Major Project

on

Week 1 - Week 17
23/9/2024 - 19/1/2025
Leong Jiahui / 0353469
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
GCD62104 / MAJOR PROJECT

This project is separated into 3 sections:

The Big Idea 
The Prototype
The Showcase

17 weeks of my blood sweat and tears, enjoy! 

Instructions


THE BIG IDEA: RASA

Week 1

This week, I tossed around ideas on what I can work on for my FYP. I mainly wanted it to be something I'll have a lot of fun doing, something that won't require too much technical exploration yet still can wow people. My initial plan was an expansion on my previous Design Exploration module, except make it Malaysian, and introduce more characters to the lineup. I'm not too keen on working with 3D, and want to focus more on illustrations. I also thought about working on a Vtuber model to tie the whole idea together. 

However, after consulting with Ms Anis, apparently Vtubers are a no go among lecturers. She encouraged me to work more on 3D as that will be the skillset the industry will be looking for (oh naur) On one hand I'm flattered that ms seems to be confident in my skills and believe that I can do more, but I'm not sure if I believe in myself all that much yet hhh.

After more discussions, I decided that hell, I can't be doing this alone. I recruited my fellow ED friend Raemi, and we decided to work on a set of blindbox figurines together, combining character design, 3D modelling and branding all in one. We wanted to produce the figurines physically as we felt it was always more attractive to have something physical to show at an exhibition. I'm not straying too far from my Malaysian theme, but we really liked the kuih-muih theme Ms Anis suggested. It's cute, niche, and most importantly, representative of Malaysian culture. 

It may be week 1, but we got straight to work to come up with mood boards and concepts to solidify the idea. We are optimistic about the idea, and excited to work on colourful kuihs together.

fig 1.1 week 1 brainstorming

fig 1.2 FYP timeline skeleton

Week 2

This week, Raemi & I continued working on solidifying our ideas after feedback from Ms Anis & Mr Kannan. After receiving comments that our idea should be expanded further as an IP to have better sustainability as a brand in the long run, we started brainstorming potential character lore and world building. With help from our trusty not so secret 3rd member Mr ChatGPT, we decided that we could potentially turn this project into a series of collectible figurines, something resembling the Sylvanian families. We also decided to package them as a series part of the "Guardians of Malaysian Heritage", where they each represent a blessing. This increases it value for tourists and gives them a reason to get them as potential souvenirs and collectables.

fig 2.1 concept reconstruction

Moving on, we started researching the history and cultural significance of each kuih to better portray them through our designs. With that in mind, we also started compiling moodboards for each character. However, due to limited timing, we weren't able to sketch much designs for all of our 12 characters. We pretty much just freestyle whichever that had some degree of inspiration hit us. 

I worked on these 4 kuihs, reimagining them according to their silhouettes and main features. I tried adding a bit more fantasy elements to them to make them more interesting. 
fig 2.2 kuih sketches
On the other hand, Raemi also started exploring Nomad, the platform we will most likely be working on the 3D model on. The platform seemed pretty beginner friendly and easy to grasp, but we are still unsure of how the texturing and topology works here. I will also download it and try it out next week.
fig 2.3 3D model on Nomad

Feedback 

Ms Anis
  • come up w a stronger rationale, focus more on creating a fun experience
  • steer away from raising awareness on kuih 
  • references on using mascots (japanese mascots) 
  • Suggest to focus the project on being a fun souvenir & experience for buyers
  • Suggestion to build an IP similar to the Sylvanian families, but localise it so maybe something like kampung

Mr Kannan
  • Determine our target audience & age group
  • Think about what problem the project can solve
  • Think about the sustainability of the project. Can it be repurposed for other causes? Further developed into different series? 
  • Build up character lore for each character. Give them a story and think of it as creating an IP.  
  • Show sketches next week to give a more solid idea of the project’s look & feel. 

