Environment Design - Project 2 : Interior and Set Design
Ting Wen Yi / 0361799
Environment Design/Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 2 : Interior and Set Design
INSTRCTIONS
You are to continue and develop interior design that best reflects Project 1. You are focus on 1 interior set and showcase the relevance of its existence of its inhabitants. Below is the list of tasks to be completed.
- Mood board – collection of references and breakdown
- Thumbnail sketches – initial concept ideas
- Composition studies – 5 drawings, best communicate visually
- Value studies – Continue from 5 compositions
- Ambience studies – Continue from 5 value painting
Submission:
Complete Call-out Sheet. Note that each progression to be drawn on 2000 X 3000 pixels 150 dpi 16:9 ratio landscape for weekly progression. Remember this is the pre-production stage where you must make it about 70% min completion that visually communicates and appeals to target audiences.
PROJECT 2 : INTERIOR AND SET DESIGN
Week 8 - Interior Planning & Props Design
For the interior design of my grand hotel, I decided to focus on the hotel lobby. I found some references from the early period of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
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Figure 1.1 Hotel Lobby Mood Board - Week 8 (15/11/2024) |
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Figure 1.2 Floor Plan Planning (Hotel Lobby) - Week 8 (15/11/2024) |
Next, I drew some isometric views of the lobby to better visualize the space. I continued with the style of using columns and stained glass windows, as mentioned in Project 1. The idea behind the stained glass is that when light penetrates through it, it adds a unique character to the otherwise dark ambiance. In the first sketch, I didn’t draw any stairs because there was a lift. However, after further consideration, I decided to add stairs to provide an alternative way of access and to enhance the overall flow of the space. I also added a bar and a reception counter, as these are key elements for both functionality and aesthetic appeal in the lobby.
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Figure 1.3 Isometric View Sketches - Week 8 (15/11/2024) |
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Figure 1.4 Isometric View Sketches - Week 8 (15/11/2024) |
Prop 1- Antique Phone
The telephone is placed prominently in the hotel lobby, positioned on an old wooden desk or a vintage side table. The player will initially notice that the phone is off the hook, or perhaps it rings occasionally, but no one answers. There's a strange, almost mechanical sound to the ringing. When the player interacts with the phone, they must decipher a pattern—such as the number of rings, a sequence of numbers to dial, or a specific sound it makes. These could point to a hidden room or trigger an important event in the story. The correct sequence or pattern could open a secret area or provide a crucial clue, propelling the player forward in the game. |
Figure 1.5 Antique Telephone Mood Board - Week 8 (17/11/2024) |
Having the idea of the purpose of the antique phone in the gameplay, I drew some sketches of the phone's appearance. I added a small table for the phone book and a lamp to give it some life.
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Figure 1.6 Antique Sketches - Week 8 (17/11/2024) |
Prop 2- Elevator
The elevator has a dice-shaped control panel with glowing buttons representing dice faces (e.g., numbers 1 to 6 or symbols like spades, hearts, etc.).
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Figure 1.7 Elevator Mood Board - Week 8 (17/11/2024) |
Players must interact with the panel by "rolling" virtual dice (or inserting cards/dice they’ve collected) to trigger the elevator's movement. The dice rolls determine the floor the elevator travels to. Floors are associated with specific dice outcomes (e.g., rolling a 3 takes you to floor 3).
Players can manipulate dice rolls using in-game abilities (like re-rolling, adding modifiers, or using collected "lucky dice") to reach specific floors.
As part of my idea to incorporate the dice and gear elements, I designed the lift. I made the interior transparent so you can see what's inside. I also added mechanics where the dice determine the floor level.
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| Figure 1.8 Elevator Sketches - Week 8 (17/11/2024) |
Week 9 - Interior Planning & Props Design
This week, I quickly resketched my isometric sketches and started modeling in Blender, beginning with the base and the wall of the layout.
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| Figure 2.1 3D Modelling - Week 9 (24/11/2024) |
To enhance the lighting effect through the window, I used a cube in Blender to simulate light fog, creating the appearance of light penetrating from the outside into the interior space. This helped to make the lighting more dynamic and visually engaging.
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| Figure 2.2 Lighting Fog - Week 10 (30/11/2024) |
Afterward, I focused on refining the layout by adding all the major shapes to the scene. I decided to change the staircase design to a straight one, which better suited the overall flow of the space. Then, I positioned all the furniture into their designated areas, based on my plan. The layout now includes a reception area, a bar, an open library, and a mezzanine floor with space for a piano.
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| Figure 2.3 Adding Furniture - Week 11 (8/12/2024) |
My lecturer pointed out that the bar’s location could be improved. Since the library is adjacent to the bar, there’s a concern that children might end up near the bar area. It was suggested that I relocate the bar to the back, behind the bookshelves. I could incorporate more seating spaces for readers to make the area more inviting and functional.
