Weekly Journal 09 - Final Project Prototype 1

Exploration & Experimentation

This week I got feedback about my journal (positive, yayy mee), and I also got the very useful suggestion to narrow down my documentation so it clearly shows a path toward the final piece. So I sat with that and decided: I want a moon/sun based theme(Check last weeks nect step in the reflection section).

I want the two celestial bodies to mirror the shadow and light sides every human carries. Because yes, I’m a My Little Pony fan, and yes, I am using code to process that.

I did small direction-setting experiments rather than big finished sketches. I tested warm vs cool palettes, tried simple state switching, and started thinking about what kind of interaction would feel right. Clicking to toggle felt too harsh. I wanted something more like turning, shifting, cycling, like time moving whether I want it to or not.

Image: Warm/cool palette studies and early “two-mode”

Influences & References

My reference this week was more conceptual: symbolism and cycles. Sun and moon are ancient visual metaphors for change, return, and duality.

This reminded me of tarot reading cards because of their ancient mythical expressions.

Algorithmic Thinking

The algorithmic structure in my head: If I define a variable like mode or a continuous parameter like t from 0 to 1, then everything can depend on it: background color, star density, face expression, and detail elements.

Critical Reflection

What worked: I finally committed to a direction instead of bouncing between pretty experiments.

What failed: I didn’t yet have the perfect transition mechanic. I had “simpe art,” but I didn’t have “the feeling.” I want my celestial bodies to remind others of ancient times. Not a dime thats rotating.

Next step: find a transition that feels natural and physical, rotation keeps calling to me, because it literally embodies cycles. Changing the aesthetic. My inspiration to start was My Little Pony, Princess Luna. My artistic choice to showcase is ancient tarot card aesthetic.