DIS60304 Design Reasearch Dissertation
DIS60304 Design Reasearch Dissertation
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Design Research Dissertation: Learning Journey
This blog documents my learning journey in the Design Research Dissertation module. My research topic is “The Impact of Animation Character Design on Audience Emotions.” The project explores how visual elements such as colour, shape, facial expression and body movement influence the emotions and impressions of an audience.
Throughout the module, I completed a draft dissertation, a visual e-publication, a final dissertation and a journal-style article. Each task helped me improve a different area, including academic research, data analysis, visual communication, publication design and reflective thinking.
Task 1: Draft Dissertation
For Task 1, I developed the first complete draft of my dissertation. I began by creating a Literature Review Matrix to organise the academic sources related to animation character design and audience emotions. This helped me compare the research purposes, methods and findings of different studies.
My dissertation focused on two main research questions:
- How do colour, shape, facial expression and body movement in animation character design affect audience emotions?
- How does character design help create an emotional connection between the audience and a character?
During the early stage, I worked on the research background, problem statement, research objectives, research questions and literature review. One of the main problems with my first attempt was that the information in the Literature Review Matrix was too brief. Therefore, I added more details and reorganised the sources to make the relationships between different studies clearer.
I also learned that a literature review should not explain each source separately. It should compare, connect and synthesise information from multiple sources. Based on this feedback, I improved Chapter 2 by discussing the similarities and differences between previous studies.
For the research methodology, I used a questionnaire-based mixed research method. The multiple-choice questions provided quantitative data, while the open-ended questions allowed respondents to explain their opinions and emotional reactions. I received 80 valid responses and used three characters with different visual styles—Garfield, Ursula and Strawberry Shortcake—as case studies.
Completing the draft allowed me to identify problems in the dissertation before the final submission. Although the structure and research direction were established, several areas still needed improvement, including academic writing, supporting data, formatting, discussion and overall coherence.
Task 2: Visual Design e-Publication
For Task 2, I transformed my dissertation into a visual e-publication. The purpose of this task was not simply to copy the dissertation into a new format. I needed to communicate the research through visual hierarchy, typography, images, colour and page composition.
Before deciding on the design direction, I first considered the target audience. This helped me understand that publication design should not only follow my personal preferences. The style and presentation should also match the interests and expectations of the intended readers.
My e-publication was titled “The Impact of Animation Character Design on Audience Emotions.” It included the main sections of the research, such as the introduction, literature review, research methodology, findings, discussion, conclusion and recommendations.
During the design process, I experimented with different layouts and visual elements. I used character images, research diagrams, questionnaire results and supporting graphics to make the information easier to understand. I also created a clear visual hierarchy by changing the size and placement of headings, body text and images.
The lecturer pointed out that a shadow element on my original cover looked similar to the silhouette of an Islamic building. This was not my intended meaning, so I removed the element and replaced it with a more suitable visual treatment. This feedback taught me that visual elements may communicate unexpected cultural meanings. Designers must carefully consider how an image or shape might be interpreted by different viewers.
Another important piece of feedback was that the publication needed to look more like a complete book or magazine. Therefore, I added more suitable images and visual elements throughout the pages. I also reviewed the consistency of the cover, typography, layout, colour and internal pages.
This task helped me understand the difference between academic writing and visual communication. A dissertation explains information mainly through words, while a visual publication must use both written and visual elements to guide the reader. The final e-publication contained 50 pages and presented the research in a more engaging and accessible format.
Task 3: Final Dissertation
For Task 3, I revised and completed the final version of my dissertation. I reviewed the lecturer’s feedback on the draft and improved the structure, academic quality, research findings and visual presentation of the document.
I corrected the official cover page, table of contents and dissertation formatting according to the university guidelines. I also revised the abstract so that it explained the research background, methodology, findings and conclusion more clearly and concisely.
In the literature review, I improved the connections between different studies. Instead of describing each article independently, I compared how different researchers discussed colour, facial expressions, character appearance, emotional engagement and audience immersion.
