Environment Design | Projects

22/09/2025 - 09/01/2026, Week 1 - Week 16

Rio Sato / 0360530
Information Design / Entertainment Design

Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

Exercise: Environment Design - Fundamentals

Project 1: Exterior and Landscape Design

Project 2: Interior and Set Design

Final Project: Complete Environment Design Bible

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1.0 Instructions

Fig.1.1 MIB

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2.0 Exercises - Fundamentals of Environment Design

Complete these exercises within 10 weeks to develop environment design fundamentals:

1. Perspective drawings
2. Composition
3. Value painting
4. Ambience
5. Color management
6. Vignette set design
7. Photo bashing

Submission:

Exercise Sketchbook with weekly practice (2000 × 3000 pixels, 150 dpi, 16:9 landscape format).

2.1 Weekly progression

Week 2

I began with silhouette studies to explore architectural forms that would define the environment's visual identity. Working in pure black against white backgrounds let me focus on readable shapes and proportions without detail distractions. These exercises taught me to create strong, recognizable forms that communicate the mood and function of structures.

Fig.2.1 Exercise - Silhouette drawings, week 2(09/30/2025)

Week 3

I practiced one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective to understand how architectural spaces recede into depth. These studies helped me construct believable environments with accurate spatial relationships and proper scale. Mastering perspective grids became essential for creating convincing buildings and interior spaces that felt structurally sound.

Fig.2.2 Exercise - Perspective drawings, week 3(10/07/2025)

Week 4

I developed composition studies to explore various camera angles, focal points, and visual hierarchy within the environment. Understanding composition principles helped me create more engaging and cinematic environment designs that effectively tell a story.

Fig.2.3 Exercise - Composition drawings, week 4(10/14/2025)

2.2 Final Outcome

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3.0 Project 1 - Exterior and Landscape Design

Select and develop a location (Temple, Ruins, Village, City, etc.) based on your proposed theme or story from a game/movie/cartoon.

1. Mood board – references and breakdown
2. Thumbnail sketches – initial concepts
3. Composition studies – 5 drawings showing best visual communication
4. Value studies – Based on 5 compositions
5. Ambience studies – Based on value paintings

Submission:

Complete Call-out Sheet. Use 2000 x 3000 pixels, 150 dpi, 16:9 landscape format for weekly progress. Pre-production stage requires minimum 70% completion that effectively communicates to target audiences.

3.1 Process Work

Moodboard

The board featured megastructures, weathered concrete, neon-lit alleyways, and atmospheric lighting to guide my landscape design, defining the color palette, architectural language, and cyberpunk urban mood.

Fig.3.1.1 Project 1 Moodboard week 2(09/30/2025)

World Building

I photographed Malaysian structures studying how tropical weathering, vertical density, and mixed architectural styles could inform my cyberpunk cityscape.

Fig.3.1.2 Inspired Buildings week 2(09/30/2025)

Sketching

I created thumbnail sketches exploring various camera angles and spatial layouts for the exterior.  Through iterations, I refined the perspective and furniture placement to create a believable inhabited space connecting to the exterior cityscape.

Fig.3.1.3 World Building and Silhette Studies, week 2(09/30/2025)

Fig.3.1.4 Process Work, week 3(10/07/2025)

I experimented with neon pink and blue lighting against dark backgrounds to create the cyberpunk mood. I designed an old guy character who owns the shop surrounded by holographic displays and worn furniture, adding scale and narrative to the space. The character wore practical clothing reflecting the lower-class district aesthetic.

Fig.3.1.5 Process Work, week 4(10/14/2025)

I explored multiple compositions for the interior, testing different camera heights, focal lengths, and framing. Wide angles emphasized cramped vertical stacking, while tighter shots focused on the character and technology.

Fig.3.1.5 Process Work, week 6(10/28/2025)

3.2 Final Outcome

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4.0 Project 2 - Interior and Set Design

Develop an interior design that reflects Project 1, focusing on one interior set that showcases its relevance to inhabitants. Complete these tasks:

1. Mood board with references and breakdown

2. Thumbnail sketches of initial concepts

3. Composition studies - 5 drawings showing best visual communication

4. Value studies from your compositions

5. Ambience studies from value paintings

Submission:

Complete Call-out Sheet. Create weekly progressions at 2000 × 3000 pixels, 150 dpi, 16:9 landscape format. This pre-production work requires minimum 70% completion that effectively communicates to target audiences.

4.1 Process Work

Interior

I sketched a cyberpunk laundromat interior exploring spatial layout and lighting. The studies lacked space and detail to communicate atmosphere - I needed more time on composition and resident interaction.