Week 3

This week, I worked on finalising the design for Kuih Bahulu so Raemi could start working on the 3D model. We find this work mode a lot more efficient rather than working on all the sketches at once first and then the 3D later. Worried about how the design might not translate well onto a small figurine, I decided to keep everything simple. However, we later realised the character lacked some complexity, that the simplicity was not unique enough to hold its own. 

fig 3.1 kuih bahulu character sheet, chibi reference and splash art draft

I also started working on some possible colour combinations for the character, but none of them are quite hitting the way I hope they're hitting. 

fig 3.2 kuih bahulu colour tryouts

Moving onto the next character, I started working on Kuih Lapis. I wanted to capture her youthfulness and playfulness through her outfit, while also portraying the layers of kuih lapis prominently in the design. I added a flowy ribbon to the outfit to complement the "magic kuih lapis carpet" prop that I gave to the character. 
fig 3.3 Kuih lapis character design sheet

On the 3D side, Raemi made good progress in sculpting Kuih Bahulu into our figurine style. We also tried out the colour schemes on the figure, and it further confirms to us that this colour scheme simply does not work, good lighting or not. We will have to try to fix both the design and colour scheme next week. It was also confirmed that we will be doing our presentations on Week 7, so we will have to start working on getting our slides ready.
fig 3.4 Kuih Bahulu 3D progress

Feedback 

Ms Anis
  • Look up other heritage dolls as a reference when pitching 
  • Go wild on the fantasy elements for character design. It doesn’t have to make sense.

Mr Kannan
  • name the series and brand
  • presentation should emphasize the IP backstory to be more convincing
  • come up with a potential merch line & world expansion 
  • Determine story & primary target audience
  • think about how promote and build a following for the brand
  • think about customizations & potential skins & outfit change (just a suggestion, need to think further abt practicality)
  • if not detachable/poseable, no point separate parts for printing
  • Do a test print of model 
  • Suggestion to do a stop motion animation promo video 
  • Get a test print model done by W5 for test print in campus

Week 4

This week, I continued working on the colour palette for Kuih Bahulu. Following the feedback from the previous week, I worked with more warmer tones. I also tried out slightly different shapes to give some variation to the silhouette. 
After some discussion with Raemi, we decided to go for option 3, which gives more contrast in our opinion. Then begins the rendering. We wanted to polish up kuih bahulu so we will have a complete set of outcome for our proposal presentation. 
fig 4.1 Kuih Bahulu sketches

On raemi's end, she adjusted the model's proportions based on the changes we discussed previously. Now the model looks more chubby and cute and in line with the look and feel of what we want for the dolls. I really liked how the model turned out. 
fig 4.2 Kuih Bahulu 3D chibi

I also worked on some silhouette sketches of other kuihs. This week was a bit slower as I wasn't able to work during the weekend. I did character sheets for Palkova and Kuih Lapis. I realised that I implemented the kuih element mostly in the hat, and am now debating whether i should make that a running theme or branch out to other parts of the character for the rest of the lineup. 
fig 4.3 character sketches

fig 4.4 chibi silhouette test 

Feedback 

Ms Anis
  • More details is needed to make the character pop
  • Try a better colour scheme for Kuih Bahulu
  • Consider giving the model a subtle get impactful pose. Hero pose at the moment seems a bit huge to produce and may seem unbalanced when lined up with the rest of the dolls
  • Proposal should include 2-3 character examples, will be presented to lecturers that are completely unfamiliar with our project

Mr Kannan 
  • Can try out better colour scheme to sell the character better 
  • Try out gradients
  • Not enough distinctive feature for kuih bahulu 
  • Consider exaggerating body parts of the model (ex: big feet) 
  • Give characters different body types to showcase difference in personality?
  • Use adobe colour/ dribbble to generate more 
  • Draw over the 3D model to explore more designs 
  • Make sure to test out the silhouette 

Week 5

This week, I worked on finalising Milk Peda's hero pose. I also tried out different colour schemes, but most of them did not encapsulate Milk Peda's essence. Ms Anis recommended us to actually try the kuih to be able to translate not just the look but the taste and texture into the character. 
fig 5.1 milk peda (palkova) design
Besides that, we mainly focused on getting the proposal deck ready so we have a week buffer to get the lecturer's feedback before we present on week 7. Raemi worked to get the 3D for Kuih Lapis complete so we could have at least 2 finished characters ready for the presentation. 

