PBL

SDG collage

In the first week of school, I made a collage showing SDG 14 (life below water) and how pollution is affecting the ocean and its marine life. One thing I could improve on was to be cleaner since certain parts of the fish look messy and not fitting well. From completing this project, I learned that graphic design is not only about how something looks but also about communicating a clear message. By using trash in the fish, I was able to relate pollution to my project more clearly, thus making it more valuable and compelling.

Currency redesign

In the second week, we began redesigning the currency of Taiwan, using Mona Rudao as a key figure to increase the historical significance of the overall design of the currency. We learned about the importance of the indigenous people of Taiwan and their historical events in history class, which helped to put into context why Mona Rudao was chosen. Compared to my previous design, I have improved at thinking about how much meaning you can give a design instead of just how it looks. I will continue to work on my planning and organization, so I will do a better job of planning my layout before I start creating my final design.

Moodboard

During week three, we developed a moodboard that provided more insight on what our design will be like stylistically, how will we arrive there, and what color feeling it will provide. Using the moodboard helped me to have a better understanding of how to organise my ideas before commencing the final piece, including the colours and styles I would use in advance. I have improved my project planning and developed a more consistent design from my previous work. However, I want to improve my element arrangement on the page by focusing on the layout and ensuring all elements fit closely together.

Pitch 1

Through our original concept proposal presentation we demonstrated excellent organization and delivery, providing a clear introduction to the Tawu people's culture, articulating the links between marine pollution and Sustainable Development Goal 14, and creating an easily readable format for each slide (whereby each slide had distinct headings) allowing for the opportunity for each participant to absorb the material presented with little effort. While all of this was done very well, much of the content presented lacked depth and sophistication, and therefore created a sense of 'uncompleted' work.

G3_Pitch1.PPTX3.pptx

Pitch 2

We provided a greater level of detail in planning (by adding detailed planning such as: organization information, budgeting ) to develop our critical thinking and ideas in the second edition of our project. It now appears that we had thought more about how our idea would work in actuality, making it easier for others to visualize how we worked and our entire pitch was far more complete and had more meaning, therefore, I will start using the rubric earlier in the process of my projects from now on.

brand kit

This Brand Kit includes the branding elements we have created for our magazine; including the Logo, Colour Palette, Font Selection, and Imagery; to create consistency throughout the entire magazine as it relates back to the overall theme of Ocean Pollution. I can see that I have improved as a Graphic Designer by making informed decisions when selecting colour and typography that work harmoniously with each other under the context of the Ocean Pollution theme. Additionally, it demonstrates how I will maintain good organization throughout my work as I can take advantage of the Brand Kit to create elements of my magazine that maintain a level of uniformity across numerous layouts/pages. Finally, when I reflect back to past projects, I understand that I did not adequately plan for my design before executing, therefore I will continue to develop my skills through better decision making choices that convey my overall message/theme.

Reflection and growth

In the first seven weeks of this course, I completed a project “the SDG collage.” Which we chose to do SDG 14. One area where I can improve is the overall neatness or detail of the collage; there were sections of the collage that appeared unbalanced and have not been completely refined. I also received feedback in my project pitch that we needed to apply more detail in our planning, by adding a budget and a clearer explanation on how we organized ourselves, to create a better second version of this project. This project also relates to what I was learning in science regarding global environmental issues and how they negatively impact ecosystems. I have developed more of a focus on the purpose of my design from my previous work instead of just how the design looks. Another area where I need to improve is my time management skills; I will spend more time planning my projects and allow enough time for revising them when I do projects in the future.

Social Justice Investigation

This project looks at the issue of pollution in the ocean that has affected the Tawu people of Orchid Island. Pollution can harm both marine life and the Tawu people as it affects their environment as well as their traditional way of life. This issue is also locally relevant because Taiwan is surrounded by the ocean and the pollution caused by humans is often transferred to marine ecosystems. The ocean is therefore an important environment for both nature and humans and shows how environmental problems can have a direct impact on both.

Graphic Design Growth

At semester start, I thought graphic design was primarily visual beauty. Later I discovered that besides its visual impact, art also serves as a medium for communication between language, culture, and ideas. The top skill I've gained through this Journey is Using colour, Image and layout Together to express a message. For example, In the Group Project, we include a visual theme of ocean visuals along with images of ocean Pollution to effectively express the problem the project was addressing. The techniques used in these projects have inspired me to develop Visual designs that are Meaningful as well as Beautiful.

