Final Project & Portfolio
LIST OF CONTENTS:
- Module Brief
- Lecture Notes
- Task 4 - Final Project
MODULE BRIEF
Fig 1.1 Module Brief (Week 1, 23/04/2025)
LECTURE NOTES
PROCESS
 |
| Fig 2.1.1 Moodboard |
Panel 1 – The Spark in the Dark:
The character is introduced standing still, holding a candle at the center of a cold, symmetrical city. The tall buildings tower above her, visually emphasizing isolation and pressure. The moon is full, casting a pale light — a passive, reflective light that contrasts with the active warmth of the candle. She’s not moving yet; this is the moment of deciding — the start of the internal journey.
Panel 2 – The Decision to Hold On:
Here, the character begins to walk. The composition changes — now she’s in motion, walking past a “GIVE IN” sign toward “HOLD ON.” The two signs are placed along a split path, suggesting a decision point. The choice is not made once, but continuously, and the figure walks forward with intent. Visually, I show tension between direction and opposition. The candle remains lit, but she’s now surrounded by denser city structures — representing how challenges often intensify as we choose to persist.
Panel 3 – Moving Toward Hope:
In this still, the signs and buildings are no longer close — they have receded into the background. She is no longer just holding on — she’s walking away from the pressure, toward something more open and unknown. The perspective tightens to her face and the candle again, creating a moment of reflection and intimacy. Her eyes are closed. She is walking, but with peace. The text reads, “If you’re not passionate enough from the start...” — a quiet whisper that supports the emotional stillness of this panel. Her environment is no longer pressing in — it’s starting to loosen.
Panel 4 – Arrival at Hope:
The final panel opens into a natural landscape. The buildings are gone. The sharp corners and artificial symmetry of the city are replaced with gentle, layered hills. The candle is still in hand, but it’s now contrasted by the sunrise — symbolic of hope realized. The warm light of the sun doesn’t overpower the candle but joins it, showing that the journey has brought clarity, purpose, and fulfillment. The final sign reads “YOU’VE ARRIVED,” and the last part of the quote fades in: “...you’ll never stick it out.” The character is small compared to the landscape, showing humility, growth, and the beginning of a new chapter.
 |
| Fig 2.2.1 Storyboard |
RATIONALE : This project was created to express a personal truth I often experience as a designer: that passion isn’t explosive — it’s enduring. It’s not always loud or visible; often, it’s a quiet, persistent burn you carry with you. Steve Jobs’ quote became a lens through which I explored what it really means to stay committed when things stop being easy.
From the beginning, I knew I didn’t want to use dramatic or literal storytelling. I wasn’t interested in breakdowns or epiphanies. Instead, I built a symbolic structure — a narrative told through space, posture, and light rather than facial expressions or events. The figure never cries or runs; she simply walks forward. That’s what perseverance often looks like: not loud, but steady.
Every visual element was stripped down to essentials. The candle acts as the emotional anchor — a fragile but persistent flame. The cityscape symbolizes pressure and doubt, its dense structure reflecting the weight of uncertainty. As the panels progress, the environment opens up — the signs grow distant, the buildings fall away, and natural light begins to lead. The figure doesn’t change much, but the world around her does. She walks her way into clarity.
The signs — “GIVE IN,” “HOLD ON,” “YOU’VE ARRIVED” — are intentionally simple. They echo how internal choices often appear: plain, direct, and quietly powerful. The typography fades in gradually, like thoughts forming mid-step. This piece became a quiet argument for the kind of passion that’s sustained by belief, not bursts of inspiration. As a designer, I often work from that place — not chasing genius, but trusting the slow burn. This project helped me see and honor that rhythm — quiet, but alive.
 |
| Fig 2.3.1 Process in Illustrator |
 |
| Fig 2.3.2 Process in After Effects |
 |
| Fig 2.3.3 Process in Premiere Pro |
 |
| Fig 2.3.4 Scene 1 |
 |
| Fig 2.3.5 Scene 2 |
 |
| Fig 2.3.6 Scene 3 |
 |
| Fig 2.3.7 Scene 4 |
REFLECTION
This project became more than just a design piece — it became a mirror. As I worked on it, I wasn’t simply visualizing a quote; I was reliving moments from my own creative journey, the ones where I had to choose to keep going despite fear, uncertainty, or burnout. There were times during this very process when I wanted to start over, doubted whether it was “enough,” or questioned the direction entirely.
But with every decision to keep refining rather than giving up, I felt more deeply connected to the message I was trying to convey. That’s when I realized — I wasn’t just illustrating the story, I was living it. From a design growth perspective, this piece taught me to simplify with purpose. I tend to overwork details, but this time I had to trust subtlety: a figure’s posture, a shift in light, the space between buildings. These quiet visual cues became my main tools. I also learned how to design emotion through pacing.
Each panel holds stillness, and I allowed that silence to carry weight, choosing not to rush the narrative. That kind of restraint is difficult but deeply powerful when done with intention. And perhaps most importantly, I learned to create from honesty, not aesthetics. I didn’t follow a visual trend — I followed a feeling. Every decision was made to express what it means to carry passion quietly and to arrive somewhere meaningful with it still intact. In the end, this project gave me a clearer sense of my creative identity. I’m not just a designer — I’m someone who wants to communicate emotional truths through visual language. I don’t need complexity to say something meaningful; I need clarity and intention. This work is about one small flame — and what it means to protect it. It’s about me. And maybe, it’s also about anyone who has ever kept walking, quietly holding on to something that matters.