I also added more data to support the findings and discussion. The questionnaire results showed that character design has a clear influence on the audience’s first impression and immediate emotional response.
Bright colours, soft shapes and friendly expressions were generally connected with positive emotions. Garfield and Strawberry Shortcake were more likely to make respondents feel happiness, warmth, friendliness and cuteness. In contrast, Ursula’s dark colours, sharp appearance and exaggerated pose created feelings of danger, tension and oppression.
However, the results also showed that visual design alone does not create a deep emotional connection. Many respondents believed that the story background was the most important factor in helping them connect with a character. Character personality, experience, voice and narrative development also influenced their emotional engagement.
Therefore, my final dissertation concluded that visual design is an important starting point for emotional communication. Colour, shape, facial expression and body movement help the audience form an immediate impression. However, deeper and longer-lasting emotional connections require visual design to work together with storytelling and character development.
The final dissertation was approximately 12,700 words. Completing it required repeated proofreading, reorganising information, correcting formatting and checking whether each chapter supported the research questions. This process showed me that a strong final dissertation is created through continuous revision rather than a single attempt.
Task 4: Article Journal
For Task 4, I converted part of my dissertation into a focused academic journal article based on the KREATE journal requirements.
At first, I thought the article could simply be a shorter version of the dissertation. However, the lecturer explained that a journal article should be an independent and focused piece of academic writing. It should concentrate on one important research objective, finding, theme or contribution instead of including every part of the original dissertation.
Based on this feedback, I selected the most important findings about the relationship between animation character design and audience emotions. I revised the title, reorganised the content and presented the study in a more concise format.
The article included an abstract, introduction, literature review, problem statement, research objectives, methodology, findings, discussion, conclusion and references. I also included selected questionnaire results and comparisons between Garfield, Ursula and Strawberry Shortcake.
The article explained how different visual elements communicate emotional meanings. Warm colours, round shapes and friendly expressions can create feelings of happiness, comfort and closeness. Dark colours, sharp shapes and exaggerated movements can communicate danger, mystery or tension.
Before submitting the article, I followed the KREATE journal template and checked the required format. I also reviewed the Turnitin similarity report and included the necessary declaration. The final article was approximately 2,400 words.
This task taught me how to reduce a large research project into a shorter and more focused academic article. I had to select only the most relevant information while still maintaining a clear connection between the research problem, methodology, findings and conclusion.
Feedback
Throughout the module, the lecturer provided feedback on both my academic research and visual publication. This feedback played an important role in improving the final outcomes.
At the beginning, I was advised to add more information to my Literature Review Matrix. My original notes were too brief and did not show a complete understanding of the selected sources. After receiving this feedback, I expanded the matrix and organised the information more clearly.
For the dissertation, I was reminded to use the official cover page and follow the required thesis structure. I was also advised to compare different studies in the literature review instead of discussing each article separately. More research data was needed to support the findings and discussion, while the abstract required clearer academic language.
For the e-publication, the lecturer asked me to identify the target audience before deciding on the visual style. I was also advised to remove the shadow on the cover because it created an unintended visual association. Later, I was encouraged to make the complete publication more visually rich and develop it like a finished book or magazine.
The final feedback also highlighted the importance of composition, visual hierarchy, typography and overall visual communication. The design needed to communicate the research concept clearly without depending too heavily on written explanations.
For Task 4, the lecturer explained that the article should focus on one important part of the research instead of being a copied or shortened version of the full dissertation. I also learned to check submission instructions carefully, upload files to the correct platform and review the Turnitin report before final submission.
Overall, the feedback helped me improve the quality of my academic writing, visual design and submission process. It also showed me that small details in structure, formatting and communication can strongly affect the professionalism of a project.
Reflections
Looking back at the entire module, I can see a clear development from the first dissertation draft to the final journal article. At the beginning, I was mainly focused on completing the required content. As the project developed, I started to understand the importance of research organisation, evidence, visual communication and repeated revision.
One of the most challenging parts was connecting the literature review, questionnaire findings and discussion. I needed to make sure that the final conclusion was supported by both previous research and my collected data. This process was difficult, but it improved my ability to organise information and explain relationships between different ideas.