Fig.4.1.1 Process Work, week 8(11/11/2025)

I refined the laundromat interior with neon lighting, holographic washing machines, and personal items showing inhabitation. The composition featured a resident folding clothes under flickering fluorescent and cyan-magenta neon lights, creating the cyberpunk atmosphere. I improved depth through posters, graffiti, and worn tiles reflecting the lower district's aesthetic.

Fig.4.1.2 Process Work, week 9(11/18/2025)

Props

The initial color schemes felt too saturated and lacked the gritty realism needed - the neon blues and pinks overpowered the weathered materials. I need to add more surface detail like scratches, rust, and decals to show these objects belong in a lived-in dystopian world.

Fig.4.1.4 Process Work, week 10(11/25/2025)

I added detailed weathering—scratches, and rust—to show years of use. The color palette shifted to desaturated tones with strategic neon accents, balancing cyberpunk style with realistic wear. Cable management, panel gaps, and asymmetrical repairs made each prop feel like a functional object salvaged by lower-district residents.

Fig.4.1.3 Process Work, week 10(11/27/2025)

4.2 Final Outcome

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5.0 Final Project - Complete Environment Design Bible

Polish and complete one Exterior and one Interior Design with breakdown of props/asset concepts: hero asset, set design props, and details. Create balanced call sheets to be compiled with projects 1 and 2 into a Complete Environment Bible. You may upgrade designs to better showcase functionality. Tasks:

1. (Individual Call Sheet) Polished Artwork: 2000 x 3500 pixels 200 dpi for Interior, Exterior, and Props design (Jpeg and PSD)
2. Complete the Environment Design Bible in PDF format.

5.1 Process Work

Blender

I began modeling the cyberpunk laundromat in Blender, blocking out the basic architecture with concrete walls and tiled floors. The 3D space helped me understand lighting placement and spatial flow better than 2D sketches alone. I modeled key props like washing machines, benches, and neon signage to test the composition's depth and atmosphere.

Fig.5.1.1 Process Work, week 12(12/11/2025)

I applied texture painting in Blender using the base color palette, but the flat lighting made the scene feel lifeless. I needed to add strategic light sources to create dramatic shadows and depth. The interplay between warm and cool light zones would define the cyberpunk atmosphere and guide the viewer's eye through the composition.

Fig.5.1.2 Process Work, week 12(12/11/2025)

Final outcome in blender

Fig.5.1.3 Process Work, week 12(12/11/2025)

I tested various Blender lighting setups—harsh fluorescents, soft neon glows, and colored rim lighting—to establish the cyberpunk mood. Warm lights created intimacy; cool tones emphasized isolation. Layering multiple colored sources with varying intensities best captured the dystopian aesthetic while maintaining readability and depth.

Fig.5.1.4 Process Work, week 12(12/12/2025)

Photoshop

I enhanced the Blender render in Photoshop by adding grunge textures, dirt accumulation, and weathering overlays to walls and floors. I painted in rust stains, water damage, and peeling paint to make surfaces feel aged and authentic. Additional detail layers included graffiti tags and faded advertisements that reinforced the dystopian lower-district atmosphere.

Fig.5.1.5 Process Work, week 15(01/01/2026)

Fig.5.1.6 Process Work, week 15(01/01/2026)

Illustrater

I compiled my exterior, interior, and prop designs into an organized presentation format using Adobe Illustrator. The slides included callout sheets with detailed annotations, material breakdowns, and functionality notes for each design element. This layout provided a professional portfolio presentation showcasing the complete cyberpunk environment design bible for final submission.

Fig.5.1.7 Process Work, week 15(01/02/2026)

5.2 Final Outcome

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6.0 Reflective Writing

The module began with fundamental environment design exercises teaching systematic deconstruction methods. Project 1's Japanese and Malaysian-inspired cyberpunk cityscape required extensive research into megastructures and tropical weathering patterns. Moodboarding established clear visual direction, defining the color palette and architectural language for all subsequent work.

Project 2's interior design presented compositional challenges—my initial laundromat sketches lacked depth. Integrating Blender into my workflow provided breakthrough understanding of lighting placement and perspective accuracy. Managing the cyberpunk color palette taught me that strategic accent colors against desaturated tones create more impactful results than uniform saturation.

Props development revealed my tendency toward generic sci-fi design. Adding weathering details—scratches, rust, faded logos—transformed sterile concepts into believable artifacts. Creating the final environment bible in Illustrator emphasized clear communication through technical callout sheets and material breakdowns.