ENVIRONMENT DESIGN [ PROJECT 1 ]
21.04.26 - 14.06.26 / Week 1 - Week 8
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Environment Design / Taylor's University
Project 1
OUTLINE
Instruction
Feedback
- WEEK 1
- WEEk 2
- WEEK 3
- WEEk 4
- WEEK 6
- WEEK 1
- WEEk 2
- WEEK 3
- WEEk 4
- WEEK 6
Reflection
INSTRUCTION
Module Information Booklet (MIB) of Environment Design
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Project 1
Project 1 focused on designing the building's exterior and establishing the overall project concept. Since I decided to connect it with the same concept used for Vehicle and Props Design, one of the main challenges was developing a clear direction and conducting strong research from the beginning.
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| Fig. 1.1 Process 1 (Week 1 / 24.4.2026) |
I first referred to the example mood boards and sketches uploaded by the lecturer to understand how I could organise and develop my ideas. My concept was an astronomical monastery located at the top of a mountain, where people study and revere the constellations.
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| Fig. 1.2 Examples |
Although the concept felt unusual and complex, I included subjects and visual elements I enjoyed to make the project more engaging. Since the idea had not yet been fully developed at this stage, I began with several simple sketches to explore its initial visual direction.
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| Fig. 1.4 Process 2 (Week 2 / 1.5.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.4 Process 3 (Week 2 / 1.5.2026) |
Next, I designed a character who would also be used in the Vehicle and Props Design project. I did not develop the character in detail at this stage and only produced rough sketches. Since the character would appear in a monastery belonging to a constellation order, I wanted them to resemble both a scholar and a priest. As the theme was clockpunk (steampunk), I also drew inspiration from Renaissance clothing designs.
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| Fig. 1.6 Character moodboard (Week 4 / 16.5.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.7 Process 4 (Week 4 / 16.5.2026) |
After that, I roughly sketched the exterior of the building. Following the lecturer’s advice, I designed three buildings positioned around one large building and added telescopes to show the function of the architecture. However, I thought it would be better not to finalise the building design too early, so I developed two different design options.
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| Fig. 1.8 Process 5 (Week 5 / 24.5.2026) |
More detailed drawings of the building exterior were also required. Therefore, I drew window designs, a simple exterior design for the roof, and some interior props that would be placed inside the building.
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| Fig. 1.9 Process 6 (Week 5 / 24.5.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.11 Process 7 (Week 5 / 24.5.2026) |
I wondered whether I should submit compositions that were exactly the same as those included in the exercises. Therefore, I added two new compositions and used them to replace some of the drawings from the exercises that I felt were unclear. Before drawing these compositions, I created a simple 3D base because I wanted to draw the building exterior with more accurate perspective. Since I wanted to include compositions from several different angles, I felt that the building appeared too far away in the original compositions, so I drew it from a closer and different angle.
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| Fig. 1.12 Process 8 (Week 6 / 25.5.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.13 Process 9 (Week 8 / 11.6.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.14 Two newly added compositions (Week 8 / 11.6.2026) |
Next, I explored the ambience of the environment at three different times of day. However, while documenting the process on my blog, I thought that the exterior ambience might have been more effective if I had emphasised the light passing between the building and the mountain more strongly. Looking at the results now, some of them appear as though I simply added colour to the composition.
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| Fig. 1.15 Process 10 (Week 8 / 14.6.2026) |
Since the previous character drawing seemed too rough, I refined the character further before submission. I also wanted to add more details to the building exterior, so I drew the front section of the building. Originally, I wanted to draw the front, back, side, and roof sections, as well as the detailed astronomical telescope machinery that would connect to the actual interior of the building. However, because I did not manage my time well and also experienced problems with my eyes, I was unable to develop many of these details.
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| Fig. 1.16 Process 11 (Week 8 / 14.6.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.17 Process 12 (Week 8 / 14.6.2026) |
Final Project 1: Exterior and Landscape Design
FEEDBACK
WEEK 1
Specific Feedback: No Feedback
General Feedback:
- Prepare a visual proposal for a stylised or cartoon-style 3D open-world game. It does not need to be realistic, and Tripo may be explored for creating 3D assets.
- Cultural and architectural elements may inspire the design, but avoid directly copying sacred imagery or focusing on a specific religion or deity. Research ancient buildings from different countries and reinterpret the references carefully.
