Vehicle and Props Design

Week 01 - Week 13

Tong Min Xuan / 0362744

Vehicle and Props Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

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INSRTUCTION

   

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EXERCISES

For the Vehicle and Props Design module, I practiced sketching various vehicles and props while focusing on key design principles such as form and function. I also worked on improving my understanding of perspective to ensure accurate and dynamic views of my designs. In addition, I paid close attention to line weight to emphasize structure and depth.These exercises helped me develop both my technical drawing skills and my ability to design with purpose and clarity.

                                                    Fundamentals of Vehicle and Props (PDF)

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PROJECT 1

I wanted to design an underwater vehicle inspired by an anglerfish. These are the reference materials I used.

I explored several different silhouettes for the underwater vehicle design

In the end, I chose one of the silhouettes to explore in more depth. However, later on, I decided to switch to another design that had a more sci-fi and mechanical feel.

This is my final design. I also experimented with several different color schemes and eventually chose a purple-pink tone that visually felt more futuristic and sci-fi inspired.

PROJECT 1 FINAL SUBMISSION -

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PROJECT 2

Moving on to the second project, I began designing the interior of the ship—specifically, the main energy control room. In the center of the control room, I experimented with two different shapes for the energy core. In the end, I decided to go with the one shown below.

I also designed several props, such as a water pressure regulator, a telecom device, and an energy console. After showing them to Mr. Kannan, he suggested that I add more details to the interior space—otherwise, it looked too empty and plain

This is how it looks after adding the additional details

PROJECT 2 FINAL SUBMISSION -

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PROJECT 3

I added some detailed touches to the props and adjusted the color palette to match the hull, in order to maintain visual consistency and make the overall look more cohesive.

In Project 2, I had already finalized the general color scheme for the interior energy room, but I felt the overall tone was a bit too monotonous. So I added some yellow lighting and black-and-white floor elements to create more visual contrast.

Process - 

After completing the three-view drawings of my submarine, I began working on the 3D model based on them. Since I already had the orthographic views, I was able to directly refer to the shapes I had drawn while modeling. Although there might be some slight differences, I think the overall look is quite close to my original design.

1st Version

For the interior, I actually added a pilot cabin. At first, I only drew a partial view of the cockpit, but I felt that the composition would look better with a wider frame, so I later expanded the cockpit area.

Final Version (after expand)

After expanding the cockpit, I felt it looked much better. I also used the same color palette to maintain consistency with the rest of the design.

PROJECT 3 FINAL SUBMISSION -

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REFLECTION

Working on the vehicle and props design project was both challenging and rewarding. Starting from the initial concept sketches and visual presentation, I was able to explore the full design pipeline—from ideation, shape language, and function, to form and visual storytelling.

For the vehicle, I focused on designing a submarine, beginning with three-view orthographic drawings. Having these views helped me a lots when transitioning to model, as I could directly reference the shapes and proportions I had already planned.In designing the props, I paid attention to smaller details and ensured the color palette matched the submarine to achieve a cohesive overall look. These elements, though minor, played a crucial role in enhancing the believability and richness of the design.

Through this project, I learned a lot about balancing design aesthetics with functionality. It also taught me the importance of consistency in color and form, and how even small changes in composition or lighting can significantly impact the final presentation. I look forward to applying these insights in future projects.