Feedback 

Ms Anis
  • exaggerate the pose & expression a bit for the hero pose
  • a bit more accent colour (add some red) 
  • market it as collectables & local identity 
  • come up with a different name 
  • Try out vibrant and fun pupil shape, making eyes more expressive 

Mr Kannan
  • Overlay (paint over) gradient over the 3D model to see the colour effect
  • can make the figurines one color (spray paint it gold/silver) and brand it as pewter Selangor if the cost is too high
  • Cut out inner hidden parts for printing to save cost, make sure no gaps tho 
  • Make sure to get a quotation and the processing time this week 
  • Try out IdeaMaker to test whether the file is printable

Week 6

This week, we finally started looking into the 3D printing process. After downloading IdeaMaker, I threw Bahulu in and tested it out. After asking around 3D printing suppliers online, we decided to stick with the campus' 3D printing for now, as one model will cost almost RM300, and we have TWELVE. The 3D printing on campus uses filament and will give us a hell lot of work (spoiler), but that's something we're willing to sacrifice to save money. 
fig 6.1 IdeaMaker testing
I also continued my character design, testing out the colours for kuih lapis. I really liked the energy she gives off. Gamifying the kuihs into fun pros and characteristics also made the designing process more bearable exciting. 
fig 6.2 Colour try outs kuih lapis
Besides that, we focused all our energy into throwing up an entire branding for Rasa. Have i mentioned how we came about the name Rasa? Going from "NyonyaNoms" to "Rasa" felt like a huge glowup. We wanted the name to encapsulate the Malaysian feeling, and through the play of words, "rasa" also means "taste", so our nyonya kuih series fits right in. "Rasa" also has the potential to branch out into various  local series in the future.
Here's us on the grind to create a branding from scratch one week before the presentation: 

fig 6.3 Grinding in the (old😭) SLC

Here is our proposal draft for week 5 & week 6:
Copy of Major Project Proposal by Jiahui Leong

Before our proposal presentation the following week, I was ambitious enough to animate kuih bahulu, as it was a planned outcome. However, this will be the first and last time you see our Rasas animated, due to the many many reasons and hardships we faced in the following weeks. It was a necessary sacrifice. 
fig 6.4 Kuih bahulu animation

Feedback 

Ms Anis
  • For presentation, focus more on the project instead of the wordy parts. Many parts can be combined and simplified
  • It would be better to include the naming and branding overview in the proposal presentation 

Mr Kannan
  • Overlay some gradients to give the colours a bit more depth and pop 
  • Can consider printing and painting one figurine, and spraying the rest a solid colour if budgeting constraints

Week 7 & Week 8

Proposal presentation to Mr Kamal went well. We introduced the blindbox concept to him and explained our project. Conversations with him gave me more insight on how we could potentially expand our brand, and to better identify our target audience so our brand can resonate directly with them.  
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Major Project Proposal by Jiahui Leong

