I want to collaborate with Fine Arts students because their world feels fun, expressive, and full of experimentation. I’m someone who likes illustration and crafting, so working with people who explore textures, colours, and forms in such a free way would actually push me to try things outside my usual design comfort zone. If I were to work with them, I’d love to create illustration-based visuals for their artworks or design posters and small publications that capture their creative process. I also think it would be exciting to make collage or mixed-media graphics inspired by their projects, because mixing their artistic freedom with my design sense could create something more unique and meaningful.

For my final year project in Year 3, I’ve been thinking about creating a full drink-packaging brand from scratch. I want to design the logo, build the brand story, develop the illustration style, create a few flavour variations, and then bring everything together through mockups, simple photoshoots, and social media visuals. I feel like this kind of project really shows my abilities in branding, layout, illustration, and visual storytelling all at once.

I’m also open to joining any community that needs creative support. I don’t have a specific one in mind yet, but I want to help through the design skills I have. I can teach basic Photoshop to young people who want to get into the creative world, help them make posters or visual content for events, or refresh small branding for their groups. I just want them to have a space where they can express themselves, feel supported, and learn skills that might help them later.

After I graduate, I want to work as a Branding or Social Media Content Designer. I enjoy building visual identities, creating layouts, and coming up with visuals that tell a clear story. I feel like this career matches my personality and the skills I’m trying to grow right now.

WORD : 343

When you hear the word ‘Collaboration’, does a question ever arise in your mind? How do great ideas and moments of creative brilliance come about? In the Design industry especially, how does collaboration actually happen?

For example, in Studio, collaboration happens through skills applied from other modules like Digital Skills and even Crafts. Applying the knowledge and skills learnt thru softwares and even hands on experiences with various mediums and techniques. These are then pieced together to create an outcome - the final product of the project task. 

Whilst during Critical Thinking Studio, we worked together in a group of 4. Using 5W1H as a guide, to brainstorm ideas for our group project. Constructing a monument to the future. To ensure teamwork and collaboration within the group, we delegated tasks amongst each other before settling down with our work.

Just like what COLLINS VP and Creative Director Tom Elia of the work quoted, “It says that great ideas have always happened and will always happen when diverse groups of people are free to create together."

This depicts that in the Design Industry, collaboration can happen through group projects when different people come together to share their thoughts and ideas. As different people have their own unique point of view, strengths and even weaknesses. 

Aside from group projects, collaboration can also happen through existing knowledge and skills picked up. When a designer applies the existing knowledge and skills they learnt to create their design work.

(243 words)

References:

Dom Carter. “ Figma celebrates the power of creative collaboration in a new brand story by COLLINS. “ Creativeboom, 12 Oct.2022

CRAFT

In this module, I learned so much about my creativity. I kept exploring and pushing myself until I finally found the ideas I wanted. While working on my craft project, I faced many challenges because I struggled to come up with ideas, and I often overthought things until I confused myself. However, I continued trying, fixing my mistakes, and improving step by step. This helped me grow and move forward instead of staying stuck and thinking too long about what I did wrong.

STUDIO

For the studio module, I experienced even more difficulties. I felt that coming up with ideas for studio work was harder, and I spent too much time just thinking, which caused me to run out of time. In this module, we worked a lot in groups. On the first day, I struggled to speak because I was afraid to share my thoughts and ideas about the tasks given by the lecturer. But my teammates helped me brainstorm, and my lecturer also encouraged me, which made me feel more confident.

DIGITAL

In this module, I didn’t receive too much criticism, but I still wasn’t satisfied with my results. I rushed the work, so I didn’t get the grade I wanted. In my designs, there were still many mistakes such as messy layouts, inconsistent placement, and lack of overall consistency.

PHOTOGRAPHY

In the photography module, I learned how to take photos that truly match the categories given by the lecturer. During the shooting process, I was confused at first about what I should photograph, but I kept trying until I understood.

WORD : 310

Reflecting critically on myself, to me, is about examining my decisions, biases, habits, and reactions objectively to see the reality of them, and not just my intentions. It is also to be honest with myself about it, even when the answers are uncomfortable to bring about self-improvement.

