Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Learning Intention
Students will be able to engage in stages of the design process to create
a visual communication appropriate to a given brief.
Success Criteria
I can:
- apply and document design thinking techniques when engaged in the design
process
- research and analyse information relevant to a given brief
- use freehand visualisation drawings and annotations to make ideas visible
-evaluate the suitability of design ideas and concepts in terms of the
requirements of the brief
- select and use a range of appropriate methods, media, materials, design
elements and design
principles
-apply techniques to refine and present visual communications
-apply practices that fulfil legal obligations with respect to copyright
-use appropriate terminology.
AIM
On completion of this unit the student should be able to engage in stages of the design process to create a vis
- apply and document design thinking techniques when engaged in the design process
research and analyse information relevant to a given brief
use freehand visualisation drawings and annotations to make ideas visible
evaluate the suitability of design ideas and concepts in terms of the requirements of the brief
select and use a range of appropriate methods, media, materials, design elements and design principles
apply techniques to refine and present visual communications
apply practices that fulfil legal obligations with respect to copyright
use appropriate terminology.
Your Task
Part One: Brief
-Write a brief which outlines the Client, Client Need, Purpose, Target Audience, Context and Constraints.
TIMELINE:
Term 4
Week 1
Design brief
Week 2
- Session 1 Design brief
- Session 2 - Development of Concepts
Week 3
- Session 1 - Development of Concepts
- Session 2 - Refinement of Concepts
Week 4
- Session 1 - Refinement of Concepts
- Session 2 - Final Presentations
Week 5
-Session 1 - Final Presentations
- Session 2 - Exam Revision
Week 6
-Session 1 Exam Revision
-Session 2 Exam Revision
EXAMS!
A design brief is a document that is written as a result of a client identifying a design or communication
need. It is a kind of check list that explains what the designer will do for his/her client.
A design brief can be a formal checklist (as shown here), dot point, essay style, or in the form of a letter
from client to designer. In reality, a design brief may be only notes a designer writes down from a
conversation with their client.
The design brief will explain; the nature of the client, the product required, the target audience, defines the
purpose, identifies the context in which it will be displayed or used, identifies limitations or expectations for
the product, describes the approach to the design it should have, and describes the presentation format
required.
The client is the person or organisation requesting the new design. They may be a private individual (like a
person asking an architect to design a house), or they may be the owner of a business or even a
representative of the owner like a 'marketing manager', in a large business.
The design brief should define the name and nature of the business being desiged for. This is the client.
You should discuss the nature of the business by mentioning these aspects. Ask yourself, is the business?...
Small - Boutique,
specialised,
young, old,
established, progressive
Try to give as much information about the client as you can as this will help to shape the design they want.
The design brief gives a brief description of the design need or job. For example a 'folding chair' or 'logo to
identify the company' are both design needs. It does not go into detail in a description of the finished jobe, as
the function of the design process is to develop innovative solutions to the need. Just be brief to give the
reader a 'handle' on the design need.
3. Target Audience
One of the most important parts to designing correctly for your client is to understand the target audience.
Different people have different purchasing preferences so we need to design exactly for them. One caution;
the target audience characteristics are not those of the client (except if the design is personally for him/her)
but for the people that will see, read, use your design. These people are called the 'end users'.
You can discuss the target audience by mentionaing up to six audience characteristics:
age range/generation,
gender,
4. Purpose
This information will explain what the design or product will be expected to do. Take care also to think
about your design. For example if you are designing a poster to sell an electric kettle the purpose should be
to 'advertise', not to boil water - that's the purpose of a kettle! However, if you are designing an outdoor
reclining chair, then the purpose is to help a user relax beside the pool.
You may mention more than one purpose in your design brief.
5. Context
The context is the position or media that the product or communication will be used or seen in. Some
examples of context are; in a national park, on the wall in a supermarket, in a magazine.
Another major factor helping to shape the design you do will be the limitations and or expectations placed
on you. Discuss the known restrictions or physical expectations from the beginning of the process. For
example; is the design to be for children or adults, is it to be portable or made from recyclable materials?
There may be also some aesthetic expectations the client has. For example; should the design look be
minimal, futuristic, austere, like it was handcrafted. However, try not to use words like beautiful, attractive
or stylish as these words mean different things to different people and convey no meaning themselves.
Below: Design Brief This should be included on the front page of your submission
You should briefly discuss how you intend to go about beginning the required design process. For example;
discuss the areas you want to research to inform your design, the kinds of working methods and/or media
you think will be most communicative or represent your ideas best. Give reasons for the approaches you
want to use. This will enhance the level of thought you bring to the design process.
