Information Design

13th Feb – 20th Mar 2024 || (Week 1 – Week 7)

Kek Han Shin || 0352571
Information Design || Bachelor Of Computer Science || Faculty of Innovation & Tech.
Final Project

💡Instructions💡

Animated Infographics

In this project we have to research the given topic and breakdown the information into parts - narrative and visualization.

Use questions like 'What, why, where, when, who and how' into the building of our narrative

⚫Deadline

Week 8 - 27th March 2024

⚫Requirement

An animated infographic informing audience about given topic (min 1.5 - max 3 min video)

Must include some form of data/statistics.

Must use the questioning technique and provide answers.

⚫Refer to below slide 27-32

✍🏼Research✍🏼

The topic our group has chosen:

Topic 3: The Impact of Social Media on Society

Reason - We think that as the current society young people are very much attached to social media, and some of us feel that sometimes we might even let it determine our self worth, hence we wanted to explore further in this topic!

WEEK 1 || Data to Information

First, we started with forming our groups and fill in relevant details in the sheets.

I find that the 'What, why, where, when, who and how' methodology is very useful in breaking down a topic into a structured way

Initial research on social media and its impact

Throughout the research, we found out that social media does not only has influence on individual level but instead to the society and even young generations. I never expect that outcomes like social movements and activism and bias can be linked to social media itself.

Because the research data is long and too detailed, we have to summarize it as the video is only allowed to be around 3 minutes.

Initial script [20/3/2024]

This is a part of the initial script we drafted out, but when we tried reading it out we found out that it is still too long... 🤡
Hence we cut it short further, with around 2-3 sentences per section

Shortened script [20/3/2024]

Also for the video , we break the information down into guiding questions:

Ever wondered when the first social media platform was created?
How has social media impacted the world since?
Where has it impacted?
etc.

WEEK 2 || Narrative, concept, ideation

I find that dividing the script into parts makes it easier to generate the video concept, we divided parts and come out with visual suggestions.

Besides brainstorming for the visuals suggestions, we also started to hunt for visual references:

Board we used to dump all the resources [20/3/2024]

We find out that all groupmates preferred a colorful, vibrant art style, hence we decided this to be our finalized mood board!

Finalized character and color pallet [25/3/2024]

The finalized compiled visual scheme and moodboard:

WEEK 3 || Creating assets, illustration

Abin helped to sketch out overall scene arrangement so that all visual suggestions are aligned, while the rest of us started to create assets to be used!

Working out character in Illustrator [20/3/2024]

Creating characters being in different motions and expressions

Refining characters in different motions[20/3/2024]

Behind the scene

When starting with creating assets I found out that I'm facing a big problem :') My skills on Illustrator is not enough 😭 hence starting with tutorial hunt...

Video that allow me to catch the basics quickly[20/3/2024]

After understanding the basics I created assets that will be used:

Assets in progress [20/3/2024]

Since in my part I will be demonstrating data, I made barchart in Illustrator so its easier to animate the assets in After Effects

Data presentation frame [20/3/2024]

WEEK 4-5 || Assembly assets into animation

Finally during week 4 we started animating the assets, during the process Mr. Fauzi gave us feedback that we should be focusing on the presentation on information too, as we tend to put focus on the animation of characters.

Our group went to search for some good example of videos with clear presentation flow

I find that typography and transition are important too, so that the information presented has good arrangement.

After importing Illustrator file in After Effects I started animating, it is fun to use transform tools to make them happen.

Using rotating earth to perform "wipe" transition

After importing Illustrator file in After Effects I started animating, it is fun to use transform tools to make them happen.

Also find out some interesting effect presets I can apply, like page turn:

Page turning effect

WEEK 5-6 || Final assembly into video + music & SFX + render

Finally after finishing completing animating all the scenes, the rest is adding SFX and music, how our group delegate is we add up sound effects and compile it, then at last only add the background music.

I find that it is easier and faster to render up the frames, then only add in sound effects. Else the file will grow too heavy, slowing down the the software

Adding sound effects

For background music, we searched for some music from youtube:

Song recommendation

🎨Final Outcome🎨

💭Feedback

- not necessarily focus too much on the characters' facial expressions and movement, instead work on the information flow and typography

- the characters' size can be adjusted smaller so that it doesn't block the title and subtitles

✍🏼Reflection

Experience

It wasn't easy task as we are creating an animated video that requires data compiling to arranging them into sketch and frames, and finally into animation. Especially with the tight schedules and deadline I find it less time to refine our work too much. Overall, I find it satisfactory to finally see the outcome and experience a full video making process!

Observation

Sometimes it doesn't take advanced and complicated animating effects to present clear information, it's about thinking in a viewer's shoe, how to utilize typography and transition to achieve the objective - deliver the final message.

Finding

I learn that thinking in other's shoe is also one of the critical skills in design thinking, besides, communication and accountability are critical when working in groups

Kek Han Shin (0352571)