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To incorporate the dice motif design from Project 1, I sketched the stained glass window design in Illustrator and saved it as an SVG file. This allowed me to import the design into Blender for 3D modeling. Using the SVG file, I created the metal framework of the stained glass window and applied colorful materials in Blender to bring the design to life. The result was a vibrant and detailed stained glass window that added character to the space.
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I also began experimenting with camera angles to capture the best views of the interior. Initially, I tried a perspective looking upward from the staircase to showcase the large stained glass window. However, this angle didn’t work as intended, so I moved on to exploring other compositions.
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| Figure 2.6 Stained Glass Window Angle - Week 11 (8/12/2024) |
Week 12 - Texturing & Composition
After I placed everything, I applied textures to the objects.
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| Figure 3.1 Texturing - Week 12 (14/12/2024) |
I focused on finding a camera angle that would effectively showcase both the ground floor and the mezzanine floor. I aimed to achieve a perspective that provided a sense of continuity and emphasized the verticality of the space.
Mr. Kannan suggested adding more seating around the piano area, similar to the seating on the ground floor. He also recommended repositioning the piano slightly, as it currently obstructs the staircase area. He also suggested to add some greenery or plants to soften the environment and add a natural touch.
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| Figure 3.2 Composition - Week 12 (14/12/2024) |
After rendering the selected views, I used Photoshop to adjust the colors, enhancing the scene with more saturated and purplish tones to align with the overall aesthetic.
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| Figure 4.1 Rendering - Week 13 (29/12/2024) |
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Mr. Kannan suggested adding more seating around the piano area, similar to the seating on the ground floor. He also recommended repositioning the piano slightly, as it currently obstructs the staircase area. He also suggested to add some greenery or plants to soften the environment and add a natural touch.
So, I readjusted some small details and re-rendered the image. I also made some color edits to enhance the final result.
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| Figure 4.3 Final Amendments - Week 14 (2/1/2025) |
Final Interior Design - Hotel Lobby
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| Figure 5.2 Final Hotel Lobby Interior - Week 14 (3/1/2025) |
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| Figure 5.3 Antique Phone Prop - Week 14 (3/1/2025) |
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| Figure 5.4 Elevator Prop - Week 14 (3/1/2025) |
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| Figure 5.5 Other Props - Week 14 (3/1/2025) |
Figure 5.6 Project 2 Compilation - Week 14 (3/1/2025)
FEEDBACK
Week 14: You can add a bench for the piano and include additional seating in the area to fill up the space. Move the piano aside slightly, as it currently seems to be blocking the pathway. Consider adding greenery around the area to create a more inviting atmosphere. Lastly, enhance the contrast and increase the saturation during color editing to make the visuals more vibrant.
Week 13: Focus on refining the wall textures and adding skirting for a polished look. Worked on final touches, ensuring a solid foundation before adding detailed ornaments. Since some ornaments lacked transitions, add subtle transitions to make the design flow better. Considered adding breakers to avoid abrupt changes and added a clock for more character. Experimented with lighting setups, including a three-point lighting system. Enabled ambient occlusion and adjusted its intensity to enhance depth and realism. Also fine-tuned the intensity of other light sources for balance.
Week 10: Add a low-poly character to evaluate the scaling of the scene. The windows are currently too close, so their placement needs adjustment. Include a character to help assess proportions and roughly block out the scene to understand the positioning and scale effectively.
Week 9: Focus on defining the purpose of the lobby in relation to gameplay. Consider whether the current layout is functional, especially the mezzanine floor, which might be wasting space. Evaluate ways to make it more practical by, for example, utilizing the mezzanine more effectively. Enhancements like adding status elements or carvings could improve the visual storytelling. Allocate space carefully if a second level is needed to ensure a smooth gameplay experience. Before adding detailed props, do a grayscale pass to understand value distribution and clear unnecessary elements from the space. Simplify props if they feel overly complex. Finally, add a character to verify scale and flow, leaving patterns and carvings for later once the basic layout and functionality are complete. Focus on refining the foundation first before adding intricate details.
REFLECTION
Throughout Project 2, I felt like I spent too much time on the interior design due to issues with the rendering process, as I’m not very familiar with Blender. To be honest, I did procrastinate a bit because I didn’t think I could achieve what I had envisioned, especially since I’m still getting used to Blender for building interior spaces. At times, I questioned my choice of software, but I stayed committed to refining my project. This process really pushed me to do things I couldn’t have done at the start of the semester. While I think I did okay with the interior design, it wasn’t perfect, and the looming deadline caused me a lot of stress as I feared I wouldn’t finish on time. One thing I did learn throughout the project was how to create fog, which added so much to the ambiance and tone of the design. I also learned how to approach spatial design with logical thinking, carefully planning out the layout and considering how each element would function within the space.
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