Yeoh Logo
about Yeoh
Yeoh as designer
Yeoh as educator
Yeoh's journal
Yeoh's dossier
contact Yeoh
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
  Creative Visual Experience and Design Jan - Apr 2014


Syllabus for Creative Visual Experience and Design (CS 8070) taught at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Semester 2 Academic Year 2013 - 2014.


Download: Syllabus CS8070 Sem 2 AY 2013 -2014.pdf



Transformative Experience - Breakthrough


An individual assignment from one of the students in my Creative Visual Experience & Design class at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) during the 2nd semester of the 2013-2014 academic year which runs from January to April of 2014. The experimental assignment requires them to become something they are not for 4 weeks and to document their process either in an analytical report of a 1000 words or a 5 to 10 minutes video. For some, it can be a paradigm shift by becoming a person they have always fantasized about being but never have the gumption to become/explore/experiment. Colin Tan, a student from the Art, Design and Media School successfully combines his report into a flip book format which a video when flipped from either sides. His colorful report, named "Breakthrough" is almost 2 inches thick in which he challenges himself to dance publicly.

Click on the animated gif below to see Colin in action.


Download: CS8070 Something youre not - Colin Tan.gif



Transformative Experience - To live in the moment


ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE BELOW:
This assignment constitutes only 30% of the course's final grade but is transformative as it requires the students to be someone they are not for 4 weeks. They will report their experience in a report with 10-20 images within 1000 words or a 10 minute video. The assignment can be a paradigm shift by becoming a person they have always fantasized about being but never have the gumption to become/explore/experiment.

Hor Ke Yan suffers from hyperthyroidism, a medical condition whereby the thyroid gland secretes excess hormones with symptoms that include high metabolic rate which makes it difficult for her to gain weight. These factors affect her evaluation of self-image which made her overly self-conscious. To deal with her insecurities, she planned to improve her self-image through a weekly combination of diet planning, exercise regimen and experimenting with fashion. Since the assignment lasted for a month, she began to methodically document the process week by week.

For week 1,she relied on The Calorie Calculator which provide some general guidelines. She needed 1540 calories or 2040 calories per day to maintain or gain 0.5 kg per week. She started by logging her daily food intake into a diary which allowed her to understand her eating habits and to monitor the calorie intake. She soon noticed that she had irregular eating hours which were attributed to busyness and stress. The schedule also clashed with the Chinese New Year which disrupted the food intake from January 30 to February 1,2014.

The focus of week 2 was a combination of diet and exercise which she adopted for the rest of the remaining 3 weeks by focusing on toning and defining of the upper body as her arms ere the primary concern of her insecurities. With reference to the videos by Fitness Blender, the plan was to exercise 30 minutes three times a week. Having not exercised for a long period, her first attempt rendered her breathless and each routine left her arms in soreness which motivated her further.

For week 3, she focused on a combination of diet, exercise and an attempt to dress up. She went out after school to have dinner with an ex-colleague. Ke Yan often received suggestions from male colleagues to improve her dull fashion sense which was depressing to her. She intended to get a reaction from everyone at dinner and she received encouraging and positive feedback. She was even more motivated as she realized that dressing sharp changes her perception of self which rendered confidence in her. Her colleague also noticed that she was more vocal that evening, probably from a shot of new found confidence in her. By week 3, she had fully adjusted to the new eating habit where her calorie intake had remained fairly consistent.

By week 4, she had experimented to dress up in clothes that she adored but was shy away from wearing due to poor self-perception, partly also because she stood at 173 cm tall (5' 8"). Her new fashion sense involved dressing up in more vibrant clothes and mainly dresses. It wasn't easy as she discovered, to change her original mindset but the compliments she received each day motivate her. Dressing up made her feel good which made her more positive and affects the way she carried herself. She concluded that the 4 weeks had been a challenging process of rewiring her eating habit and navigating past her psychological barrier that dwelled on negativity stemmed from past situations. She was glad to have worked on tackling her insecurities that had been bothering her for so many years. Her evaluation of self-image have become more positive. She added her report with these words: "Essentially, it is time to ignore other people's judgment and live in the moment."






Transformative Experience - The unfamiliar side


Keith Chong Jie Hua intention for the assignment was to view familiar space in an unfamiliar perspective, aiming to explore and discover new experience within the selected space. His decision to experiment with this experience within the compound of the space he is familiar with--his home. It became a challenge to break free from the normal routine that he used to live in and it forced him to open up more possibilities in interacting with his home (space).