The visual e-publication was another important challenge. I had to translate a long academic dissertation into a visually interesting format without losing the meaning of the research. This helped me understand that strong visual design is not only about making a publication attractive. It should also improve readability and help the audience understand the content.
I also realised that feedback is an essential part of the design and research process. Some of the problems in my work were difficult for me to notice independently. The lecturer’s comments helped me identify unclear writing, weak visual hierarchy, incomplete information and unintended visual meanings.
Overall, this module helped me become more careful, patient and critical when developing a project. I learned that a successful outcome usually requires research, testing, feedback and several rounds of improvement.
Experience
My experience in this module included both academic research and visual design. I began by collecting and reviewing literature related to animation, character design and audience emotions. I then developed the research questions, created a questionnaire, collected responses and analysed the data.
At first, I felt slightly confused by the dissertation structure because there were many sections and formatting requirements. It was also challenging to decide which information was relevant to the research topic. As I continued working, the structure became clearer and I became more confident in organising the chapters.
Collecting 80 valid questionnaire responses was an important part of the experience. The responses allowed me to compare my assumptions with the actual opinions of the audience. Some of the results were expected, such as warm colours creating positive feelings. Other results showed that story background was more important than visual design for forming a deeper emotional connection.
The publication design process gave me a different experience. I needed to think about page composition, typography, colour, images and reading flow. It was enjoyable to transform the research into a more visual outcome, although maintaining consistency across 50 pages required a lot of attention.
Completing the final dissertation and journal article also improved my editing skills. I learned how to shorten information, remove repeated content and keep the most important evidence. Through these tasks, I gained experience in developing one research topic across several different formats.
Observations
During this project, I observed that audiences can form an emotional impression of a character very quickly. Even before understanding the character’s story, viewers respond to colour, shape, facial expression and body movement.
Soft and round shapes are usually connected with safety, friendliness and cuteness. Sharp and strong shapes are more likely to communicate danger, power or tension. Similarly, warm and bright colours often create positive emotions, while dark colours can create mystery, seriousness or fear.
I also observed that facial expressions help the audience understand a character’s emotional state. A clear smile, sad expression or angry face allows the audience to recognise the emotion immediately. Body movements and poses can strengthen this message by showing whether a character is relaxed, active, confident or threatening.
However, the questionnaire results showed that immediate emotional reactions and deeper emotional connections are different. Visual design can attract attention and create a strong first impression, but the audience usually needs to understand the character’s story, personality and experiences before developing a deeper connection.
Another observation was that design elements must work together. Colour, shape, expression and movement should support the same character identity. When these elements communicate different messages, the character may become confusing or less effective.
Findings
The main finding of this research is that animation character design has a clear impact on audience emotions. Different combinations of visual elements can guide the audience towards different emotional responses.
Colour mainly creates an emotional atmosphere. Bright and warm colours are more likely to communicate happiness, warmth and friendliness. Dark colours are more likely to communicate danger, tension, seriousness or mystery.
Shape affects the audience’s first impression. Round and soft shapes can make a character appear friendly, cute and approachable. Sharp and exaggerated shapes can make a character appear powerful, dangerous or threatening.
Facial expressions communicate the emotional state of a character directly. Clear expressions help the audience recognise whether a character is happy, sad, angry, relaxed or afraid. Body movements further strengthen the emotional message and personality of the character.
The comparison between Garfield, Ursula and Strawberry Shortcake supported these findings. Garfield’s orange colour, round shape and humorous expression created a relaxed and friendly impression. Strawberry Shortcake’s bright colours and soft appearance communicated happiness and cuteness. Ursula’s dark colours, sharp features and exaggerated movements successfully communicated the identity of a threatening villain.
The research also found that character design is not the only factor affecting audience emotions. Story background, character personality, voice, experience and narrative development also contribute to emotional engagement.
In conclusion, character design creates the audience’s first emotional response, while storytelling helps develop a deeper and more lasting emotional connection. Effective animation character design should therefore combine appropriate visual elements with a clear personality and meaningful narrative.
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