Less is more

Create ONE pictogram for NUS community
and this pictogram will be placed within NUS
campus.

You need to do 2 steps:
– Step 1
1 set ‘degree of abstraction’ comprises 1 original (photo) + 5 steps of reduction
process.
– Step 2
Choose 1 out of the 5 steps (most effective) and develop it into a prototype.
=====================================


NUS community huh? After class, I went walking around to see what needs to be more "comprehensive" in terms of signboards/road directions. I was glad I didn't have to walk far. Immediately after leaving the classroom, I easily spotted 3 ATM machines. And when I looked up the signboard on hanging on the ceiling, it was just a DOLLAR($) sign enclosed with a square.

Yeah, it may seem comprehensive to all of us, but a sign as simple as that could be interpreted with many meanings. Money sign can mean "Bank" too isn't it? What if a foreigner mistook it as a "Bank" sign and was looking around for one but failed?

And there, I decided to make the sign more precise.


Firstly, I took a picture of the POSBank ATM at the ground floor of the ADM block. It took me quite some time to wait for the queue to clear and I could take the photo. Then a NUS staff came by just when my flash went off. "Why are you taking a picture of the ATM??!" Was he suspecting I'm gonna plot a ATM robbery or what? zzzzz

(click to enlarge)
This was my reduction process, left-right, top-bottom direction.

I chose the 4th step in the end. Not too simplistic but also not too complicated.

Presentation in class...

It was quite funny that a number of my tutorial classmates did the water dispenser thing. Yeah, I know it's an existing problem for newer students, but I guess most of us would head to our usual water refiller once we know where is it.

Ha, if it was me, I'll just insert a $1 coin at any of the vending machines to get my drink. And quite surprisingly, drinks vending machines are in such abundance in NUS that you see it everywhere without any need for a sign. Hmm....

The comments I got was alright, nothing critical, but the lecturer said that it could be even simpler - a hand taking money. Meaning having the palm facing upwards and in the process of retrieving the money.

That's quite a nice way to portray ATMs really. Any comments on that?