I realised, especially after speaking/working more with others, – I carry a personal standard without meaning to. I value coherence, and I naturally test ideas through practical reasoning. So when something moves away from what feels relevant, I either stay quiet or instinctively try to guide ideas/conversations back. And if I’m honest, it’s usually the former. I tend not to express myself because I worry about how I might come across. I don’t want people to misunderstand my intention or think I’m imposing/dominating.

The Sim Lim Square activity is a clear example. My group chose to analyse the escalator experience, but I genuinely struggled to see what the core issue was.

Instead of sharing that confusion, I stayed quiet because I did not want to disrupt the group’s flow. I also overthink how my comments might be perceived. The irony is that this hesitation limits my contribution. I could easily come off as uncommunicative even when I have thoughts running in my head.

A design issue that I initially thought had potential for improvement was a hobby store we chanced upon. It immediately stood out to me because the logo did not reflect the charm of the store at all.

Though I thought that it had a stronger design issue – I didn’t voice it. My silence matters because it impacts the group. Not that I think my idea was “better,” but because it meant my group never got to hear another perspective that could have expanded the discussion.

Even in my Studio group work, I noticed this pattern too. It reminds me that my silence can create misunderstandings, and that self-reflectivity includes recognizing how my habits affect others.

Moving forward, I need to work on articulating my ideas effectively, and learn to balance my internal thinking with good communication skills – so collaboration becomes smoother for both myself and the people I work with.

(362 words)

University of Waterloo Writing and Communication Centre. “Critical Reflection.” Writing and Communication Centre, University of Waterloo, https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/critical-reflection

Critical thinking is the ability to carefully analyze, evaluate, and reflect on information, ideas, and processes before making decisions. It allows me to question why certain choices are effective, how different approaches influence outcomes, and whether the information I rely on is trustworthy. Critical thinking helps me move beyond immediate solutions to consider deeper meaning, connections, and implications. It also encourages me to explore multiple perspectives, anticipate challenges, and refine my approach based on evidence and observation. By practicing critical thinking, I can develop more thoughtful, purposeful, and impactful work while approaching problems with clarity, adaptability, and confidence.

“Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position” by Bell Hooks. I believe it is true because critical thinking is not just about analyzing information, its also involves empathy, imagination, and understanding the potential impact of our decisions. In my own learning and creative journey, stepping outside my own perspective helps me approach problems more thoughtfully and develop work that resonates with others. It reminds me to consider not only my own ideas but also how they affect others and the world around me. By envisioning consequences and exploring multiple viewpoints, I am able to create more meaningful, purposeful, and responsible outcomes.

In daily life, I used to struggle to keep up with assignments because of poor time management. By thinking critically, I learned to analyze how I approach my work, prioritize tasks, and consider the consequences of leaving things until the last minute. This reflection allowed me to create a schedule, allocate time effectively, and anticipate potential challenges. As a result, I not only meet deadlines more consistently but also produce higher-quality work, showing how critical thinking can transform both efficiency and productivity.

304 words

Reference:

-Bell Hooks, September 2009, scribd.com

CTS A | Week 2 Collaborative Skills

Using collaborative skills in creative projects means building up ideas as a team.One person’s concept inspires another, and the whole project becomes stronger because everyone adds their creative voice. By showing how they progress visually so others can give feedback or continue the idea or suggest improvements.

Without collaboration, the work only reflects one person’s view, leading to fewer ideas, less innovation, and a weaker final concept as group projects depend on diverse perspectives.

For example, Behind the Scenes at Studio Ghibli. EVERY SINGLE FRAME is hand-drawn by animators, before being put together to give the illusion of movement and create the film. As each hand-drawn making it into a feature film will need to make lots of frames which one person will take years to finish. With group collaboration, staff members are expected to accelerate their workflow “Often new employees need to be hired towards the end of production to ensure that the film is completed on time.”

In class, I practiced collaborative skills through our group activity, creating what we were actually growing up with. We had to combine our ideas and work as a team to finish the activity. We discussed different approaches, listened to one another’s perspectives, and giving ideas. This experience taught me how teamwork helps strengthen ideas, improves workflow, and creates a better final outcome than working alone. I also learned about what other people perspective towards this generations. Most of us have the caught up the generations of memes and also what they do with their friends. Some may find memes as dark humor while some doesn't. Having this activity helps me viewed about different perspectives of things around us.