- Conduct primary research using actual photographs of relevant and connected locations. Imperfect details, such as an old or damaged door, may contain emotion and suggest interesting stories. Maintain a consistent research direction and avoid overthinking.
- Bring a wide range of ideation sketches, including one-point and two-point perspective studies. The proposal does not need to show the entire game world yet; a few areas or one well-developed building are sufficient.
- Consider combining environments, characters, vehicles, and other related elements. Study games such as Apex Legends, Ori, Torchlight, The Witcher, and Monster Hunter, then collect references and produce simple sketches.
- Use ArtStation and The Rookies for inspiration. If you aim to join a specific studio, study and practise its visual style.
WEEK 2
Specific Feedback: No Feedback
General Feedback: No Feedback
WEEK 3
Specific Feedback: Explore different types of doors and entrance designs. Define the function of each building before designing the people who live there, the characters who use the space, and the activities that take place within it. Design ornaments, architectural patterns, and other components with clear meanings that suit the building and its cultural context. Complete the exterior designs before developing the interiors. Consider creating three buildings or structures and fully developing the structural design of each one.
General Feedback:
- Avoid directly following or copying a particular design. Understand each building’s purpose, its suitability for the environment or season, and the reason for using materials such as wood.
- The design should be functional and believable. Written explanations may support the concept, but the building’s function should also be clearly communicated through the artwork.
- Entertainment design does not require the same technical detail as architecture. The mood board does not need to show every angle unless necessary; focus on showing how the space could reasonably function and support movement.
WEEK 4
Specific Feedback: No Feedback
General Feedback: The purpose of developing a concept is to build and communicate a story. Designers should act as visual storytellers, using a strong narrative and world-building to understand and justify their design decisions. Avoid developing the world in excessive detail at the beginning. Establish the overall direction first, then focus on illustrating a specific environment or area rather than the entire world. Every design should visually communicate part of the story and remain consistent with the central concept.
WEEK 6
Specific Feedback: Develop the colour and value studies first; interiors and props can be completed later. Move Building 3 slightly closer to the centre of the composition and produce more building iterations.
General Feedback: Complete all required work before next week’s submission. Do not become overly attached to the initial design; every element should have a clear purpose and support the concept and story. Use Tripo Studio or Meshy only to test ideas and gain 3D inspiration. Do not submit AI-generated 3D designs as final work. Break buildings into manageable components so they can be designed, modelled, and reassembled easily. Create breakdowns and trim sheets showing architectural elements, walls, flooring, patterns, textures, vegetation, and other assets. Keep them simple and practical for 3D production. Develop silhouettes, colour palettes, value studies, and multiple design iterations. Refine promising ideas without overcomplicating or changing the established concept. The composition should have a clear focal point and communicate storytelling. Vehicles may be included to show movement, and any technology should clearly demonstrate how it functions. Study and iterate on the building forms. Establish solid shapes and values first, then use photobashing for textures instead of drawing every surface manually. Carefully observe natural elements such as plants and rocks. Their designs should show believable variation and match the atmosphere of the selected theme.
REFLECTION
Experience
In Project 1, I developed the exterior design and overall concept of an astronomical monastery located at the top of a mountain. I connected the project with Vehicle and Props Design, so I explored the building, character, and props within the same clockpunk concept. I produced mood boards, character sketches, two architectural design options, detailed exterior elements, and several compositions. I also used a simple 3D base to improve the perspective and experimented with different colours and times of day to explore the ambience.
Observations
I observed that the function of an environment needs to be communicated visually rather than only through written explanations. Adding telescopes, surrounding buildings, windows, roof elements, and interior props helped make the purpose of the monastery clearer. I also noticed that closer compositions created a stronger view of the architecture than the earlier compositions in which the building appeared too distant. However, changing the colour alone was not enough to create a different ambience, as the direction and intensity of the light also needed to change.
Findings
This project helped me understand that a strong environment design requires a clear concept, believable functions, and visual elements that support the story. Developing several design options before choosing a direction was useful because it prevented me from finalising the building too early. I also learned that the main shapes, perspective, focal point, values, and lighting should be established before adding detailed textures and props. If I continued developing this project, I would create more exterior views, strengthen the lighting between the mountain and the building, and develop the telescope machinery in greater detail. I would also manage my time more carefully so that I could complete more of the planned designs.
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