8 Presentation format
You must define the actual presentation you will make for your client. Some examples of presentation
format are; 3d rendering, fashion illustration, 3rd Angle Orthogonal drawing, model, mock-up brochure, A1
poster.
You can find detailed information about presentation formats by clicking here.
Relaks is a small furniture company located in inner Melbourne. It has a workshop in the CBD and several
outlets in major shopping areas of Eastern Australia. Its furniture products are aimed at young, independent
working people. Relaks is looking to expand its market into the camping sector. Relaks wants a collapsable
table and chairs recalling 1950s retro shapes and materials in bright, pastel colours.
The target audience is young, working adults. Both men and women, living in the city who like to go
camping for short trips. They may be from any cultural background as they live in Melbourne city.
The camping chairs are to be used at meal times to provide seating and a table support for up to 4 people.
The context for distribution and display of the new product will be department stores and camping shops.
Consequently, a strong use of simple bold design will be needed to ensure that the table and chairs stand
apart from the other products on display.
The tables design should be a bit retro, light and metalic. They could look like it was designed in the 50s
and intended to look super futuristic. The table is to be made from recyclable/recycled or regenaratable
materials. It is to be constructed simply using existing technologies.
My approach to this design is to look at table from the second half of the twentieth century. I will also look
at 1950s design books for ideas.
The presentation format required for the table and chairs is a two-point perspective rendered illustration.
Information about trends in the location where the product will be sold.
Visual Research
Whilst the research strategies shown above are important for developing designs that are suited to a real
market, as a student we are more focused on creating visually innovative ideas as solutions to a brief.
In this stage you need to research in several different ways. This assessment task requires you to design a
product within a categoy of design. But that's not all. It also asks you to reference and incorporate aesthetic
elements or features from another (unrelated) source of style and inspiration. This is an often used practice
of designers and a main chanel for creating new and original ideas. Look through the images below to see
how designers look outside 'similar' products; sideways to give them inspiration for innovation. Can you
think of any other designs that take their inspiration from other styles or products?
Original product
external inspiration
innovation
Please note:
In this task you will be asked to show evidence of research into areas other than the product you are
designing, and to demonstrate the application of that research. In other words, your final designs must
reflect the aesthetic qualities required by the 'limitations and expectations' of the design brief.
Observational drawing?
And another thing. In research you are required to draw as well as cut out pictures. You need to make some
sketches of products similar to the one you are designing. Observational drawing trains your hand and
mind to understand the item you are looking at. Observational drawing helps you learn your form. Designers
learn forms well. It all begins with a sketch. Try it.
Observational drawing, along with annotations that document how your research informs your design
journey, are ways to demonstrate you are responding to your research. This changes passive research into
active, engaged research.
Research
He
re Ben has researched for the aesthetic qualities required in the 'limitations and expectation' area of the brief.
Tasks
1. Make at least 2 A3 pages of broad research in the ways shown above. Ensure that you research in the
ways your design brief requires.
2. Make at least 1 A3 page of observational drawing of real objects related to those you are researching.
3. Respond to your research writing comments that discuss how the images you have collected relate to the
needs described in your design brief.
4. Write the sources where you got the images from beside each image.
3 Generation of ideas
In this section you are required to 'use freehand visualisation drawings ... to make ideas visible'. (Study
Design Visual Communication Design, 2013, VCAA).
This stage is not to decide how you will resolve the communication need in the brief, but to show how many
ways you could fulfil the need described.
There's no getting around it!
You have to draw!! At this stage in VCE we should be making between 5 and 20 visual suggestions for each
component to be designed.
Best tip for Generation of ideas:
Begin with 'observational' drawing. Find an object that has similar forms to the product you seek to design.
In the case of the Grill'd Juice Bar, some students began by drawing the class room tables. This gave them
the confidence to produce the initial form of a juice bar. From there it's just a matter of adaptation. See how
you go.
Use a wide variety of drawing methods and techniques. Jump freely from 2d to 3d drawing. Use perspective,
paraline and orthogonal drawing techniques as you wish.
Populate your pages with colour, pattern, shape and texture, hierarchy, contrast and balance. Generation of
Ideas is an inspirational process. Make your pages jump out with interest.
Generation of ideas
Here is a page of thoughts about how to design the sitting area of the juice bar.
And here is
a page that demonstrates the application of the research on old petrol stations into the design process for the
juice dispenser.
Tasks
1. Complete 2 - 6 A3 pages* of Generation of Ideas. You must generate at least 4 totally different directions
for your designs.
*Note: these pages also include drawings made by working in the following areas:
Designers sometimes work in pairs or groups to brainstorm initial ideas. Students should practice creative
thinking techniques such as;
SCAMPER (click the word for a fantastic set of ways to start your design process),
Mind maps,
We need to demonstrate the ability to demonstrate the use of a variety of materials, methods and media
during the Design Process.