321 words

References:

 Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli (18 April 2013) ghibligabble.blogspot.com

CTS A | Week 3 Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand, and manage one's own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of others. It involves a range of skills including self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and social skills, which can be learned and improved throughout life. Emotions are intertwined with our everyday experiences, affecting how we perceive the world, interact with people, and make decisions. Its easily changed as its dynamic influenced by internal thoughts, external events, and interactions with others. A person may feel happy one moment and frustrated the next, depending on circumstances or new information.

An example, while scrolling tiktok I scroll through a video about woman rights. Man would be commenting about them not being involved and seen enough to be having their own rights. Where some thinks its should be equal where talking about women and men rights. Those lacking emotional intelligence may misinterpret statements, assume negative intentions, or respond defensively, reinforcing stereotypes and mistrust.

In our class activity groups, we were given a topic to act out a scenario where my group have to act about a classmate having no participation giving no suggestions in group projects. This is a great understanding about emotional intelligence letting us understand that one person might not have self-awareness might change the group atmosphere. But given as group with classmates that are not participating much brings difficulty to our works,  creating extra workload  and can slow down progress. However it link back to my own topic which brings real life experience to solve which is a relieve. Hoping this brings our group knowing their own responsibility brings them to help the group move forward. This understanding reinforces the importance of emotional intelligence in fostering cooperation and maintaining a positive, productive group environment.

298 words.

Tiktok, 16 November 2025

CTS A | Compulsory Questions 1:

Critical thinking is the ability to look at information with an open but questioning mind. Instead of believing something immediately, you pause, analyze the details, and consider whether the information makes sense.

It can be involve in daily meals like hawker food prices in Singapore. Used to be affordable, accessible, and culturally significant but now 6.1% for some cooked hawker food, per government statistics. Now, Mcdonald's is cheaper than that, remembering hawker centre used to be cheap back in the days where I can save money. Local will be complaining about the sudden high rise of prices. "Why are prices rising? Are the increases justified by higher ingredient costs or rent? "

One of our group activities was to create a mind map with visual metaphor, helping us turn complex ideas into concrete images and see the relationships between concepts clearly. We tried observing what engine are there in a spaceship as our visual metaphor which link to what we learned so we create it as a mind map. With the help of my group mates collaborating together and analyzing all our ideas we managed to complete everything.

206 words

References:

-Deborah Lau, "The Big Read: Singaporeans want cheap and good hawker food. Hawkers need to make money. How do we square the circle?", 22 Jul 2024, CNA

CTS | A Compulsory Question 2:

In creative and technical learning, developing skills is just as important as mastering techniques or software. These skills help us not only generate ideas but also evaluate them, work effectively with others, and adapt to challenges. Across all the module we have to learn, we are encouraged to think deeply, communicate clearly, and reflect on our processes.

I believe every module have personally helped me with having more creative mind like Studio Research framework. We have to draw out mind maps to brainstorm out ideas with only library books which is difficult for our generations now with the help of internets. Discovering unexpected connections, visual references, and design ideas we wouldn’t normally find through a simple Google search. I have a problem which its too relying on internet to find any source of information to answers which overall usage, it weaken in my learning because information online is often fast.

Being able to explore and learn something gaining both technical skills and a deeper understanding of how images communicate. I used to be an introverted person who likes to stay in but having project in photography allows me to explore the outside world able to capture a lot of beautiful details. I am able to change my mindset to step out of my comfort zone and push myself through trying new things.

Same as Jason Teale that have able to put "fixed mindset" and "growth mindset" into his artwork. "When I looked at these two mindsets while focussing on photography, it gave me some useful insight into what may be a sticking point for some people." Able to tell how much he learned with skills develop through practice, experimentation, and learning from mistakes. Helping me recognize that progress in comes from being open, patient, and willing to keep learning rather than relying on natural ability.

