feelings together but I believe through every group work, there will be certain gains. I believe that this animation group assignment was a great opportunity for me and others to learn new skills, make sure to collaborate and to communicate well with our peers, and expand our creativity into the animation all together. 

For a while I had a strange feeling when I saw what the first final result looked like, I was glad some of my teammates were willing to step up and redo some scenes, glad it's all over now and we're all happy with the final outcome now, but I hope that I will not have such an experience next time again. Doing additional task for me isn't a tough ones , but its hard to see some the members staying up late sacrificing sleep, which does makes me hurt somehow and there was even a moment when I even blamed myself for  my poor illustrations? which makes them difficult to animate :( 

This final project taught me that communication is really important, make sure to let others know about your progress and the problems you are having, it allows us to work together instead of being alone and afraid to talk about it. Overall , it is still consider great that able to have conversations with the other members of the group, to get feedback and encouragement. Although some of us were all going through the different processes and challenges, and it was an uplifting experience to have peers supporting us through our work. Overall, I learned a lot in the animation group assignment. I was able to improve our group animation and storytelling or storyboarding skills, gain insights on the animation process, and test different tools and techniques.