With that said, we started working on finalising our Kuih Bahulu and Kuih lapis models to be sent for printing. This was my first introduction to Mr Ahmad from the engineering school, our 3D printing MVP who was one of the main people behind Rasa seeing the light of day. 
fig 7.1 finalising Kuih Lapis for printing
This was also the week of our FYP showcase- Highlight's fundraising event, so I was running on 3hours sleep a day and officially hit the first artblock of this FYP. I've designed and redesigned Onde-onde (my favourite kuih irl, btw, expectations are high) and I still could not reach a satisfactory look. 
fig 7.2 onde-onde ver 1
During ILW, we sent our models, Bahulu and Lapis to print while we continued to work on the rest of the designs. Our initial 10cm model plan had to change to 15cm instead because the filament had trouble picking up our model's details. 15cm isn't an ideal size for a blind box figurine, but we figured we could work around it. Afterall, it's only supposed to be a prototype. 
I will have a separate section sharing my experiences with the 3D printing, sanding and painting of models below, because it's on a whole other trajectory that I did not expect myself to venture on this major project. 
fig 7.3 Figurine 3D printing 1st attempt

Feedback 

Mr Kamal
  • Interesting project with very fun ideas, characters and visuals
  • Make sure we figure out the technicalities of printing and how to make the figurines stand
  • Likes the idea of blind boxes to gamify the figurine shopping experience


    Week 9

    • This week was a lot of grinding out character designs for Raemi to model. Given the amount of hurdles we are facing with the 3D printing, it's best to get the designs out of the way so we have time to focus on creating the actual prototype for the showcase and final presentation. Technically, the figurines are our main outcome for this project. 

    Finalise Ang ku kueh design

    Finalise hee pan design
    Finalise Pulut Taitai design 
    Finalise Bingkai Ubi design 

    Feedback 

    Ms Anis

    • Onde-onde design works, can add some more white (maybe socks?) to balance out the bottom
    • Good progress :D
    • Keep working on getting the figurine done 

    Mr Kannan

    • Think about how we want to sell the idea when we present, don’t just focus on making eye candy without a deeper substance

    Week 10

    This week I finalised onde-onde design. I feel like I finally got it right this time. 
    fig 10.1 onde-onde character sheet

    fig 10.2 Pulut Inti character sheet 

    fig 10.3 Kuih Kesari character sheet

    I also worked on brainstorming some packaging and merch designs while Raemi continued to work on the 3D models. Due to the limited time we have left, I am considering something easier and faster to get done, while still looking aesthetically pleasing and fits our theme. 
    fig 10.4 merch, packaging and display ideation

    Feedback 

    Ms Anis & Mr Kannan
    • Think about the keepsake value for packaging 
    • Consider ⁠utilizing banana leaf pattern?
    • Work on the models and the packaging  simultaneously 

    THE PROTOTYPE

    Full disclosure that I have zero experience in model painting or anything related. I am also an overambitious person who likes to prove people wrong, so whatever suffering I endured creating these prototypes, I did to myself. This journey wouldn't have been a fruitful one without all the support from my family, friends and Mr Ahmad. 
    I started this journey on Week 8, but the real work didn't officially start until week 9.
    Here is a photo documentation of how it all started: 
    fig 11.1 first prototype
    It was THE embodiment of "how it started vs how it's going" (not good). I am honestly quite devastated to receive these photos from Mr Ahmad (was about to rush to campus to pick it up too!), so I requested a reprint which he happily obliged. We decided to scale up the figurine from 10cm to 15cm, and the following week, I finally got to pick it up. Meet our first born - kuih bahulu: 
    fig 11.2 skinning kuih bahulu 
    First time removing the honeycomb was a scary process, a process which I will grow more familiar with every model I print and reprint. I learned that filament is actually a very strong material, and as long as you're not printing something that's thin asf, it will not break. Even if it does break, its nothing superglue cannot fix (i spoke too soon) Pulling out honeycomb itself is like opening up a blindbox, figurines often will not be printed completely, and need to be reprinted #justfilamentthings
    The many many DIY gundam videos I watched to prep for this process were apparently still not enough, because the first figurine started out ROUGH. The process goes like this
    Remove honeycomb > Sand > fill in dents and holes with putty filler > sand more > primer > Sand even more > paint > Lekar coating
    Now rinse and repeat that process for all 12 models. 
    fig 11.3 filled and partially sanded model
    To make sanding and painting easier, we started printing the body parts separately. Honestly, I was very delusional from the beginning to the end of this project. Even though we aim to produce 6 models for showcase due to time constraints, deep down, I always wanted to do all 12. And this video is a testament to me that it was possible. I dragged my friends and family into helping me out with the sanding because I sure as hell won't be able to finish this alone. Sanding takes A LOT of time and energy. 
    fig 11.4 the first 3 children!
    After days of sanding, I primered the figurines and started painting. We used acrylic paint for the figurines, and the colours turned out surprisingly nice. I was very excited and spent days pouring my heart into painting Bahulu, Lapis and Peda (we call them the big 3)
    fig 11.5 painting process