Organization & Presentation

My PBL webpage is well designed and contains all components required for the project including: collage, moodboard, project pitch and brand kit. I have ensured that the layout is clear and easy to navigate with a consistent and professional look. Prior to completing my PBL portfolio, I reviewed my work according to the rubric to verify that all requirements were met. This process was helping me to improve my overall organization of my work and to better present my work.

LOGO DESIGN

I designed this drawing to be the official logo for our group. By using just simple black and white, the focus is completely on the detailed lines. The natural, flowing patterns in the wings contrast with the straight lines on the body. This represents both the beauty and the weakness of the flying fish. This logo shows who we are as a group and stands as a powerful symbol for the environmental message we are sharing at our exhibition.

MAGAZINE

I am the lead designer for MARINE Ma’ataw, a collaborative magazine project that uses visual storytelling to highlight the environmental crisis facing Taiwan's Orchid Island indigenous community. My main focus was building a strong layout and visual identity that balances professional editorial standards with an emotionally charged message. I developed a brand kit using a purposeful color palette—mixing deep ocean blues with a vibrant coral red—and paired modern typography like Helvetica Now with expressive fonts to guide the reader through the pages. Throughout the 20-page layout, I structured the content to seamlessly integrate heavy data with impactful visuals, using elements like geometric grid systems, custom pull-quote backgrounds, and traditional cultural symbols like the 'Eye of the Boat.' By testing these layouts during a mock exhibition, I used visitor feedback to clean up the visual hierarchy, adjust the image placements, and ensure the graphic design effectively drives awareness for ocean conservation.

TANGIBLE DESIGN

As the lead designer of this piece, I received inside the moon shape, which symbolizes the balance of nature in Taoist tradition. The flying fish is a central symbol for the Tao people, a Taiwanese indigenous group currently facing severe environmental pollution. In their language, the word Ma'ataw refers to things floating on the ocean—originally used to describe their home, Orchid Island. Tragically, today it also signifies the marine debris and plastic pollution that threaten both their ecosystem and their traditional way of life. This design will be printed on a bag for raising donations during the upcoming exhibition, the main idea for this design is to make people know what is our group talking about straight away.

MOCK EXHIBITION & Feedback

Before the main event, we held a mock exhibition to test our ideas. It was a great way to get honest feedback from our first visitors.

We listened closely to their advice and used it to improve our final setup. For example, we fixed how we display the art to make it look better, and we simplified our text so the environmental issues facing Orchid Island are easier to understand. This practice run helped us improve our work and made our final exhibition much stronger.

PROJECT PTICH

For my exhibition pitch, I walked the instructors through our magazine project, *MARINE Ma’ataw*, focusing on my role as the lead designer. I explained how our project addresses the environmental injustice hitting the Tao people of Orchid Island, connecting their struggle to SDGs 14 and 10. To show my design process, I highlighted how I used a high-contrast palette of ocean blues and coral rust, mixed with clean grid layouts, to give the 20-page magazine a strong visual identity. I wrapped up the pitch by showing how we took action—printing our designs on tote bags to raise donations—and how the critique we received during our mock exhibition helped us clean up our text and art displays for the final showcase.

REFLECTION

REFLECTION ON GROWTH

My job was handling the design and layout for our 20-page magazine. To get it done, I had to get a lot better at managing my time and keeping my design files organized. The mock exhibition was a huge turning point for me. Getting feedback from visitors and using it to clean up our text layouts showed me that design is all about testing and improving. I learned how to balance my own creative vision with what the group actually needed, and next time, I definitely want to map out my design timeline earlier so I'm not rushing the final formatting.

SOCIAL JUSTICE INVESTIGATION

Looking into the environmental injustice on Orchid Island really changed how I view pollution. I used to think marine trash was just a general global issue that affected everyone the same way. It shocked me to see how a small indigenous group like the Tao people takes the biggest hit from global plastic waste and commercial "ghost gear," even though they didn't cause it. Seeing how it ruins their flying fish stocks made the issue hit home. It made me realize that community responsibility isn't just about recycling at home; it's about speaking up against political exclusion and backing groups like the Orchid Island Youth Action Alliance.

GRAPHIC DESIGN GROWTH

This project really boosted my confidence as a designer. I stopped just trying to make pages look pretty and started using design to actually tell a story. Learning to use contrast and visual hierarchy helped the most—pairing deep ocean blues with a bright coral rust perfectly captured the tension between the beauty of the sea and the urgency of the crisis. I’m proudest of the grid layout I built. It let me blend heavy data with traditional symbols like the 'Eye of the Boat' without crowding the page, making a heavy social justice issue easy for anyone to read.

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