305 words

References:

-Jason Teale, "Photography and the Growth Mindset", The Sajin, 9 June 2015, jasonteale.com

CTS A | Compulsory Question 3: In my journey in Lasalle, I realized that learning is not just about mastering tools or techniques it’s about navigating complexity, understanding people, and adapting to challenges. Working on group projects and creative assignments has shown me how ideas evolve when different perspectives come together, and how tension or disagreements can spark innovative solutions.

Developing emotional awareness helps me read situations and respond constructively, while a growth mindset encourages me to embrace mistakes as part of the creative process. Able to approach problems, generate ideas, and create meaningful designs that communicate clearly and authentically. Being able to do that also needs fulfill client's needs.

Wanting to have a professional journey about making short animation films spreading awareness. I used to watched films in Youtube where one film that everyone can relate is an animated short film “Overcomer” by Hannah Grace. Grace tackles her own anxiety and depression, yet the message is broad enough to resonate with many. She hopes everyone be able to find peace in their own life even though she have been suffering herself bringing empathy to else. Analyze "Overcome" uses visual metaphor, emotional narrative, and simplicity to deliver a strong message.

I plan to become a freelance graphic designer and short animator, creating work that can be seen and spreading awareness to the world. In our group activity, we were asked to reflect deeply on our choices and envision a clear path for our professional journey. Before this exercise, I had never considered the details of my final-year project or what I truly wanted to achieve. Being able to express my goals and articulate what I want to learn made me feel visible and more certain about my aspirations. It helped me understand not only the type of projects I want to pursue but also the impact I hope to make through my creative work.

330 words

References:

I think collaboration and teamwork matter a lot. They help people share ideas, talk things through, and work toward the same goal. We work together often in daily life, but team projects really show how important collaboration is.

For one project, my team and I created an installation themed "Collaboration Between Cultures." We included greetings from various countries and even designed a heart shape that would change color when touched. This installation wasn't just for display; it was meant to show how people from different backgrounds can connect. The color changes visually represented each person's warmth, individuality, and emotions. If I were to tackle this project alone, I'd probably approach it more digitally. Given Singapore's diverse population, I'd display greetings like "Hello," "I love you," and "Thank you" in multiple languages, allowing everyone to see and connect. I also added a sensor-equipped heart-shaped balloon behind the screen that would glow differently depending on the temperature of the person touching it. This way, I felt like I could demonstrate that everyone's emotions and energy are unique.

Working with a team has allowed me to achieve ideas and outcomes that I could never have achieved alone. Honestly, if I had been alone, I would have just sketched. While I'm good at framing the big picture, I realized I needed to improve my communication skills. Collaboration isn't just about dividing tasks; it's about understanding and coordinating with others.

Through this experience, I realized that communication is the most important part of teamwork. Next, I want to improve my ability to clearly express my ideas and listen to my team members' opinions. True collaboration always begins with people connecting with each other, and communication is at its core.

(267 words/used GPT translate)

Collaboration is one of the most important skills to have in both school and work. It is more than just dividing tasks. It means listening, sharing ideas, and working toward the same goal. Effective collaboration requires respect, open communication, and flexibility (Indeed). These qualities allow a group to work together rather than as separate individuals.

In many group projects, not everyone contributes equally. I have experienced this before when some members did not give much input. At first, it felt unfair and it was frustrating. But I learned that collaboration is not only about what they contribute, it is also about how I respond. Instead of getting upset, I try to ask questions, encourage quiet members, and give them chances to share. Sometimes this worked, and they would add some useful ideas. Other times it wouldn't, and I'd have to adjust by taking on more responsibility myself. Even then, I found that keeping communication open made the group run more smoothly, and it reduced stress compared to staying silent or being upset.

Good collaboration also means being open to feedback and knowing when to compromise. Even if ideas conflict, combining different strengths can lead to better results (TeamBuilding.com). Working with others is a skill that improves over time, especially when we practice patience and mindfulness.

Collaboration is not always easy, but with practice, it helps build trust, creativity, and strong relationships (Jostle).

(258 words) References: "Collaboration Skills: Definitions and Examples." Indeed, 27 Sept. 2023,

“6 Collaboration Skills and How to Foster Them.” Jostle Blog, 17 Jan. 2024,

"Collaboration Skills: Definition, List, and Examples." TeamBuilding.com, 2023,