    fig 11.6 painting process in the 3D lab
    The results however... was not great. It looked like a kindergartener's work, not one of a design student. We are on week 11 at this point, and Ms Anis asked us to reconsider the model painting, and focus on quality instead of quantity. Perhaps send the models for resin printing instead. 
    I however, just got some advice from a friend who was really into miniature painting, and am now very adamant that I can make this work. Printing these models on campus is free, I am not about to spend RM300 for each model, and only print 6 of them. The resin printing did not include colour either, so what if the problem was in the colouring? It would be a waste of RM300 now wouldn't it? 
    Raemi and Ms Anis were sceptical about my delusional optimism, even to the point of suggesting acrylic standee or cardboard cut out alternatives in place of figurines. But as disclosed in the beginning, I am a stubborn person that will do anything to prove doubtful people wrong, so I powered on. Realistically speaking, Ms Anis was giving rational suggestions to maximise our project outcome, but I was the one who sanded and painted everything, so if my gut tells me I can make this right, I shall prevail. Thankfully Raemi decided to trust and fuel my optimism, and we made a deal -- to give me one more chance to prove that this can work. 
    fig 11.7 failed children
    And so we moved on to my one chance at proving myself - Ang ku kueh. I'll save you the details on the collaborative effort it took to reach here, but it was 3days of consecutive sanding, sanding, more sanding and painting. I really sanded it down to the max this time, making sure no detail was left unattended, and did more research on acrylic painting. Apparently, we are supposed to let the paint cure for 2 hours before painting another coat. So that was exactly what I did. Every time I catch myself getting impatient, I remind myself of my pettiness and the possibility of redoing everything if I mess up. It works. And IT WORKED. Getting the greenlight from both Ms Anis and regaining my trust from Raemi, I am very pumped to continue on. 
    fig 11.8 1st successful prototype!
    I would also like to present to you the before and the after, the full glow-up of Kuih Lapis: 
    fig 11.9 kuih lapis glow up
    The more I sand and paint, the faster and easier the process gets. I also got braver when removing the honeycomb, the process started to become second nature to me. It was still very very tedious, and many models required reprints due to filament acting up, and occasionally file problems, but we also worked around many improvements as we went to optimize the process. We found out that merging the parts was not enough, remeshing them actually allows the gaps to be filled completely, and after we figured that out the time spent to fill in gaps with putty was significantly reduced. The 3D lab became my second home for this later part of the semester, and honestly? What a way to end my uni days, and to make my resource fees' worth. 
    fig 11.10 figure painting process
    With the added stress from making sure Highlight actually happens, painting these models day and night was actually a very devastating process at times. The layering and the details into making sure the colours turn out good was exhausting, and doing it for too long messed with my wellbeing. I'm not the type who stays up late to complete assignments, but I stayed up night till morning and morning till night painting these figurines making sure they are complete before the final presentation and showcase. We are so close, I wanted to make sure all 12 of them can stand in their full glory when the day comes. I was still painting up until the week of the showcase. 
    Then, another issue arises: stability
    fig 11.11 figurine stand
    Mr Ahmad recommended these acrylic figurine stands to hold up the figurines, which are cheap and looks professional but our models? Have big heads tiny necks physically illogical poses. Combined with the fact that they are SO FRAGILE they break whenever the fuck they want unprovoked, I was genuinely worried that they won't be able to survive until the showcase. They can go into their bubble wrapped box perfectly fine and come out with their heads and arms decapitated. Thankfully we found a way around it, positioning the stand support in different directions and supporting the figurine with a lot of white tack-it. One of our models (peda) actually did not survive, and we had to bandaid her with a lot of white tack, and nobody noticed (what). I was super glueing them even during the morning of the showcase it was that bad. 