He realized that whenever he looked out of the window,all he paid attention to were the architectures, people, activities and the sky ahead. For his discovered experience,he got curious and started looking upwards whenever he looked out the window. The first few attempts were difficult as he had problem balancing so he decided to use his phone to snap an image of what was above him. He was engulfed by his fear of heights for each second he stood by the window as he experimented with taking images from an elevated view. However, a sudden inspiration came to him while he was peeping through a crack on his door which reveal only a small portion of the objects outside in which he saw abstract shapes, even though they are common objects he sees daily. He used a piece of paper and cut out circular holes and used it as a tool to limit his vision as he observed his home space. When he focused into one hole, the object transformed into abstract shapes, breaking off from its subject matter. The experience showed him that his brain is capable of identifying subjects even without seeing the full form. The cropped views created interesting composition of shapes that one would never be able to discover through the standard way of observing things and he was thrilled that such a simple experiment had opened up possibilities in viewing his home space.

As he continued his experimentation such as the time when he took a shower, he noticed little details that although he was within the four flawless walls with decorations and beautiful tiles, he started to wonder what it would be like beyond those walls. An opening on the led him to discover the pungent smell that reminded him of cockroaches and he was hesitant to stick his head into the opening as he was afraid of cockroaches. It took him a while to gather enough courage to experience the space above where he noticed a light source in the space where the surroundings were filled with bricks, wooden frames, metal bars and concrete in the most raw and rugged state. Unexpectedly, sounds from the other toilet could be heard clearly. He heard his grandma rinsing and spitting into the sink which made him feel the connection between the confined space and his home despite the visually unpleasantness, he felt rather cozy and safe.






Transformative Experience - As an artist


Natalie Kang Qian Yi, a psychology major, had always dreamed of being an artist as a child. However, the pressure of academia set in with the process of growing up and her dream was deemed unrealistic and unwise. She was no longer allowed to doodle, paint or color. However, this assignment sparked within her the longing once again to relive the dream of being an artist which had been shelved away due to its perceived impracticality.

Embarking on the journey of being an artist, she found herself questioning what it really meant to be an artist. Do all artists produce beautiful art pieces or artists are just individuals who use art to express themselves? As par of her artistic experience, she started an art journal where she would express herself through any form of art every day, and at the same time, purposefully engage in art experiences such as portrait drawing or painting during weekends. The daily documenting of the journal had become an outlet to release her emotions. Reflecting on the process, she felt that it was a rather mysterious experience with times she felt inspired to draw or creating something but there were also times when a blank sheet seems like the rest representation. The experience had also taught her that everyone can be an artist in their own way, as every stroke that came in contact with the paper was an expression and extension of one's self.

Another part of her experience of being an artist was visiting art galleries as well as venues of the Singapore Beinnale where she learned to appreciate the art of others, to look t and understand art pieces from the viewpoint of others. One of the art pieces which struck her was "Detritus" by Leslie de Chavez from the Philippines who depicted the corruption of the country where different layers of meaning were depicted and the artist was able to express his views in such a striking but yet subtle manner which inspired Natalie not just to make art, but to speak through them. Another inspiration came from a wooden tree which has carvings on it which inspired Natalie to do something similar through crayon etching. Another breakthrough was working on her art in public as she would have never imagined herself sitting at the pavilion painting. It was a daunting experience and most challenging because she never had confidence in her work. It was a struggle to pull herself away from the urge of tearing the painting up prior to completing it but she was ale to pull through. The experience made her realize a very important lesson--if you do not value your art, you cannot expect the rest to.

Living the past month as an artist, she learned that she should do art for herself and to take pride in it. The T-shirt she made received a comment "a dirty piece of rag" which upset her and as he scrunched it up, wiping the paints on her hands with it, she was pleasantly surprised by the effect she created and she repeated the process and felt the joy of playing and experiencing with the paints. Instead of focusing the art, she focused on "creating art."

She reported that she enjoyed the experience being an "artist" of having the opportunity and making time to engage in an artistic endeavor. Her perspective of what it entailed to be an artist had changed. Facing many struggles and obstacles, the experience had made her stronger. She believes now that it is possible to continue to be an artist in her own little ways, to slow down ad sacrifice little time to experience and engage in what she really enjoys while managing academics. Se realized that art is not simply about the technique, the scale or the prestige ad it didn't matter whether her art will ever be hung in a gallery because to her, art is personal. Art is the expression of the artist through a medium that is only limited by the artist's own mind.






















