OVERVIEW
This unit focuses on using visual language to communicate messages, ideas and concepts. This involves acquiring and applying design thinking skills as well as drawing skills to make messages, ideas and concepts visible and tangible. Students practise their ability to draw what they observe and they use visualisation drawing methods to explore their own ideas and concepts. Students develop an understanding of the importance of presentation drawings to clearly communicate their final visual communications.
Through experimentation and through exploration of the relationship between design elements and design principles, students develop an understanding of how design elements and principles affect the visual message and the way information and ideas are read and perceived. Students review the contextual background of visual communication through an investigation of design styles. This research introduces students to the broader context of the place and purpose of design.
CONTENT
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION
AREAS OF STUDY
Drawing as a means of Communication
This area of study introduces the skill set that underpins the discrete design process stages of generating ideas, developing concepts and refining drawings
Design Elements and Design Principles
This area of study focuses on design elements and design principles. Students experiment with these elements and principles when using freehand and image-generation methods such as photography, digital photography, printmaking and collage to visualise ideas and concepts.
Visual Communication in Context
Visual communication design draws on a broad range of sources to support creativity and innovation. Historical and cultural practices and the values and interests of different societies influence innovation in visual communication designs. Through a case study approach, students explore how visual communications have been influenced by social and cultural factors and past and contemporary visual communication practices.
UNIT 2: VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN
AREAS OF STUDY
Technical Drawing in Context
This area of study focuses on the acquisition and application of presentation drawing skills that incorporate the use of technical drawing conventions.
Type and Imagery
In this area of study students develop knowledge and skills in manipulating type and images when communicating ideas and concepts in the design field of communication.
Applying the Design Process
This area of study focuses on the application of specific stages of the design process to organise thinking about approaches to solving design problems and presenting ideas. Students respond to a given brief addressing communication, environmental or industrial fields of design that outlines the messages or information to be conveyed to a target audience.
UNIT 3: DESIGN THINKING AND PRACTICE
AREAS OF STUDY
Analysis And Practice In Context
In this area of study students explore a range of existing visual communications in the communication, environmental and industrial design fields. Students analyse how design elements, design principles, methods, media and materials are used in visual communications in these fields to achieve particular purposes for targeted audiences. Students draw on their findings from the analysis to inform the creation of their own visual communications and they articulate these connections. In response to given stimulus material, students apply skills to create visual communications for different purposes, audiences and contexts using a range of manual and digital methods, media and materials. The visual communications created by students include a two- and/or three-dimensional presentation drawing.
Design Industry Practice
In this area of study students investigate how the design process is applied in industry to create visual communications. Students develop an understanding of the processes and practices used to support collaboration between clients, designers and specialists when designing and producing these visual communications. Contemporary Australian and international designers from the communication, environmental and industrial design fields should be considered for study. Students develop an understanding of the function of the brief and approaches to its development. They examine how design and production decisions made during the design process are influenced by a range of factors.
Students develop an understanding of the legal obligations of designers and clients with respect to ownership of intellectual property and how these obligations may affect decision making.
Developing A Brief And Generating Ideas
In this area of study students gain a detailed understanding of three stages of the design process:development of a brief, research and the generation of ideas. Students develop an understanding of the contents of a brief and the critical role that it plays in forming the direction and boundaries for their research and generation of ideas. They apply this knowledge when developing a single brief that proposes and defines two distinct communication needs for a real or imaginary client.
UNIT 4: VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION
AREAS OF STUDY
Development, Refinment and Evaluation
In this area of study students focus on the design process stages of the development of concepts and refinement. Using separate design processes, students develop and refine design concepts that satisfy each of the communication needs of the brief established in Unit 3. When selecting ideas to develop as concepts, students must ensure that ideas for each communication need are discernibly different in intent and presentation format. Students manipulate and apply design elements and design principles to create concepts that attract the interest of their target audience and convey the messages, ideas and information required to satisfy the brief.
Final Presentations
This area of study focuses on the final stage in the design process, the resolution of presentations. Students produce two final visual communication presentations, which are the refinements of the concepts developed in Outcome 1 Unit 4. This involves selecting and applying materials, methods, media, design elements and design principles appropriate to the designs and selected presentation formats. Students explore ways of presenting their final visual communications that attract and engage the target audiences.
ASSESSMENT
UNIT 1
UNIT 2
Assessment tasks for this unit include:
UNIT 3 & 4
EXAMINATION
The examination will contribute 35 %.