    All things considered, it was a challenging 2 months but a very fruitful one. I am so glad I decided to push for model printing on campus and made it happen! I also got to spend a lot of time with my friends and family (my dad is the MVP in this entire thing) through this project that I hope was a memorable part in their uni life as well 🙏🏻💖 Here is the quick BTS video I managed to put together the morning before the showcase: 


    THE SHOWCASE

    Final Presentation Deck:
    RASA Final Presentation by Jiahui Leong

    RASA key visual:

    RASA showcase video:

    RASA models turnaround:


    RASA booth:



    THE RASA mirror:

    FINAL THOUGHTS (and prayers)

    Just like that, my 3 years of uni comes to an end. It was very bittersweet that I wasn't able to pour my full heart and time into RASA because I was breaking my back carrying Highlight at the same time, but this combination sure made my final semester one to remember. 

    I'd like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my dad for his endless support and trust in my project, for fueling my ambitions and funding them too, my biggest cheerleader, sidekick and enabler. He sanded most of my models, especially towards the end where I focused more on painting (2hours wait after every coat means every second counts), and he also built the rack that my children stood on, assembled the acrylic stands, and figured out how to hang the mirror on my booth. He also came physically to help me out with the set up of my booth and dismantling it too, because I was so busy running around making sure Highlight was running smoothly. He is the unofficial 3rd member of this project, and for that, I am forever grateful.

    I'd like to thank my partner in crime next, Raemi, thank you for doing this with me! Rasa wouldn't be complete without you, and I'm glad we're both driven in making Rasa the best it can be. It was such a shame that you couldn't make it to the showcase but don't worry! I made sure to take care of our children and promote them well 🫶🏻

    Next to Mr Ahmad, for letting me barge into your lab every other day, to check on my children and yap with you. For letting me cut the queue for urgent printings and using the engineering school's 3D printers cause the design school only has one. It was only 2 months that I got to know you but it felt like we were old friends. I hope onde-onde will keep you company during work, please take good care of him, he's one of my favourites! 

    Ms Anis and Mr Kannan, your guidance and support towards RASA was invaluable, having 2 kickass lecturers who have been through it all with you throughout your uni years as your FYP supervisor is THE BEST. You are the beginning and the end, I will miss you both dearly.

    My honeycomb partner (my yinyin) Qiao Yin, my sanding OL gang Khye, Ameer, Yen Ee and Yanling, and my acrylic paint sponsor Chloe, we were a bunch of mismatched friends that weren't the closest before but grew a lot closer through this project was the least expected by-product of RASA. I don't know how I managed to rope y'all into being free labours for my FYP, but I had the best time hanging out with you guys every Friday. Thank you for caring for me and in turn caring for Rasa, and made Rasa possible! 

    To end it off on a positive note, this project goes against all the things an FYP should be (trying something completely new/ unconventional for the industry/ large focus on the final product), and yet against all odds, manages to emerge victorious. The positive feedback I received during the final presentation, then followed by the enormous positive attention at the showcase gave me a lot of confidence and dopamine, making the months-long battle worthwhile. I'll try to gather everything in a pitch deck and perhaps try my luck at sending it to blind box companies because why not? I've got nothing to lose. 

    Rasa will forever be a project I'm proud of, it was my blood sweat and tears, my children, all 12 of them. Thank you for allowing me to end my uni life with a bang. 

    Rasa signing off for now. 



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