  YEOH AS EDUCATOR

- MY STUDENTS' CREATIONS
- MY WRITINGS

Select below to view my students' awards as well as their creations from Nanyang Technological University, Texas Tech University, and Southern Arkansas University.

Students'-Achievements/Awards-2019---2020
Students'-Achievements/Awards-2016---2018
Students'-Achievements/Awards-2013---2015
Students'-Achievements/Awards-2009---2012
Students'-Achievements/Awards-2005---2008
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Jan---May-2020
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Aug---Dec-2019
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Jan---May-2019
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Aug---Dec-2018
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Jan---May-2018
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Aug---Dec-2017
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Jan---May-2017
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Aug---Dec-2016
IUS-BFA/BA-Graphic-Design-Aug---Dec-2015-&-Jan---May-2016
IUS-Design-Center-Aug---Dec-2019
IUS-Design-Center-Jan---May-2019
IUS-Design-Center-Aug---Dec-2018
IUS-Design-Center-Jan---May-2018
IUS-Design-Center-Aug---Dec-2017
IUS-Graphic-Design-Jan---May-2020-(syllabus-only)
IUS-Graphic-Design-1-Aug---Dec-2018
IUS-Graphic-Design-1-Jan---May-2018
IUS-Graphic-Design-1-Aug---Dec-2017
IUS-Graphic-Design-I-Jan---May-2017
IUS-Graphic-Design-1-Aug---Dec-2016
IUS-Graphic-Design-I-Jan---May-2016
IUS-Graphic-Design-I-Aug---Dec-2015
IUS-Typography-Jan---May-2017
IUS-Typography-Jan---May-2016
IUS-Typography-Aug---Dec-2016
IUS-Typography-Aug---Dec-2015
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2014-2015
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2013-2014
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2012-2013
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2011-2012
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2010-2011
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2009-2010
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2008-2009
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2007-2008
WKWSCI-Final-Year-Project-2006-2007
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-9-Issue-2-Jan---May-2013
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-9-Issue-1-Aug---Dec-2012
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-8-Issue-2-Jan---May-2012
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-8-Issue-1-Aug---Dec-2011
WKWSCI-Connexscions-Vol-7-Issue-2-Jan---May-2011
WKWSCI-Connexscions-Vol-7-Issue-1-Aug---Dec-2010
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-6-Issue-2-Jan---May-2010
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-6-Issue-1-Aug---Dec-2009
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-5-issue-2-Jan---May-2009
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-5-issue-1-Aug---Dec-2008
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-4-issue-1-Aug---Dec-2007
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-3-Issue-1-Aug---Nov--2006
WKWSCI-ConnexSCIons-Vol-2-Issue-2-Jan---May-2006
WKWSCI-Creative-Visual-Experience-&-Design-Jan---Apr-2015
WKWSCI-Creative-Visual-Experience-&-Design-Aug---Nov-2014
WKWSCI-Creative-Visual-Experience-&-Design-Jan---Apr-2014
WKWSCI-Creative-Visual-Experience-&-Design-Jan---Apr-2013
WKWSCI-Creative-Visual-Experience-&-Design-Jan---Apr-2012
WKWSCI-Strategic-Visual-Communication-Jan---Apr-2014
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2015
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Aug---Dec-2014
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2014
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Aug---Dec-2013
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2013
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Aug---Dec-2012
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2012
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Aug---Dec-2011
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2011
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Aug---Dec-2010
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2010
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Aug---Dec-2009
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2009
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Aug---Dec-2008
WKWSCI-Graphic-Communication-Jan---Apr-2008
WKWSCI-Advertising-Creativity-&-Copywriting-2007
ADM-Graphic-Design-II--2007
ADM-Graphic-Design-I-2006
ADM-Design-&-Color-Workshop-2007
ADM-Design-&-Color-Workshop-2006
ADM-Design-&-Color-Workshop-2005
SCAD-Desktop-Publishing-2003
TTU-Public-&-Social-Service-2000
SAU-Graphic-Design-1999
List-of-classes-taught-from-1998---present
Recommended-graphic-design-books
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
  © Kok Cheow Yeoh. All rights reserved.