WOII : Week 4 & 5 - How to Analyze a Design Work / Field Trip
Throughout the process of creating my trading cards for the studio project, I often questioned what truly defines a good design and how I could achieve it. By diving deeper into design analysis frameworks, I began to realize that good design is not defined only by how beautiful it looks. A good design creates value, communicating directly and emotionally with the audience.
That value can be shaped by the materials selected, the craftsmanship involved, its practical function, and the intention behind its creation. Designers should therefore define values relevant to each project by analyzing the target audience, design context, and objectives (Kheirandish et al. 11). This emphasizes that design is intentional, where value is created through thoughtful decision making.
On the other hand, design also connects to familiarity and emotional engagement. This understanding aligns with our class activity, where we brought objects that stood out both materially and personally. My group chose a letter and a Pop-Mart keychain given by a friend. While they are unique in craftsmanship and material, what truly differentiates them is the memory attached to them. Through this, I learned that design gains value not only from how it looks, but from the intersection between material qualities and emotional meaning.
We also grouped designs based on themes, and my group focused on materiality. That perspective stayed with me during our visit to New Bahru, where a door caught my attention because of its material presence. From there, I began analyzing the space through another framework which is transformation. As I walked around, I realized that the whole place itself represents transformation. It shows how design can reshape the past into something new.
Overall, by understanding design frameworks, I learned how to create designs that have value. Whether it’s a trading card, a personal object, or space like New Bahru, design becomes meaningful when it consider the intention, material, emotional connection, and creates new experience for the audience.
(321 Words)
Reference :
“About MAKE.” MAKE by GINLEE, GINLEE Studio, https://makestudio.sg/pages/aboutmake. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Kheirandish, Shadi, et al. “A Comprehensive Value Framework for Design.” Technology in Society, vol. 62, Aug. 2020, p. 101302, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101302.












