Planetary Outpost Design Project
Project Overview:
In this project, you’ll imagine and design a colony on a distant planet. Your goal is to explore visual storytelling, environment design, and big-picture thinking. This is a chance to express your creativity and design a unique place that reflects a story, idea, or mood. Your colony could be a peaceful research hub, a rugged survival outpost, a futuristic society, or anything in between.
In this project, you’ll imagine and design a colony on a distant planet. Your goal is to explore visual storytelling, environment design, and big-picture thinking. This is a chance to express your creativity and design a unique place that reflects a story, idea, or mood. Your colony could be a peaceful research hub, a rugged survival outpost, a futuristic society, or anything in between.
Stage 1:Research & Inspiration
Deliverable: A visual inspiration board with at least 8–112 annotated images.
- Look at how colonies or sci-fi environments are designed in movies, games, and concept art (e.g., WALL-E, The Martian, Star Wars, No Man’s Sky).
- Collect images, colors, and words that inspire your vision.
- Start thinking about what kind of planet your colony is on and who might live there.
Deliverable: A visual inspiration board with at least 8–112 annotated images.
Stage 2: World Context & Colony Concept
Deliverable: A 1-page written concept with supporting images, keywords, or diagrams.
- Write a short description of your colony. What is its purpose (e.g., mining, science, survival)?
- Who lives there? What makes this place unique or challenging?
- Think about the story, emotions, or atmosphere behind your colony.
Deliverable: A 1-page written concept with supporting images, keywords, or diagrams.
Stage 3: Concept Development
Visual Exploration, Sketching, Spatial Design & Layout Plan
Visual Exploration, Sketching, Spatial Design & Layout Plan
- Make a simple map or plan of your colony layout.
- Label the main areas (e.g., sleeping quarters, labs, food supply, transport hub).
- Show how people might move around or interact with the space.
- Start sketching buildings, structures, or natural features of your colony.
- Explore shapes, materials, and layouts that reflect your story or theme.
- Add notes to explain how things work or what they’re used for.
- Deliverable: 1 Map with Noting, and 8 sketches with brief explanations.
In-Class Activities for Generating Sketching Concepts and Simplifying References into Geometric Shapes.
Super loose sketches created while watching a show on TV...
Stage 4: 3D Blockout
- Use a basic 3D tool such as Blender to block out your design.
- Focus on big shapes and spatial relationships, not details.
- Think about how it would feel to walk through your colony.
- Deliverable: 4–8 screenshots of your 3D model from different angles, incorporating my sci-fi like settings.
Stage 5: 3D Modelling
- Build your city in 3D/ Blender.
- Focus on key landmarks or city zones.
- Deliverable: 4-8 Screenshots of your 3D model.
Stage 6: Rendering & Final Images
Stage 7: Final Presentation
Optional: Stage 8 - Reflection & Peer Feedback
- Render images of your city with lighting and color.
- Show multiple angles and enticing point of views (Vistas), add details to your constructs, bring your environment to life.
- Deliverable: 8-12 rendered images.
Stage 7: Final Presentation
- Include all the above stages.
- Deliverable: Put together a Google Slides process package.
Optional: Stage 8 - Reflection & Peer Feedback
- Reflect on your experience: What went well? What would you improve?
- Give and receive feedback on each other’s designs.
- Deliverable: One-paragraph reflection.
