Final year project
Bangor, Co. Down Town Revival Project [Read more]
Bangor, Co. Down Town Revival Project
Bangor was once known for its seaside attractions and shops, however, since the recession and increase of people buying from online shops the town centre has been left with many derelict buildings and shop-fronts deterring visitors from outside the town.
The aim of this project was to create an illustrative art trail, designed to appeal to families and individuals across Northern Ireland encouraging them to visit Bangor town for the many attractions, activities and remaining small businesses, eateries and pubs still available through the use of fun visually-appealing character-based illustrations.
Bangor, Co. Down Town Revival Project - Old Northern Bank Window Display
In order to beautify some of Bangor's derelict buildings and uplift the atmosphere of the town, I designed this window display to span across the four arched ground floor windows of the now-empty Northern Bank building. I chose to convert the old bank building into a temporary pop-up gift shop and tourist information centre for the duration of the trail as its location is perfect in relation to the towns activities and the public transport station.
Bangor, Co. Down Town Revival Project - Trail Attraction Map
This artwork highlights some of Bangor's more memorable buildings and locations that the participants will be guided around during the trail. The map also doubles as both a tour guide for the day of the trail and a poster keepsake for afterwards to remember their experience.
Dirty Talk - App Interface
The aim of this collaborative project with Lois Blakeman was to create a fun, friendly, sex-positive app that sexually explorative university students could use to find out more information about the risks and hazards associated with higher-risk sex acts such as asphyxiation and bondage (most commonly practised in BDSM) as well as providing the user with tips and advice on how to safely carry out these acts without harming themselves or their partner.
Dirty Talk - Character Development
In order to make our app approachable and less intimidating, we designed a series of fun characters with exaggerated curves and features that would make the user feel more at ease with the taboo information the app was presenting them with. These fun characters were used to illustrate each sex act information page in a playful manner rather than a crude one to avoid making the user feel uncomfortable.
Agoraphobia - Game Cover Design
Agoraphobia follows the journey of a character overcoming their anxiety towards travelling alone and social spaces. The game follows the agoraphobic main character after they are dropped off at the train station. The aim of the game is to guide the lonely character on their journey from one station to another, travelling through the train’s enclosed carriages without having a panic attack. With triggers such as desolate carriages, overwhelmingly crowds, and intimidating social interactions with train personnel, the player must find ways to control their physical and mental responses to stressful situations.
Agoraphobia - Character Turnarounds
The main focus of this project was to create memorable characters that the player could emotionally connect to. Using problem-solving skills I was able to develop a fairly anonymous, gender-neutral main character that would help create a link between the player and the game.
Agoraphobia - Game Play Example
By giving players a unique first-hand experience that accurately portrays the physical and mental challenges anxiety sufferers deal with while doing everyday tasks such as using public transport, ‘Agoraphobia’ could encourage people to view mental health with more empathy.
Niamh Young
My work aims to create distinctive characters, portraying them in a style that is appropriate to the individual projects purpose, whilst also ensuring that the audience can connect to them on emotional and visual levels.
Having specialised in design and illustration since 2014, whilst also being heavily inspired by the animation and gaming industry, I have been eager to explore and develop my illustration skills to be able to adapt my art style to fit the specific brief - whether it's a bright, child-friendly illustration for a family activity trail or more mature videogame concept art.
In my final year at Loughborough University, I have focused more along the lines of commercialising my artistic abilities, concentrating on narratives and the various ways in which they are visualised; developing environments, characters, and concepts with hopeful career potential in industries such as gaming, and animation as well as editorial illustration.
In the long run, my career goal is to continue bringing narratives and characters to life as a freelance artist, communicating to audiences through a visual language that encourages creativity, thinking, and new concepts.
Final year project
Bangor, Co. Down Town Revival Project
Awards
'21 Diploma in Professional Studies
Work Experience
May 2015 - Current
For the last six years, I have run an Etsy shop where I have been selling my own art prints and completing commission work for both private and commercial clients. The shop has allowed me to develop my ability to communicate with customers, manage personal and business finances and improve my time management and organisation skills.