Tasks
1. Ensure that your Generation of Ideas pages includes;
1. Creative use of materials including;
o Different papers, strings, glues, colour swatches, etc
2. Creative use of methods including;
o 2d drawings, 3d paraline drawings, 3d perspective drawings, computer, freehand sketching,
ruled drawings, photography (not Google images),
This appraisal is intended to help those involved at this stage (typically other designers in the studio or an art
director) select the ideas that seem best suited (or have the most potential) to answer the communication
need explained in the design brief.
In Visual Communication Design students will demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation of design ideas
by creating a page with images and annotations that evaluate and then suggest how designs might be
changed or improved in the Development of Concepts and refinement stages.
Tasks
1. Make 1 new A3 page. Title the page "Evaluation of the suitability of design ideas". On this page include
the following elements;
1. Paste in photocopies or redraw up to 3 different design alternatives that have the most potential to
answer the communication need of your design brief,
2. Write comments beside each image to describe;
o Why they begin to answer the communication need,
o How they might be developed further to progress to final resolution designs.
Developing logo ideas further with more applications of design elements, principles and materials methods
and media.
Development of the seating area.
Development
In this stage students will move from visualisation to presentation drawings. They will explore and develop
both the aesthetic qualities and the final form of your designs.
Development of Concepts is still a creative stage. You are not expected to reach final Presentation Drawings
in this stage. You are expected to 'flesh out' and answer all the questions that emerge about your ideas. You
are expected to demonstrate creativity in this stage by continuing to modify the forms in your designs, and
by substituting design elements and principles for one another as you move closer to a preferred design
solution.
For 2dimensional presentations your work should begin by making layout thumbnail sketches then progress
through manual and digital illustration and/ or typographical techniques. Change the layout of the
components of your presentations deliberately as you develop your designs. Really demonstrate an
understanding and the application of Design Elements and Principles as you repeat you work.
Remember the intention is not closure but extension. This is development. Develop means make bigger, to
grow not to finish.
Tasks
1. Make between 5 - 10 A3 pages* of development work to broaden your initial selection of design ideas.
Different design concepts may be developed with different amounts of work.
*Note: these pages also include drawings made by working in the following area:
(Don't forget to continue your experimentation and application of a range of materials, methods and media
too).
Like experimentation with materials, methods and media, shown above, students have to show deliberate
experimentation with design elements and principles. Some students find it difficult to think of ways to
change their designs to demonstrate further application of the elements and principles.
The following table has been created to give you a selection of ways to incorporate them into your work:
Ensure that your Development of Concepts pages includes at least 6 experiments in from the following
table;
Design
elements
2d presentation formats
3d presentation formats
Colour
Shape
Line
Tone
Form
Texture
Point
Type
Design to rectalinear grids. Use organic shapes, use Re-design components in geometric
geometric shapes. Design to organic layouts, colour and organic shapes.
in shape areas, reshape photos.
Create outlines on shapes, remove outlines, use
alignment lines, vary the aesthetic qualities of your
lines - rough, smooth. Create form with cross
hatching of lines.
Design
principles
2d presentation formats
3d presentation formats
Balance
Contrast
Figureground
Cropping
Hierarchy
Scale
Proportion
Pattern
Evaluation
Refinement, described in the next step, involves the final development of only one design idea. You will
have finished your process of development with a small selection of viable designs. This means you will
have developed more than one design idea, and therefore more than one of your suggestions could be used
to become the final presentation for your client.
Critical thinking
Refer to the communication need discussed in your design brief. This, and only this should be used to
evaluate the designs and inform the selection of one suggestion for production of your presentation.
Tasks
1. Make 1 new A3 page. Title the page "Critical thinking". On this page include the following elements;
1. Paste in a print or photocopy of one design idea that best answers the
communication need of your design brief,
2. Write a comment beside the image to describe;
o
3.
How and Why it answers the communication need. In your answer refer directly
to;
The audience,
Collaborate for better ideas. Show your parent or friend your slected idea. Have them
write a brief critical statement about how it could be refined to suite the communication
need. Write their thoughts beside the image.
Refinement
In the refinement stage you will work on only one selected design idea. You will progressively refine (rework, re-do, re-produce, re-draw) your work and continue to apply appropriately selected materials,
methods and media and design elements and principles in the refinement stage.
Methods to be use for final production are also clarified at this stage.
Use appropriate computer programs for the refinement of your designs. Save 'screen shots' of your work to
place in your folio as evidence of your progress. Students may use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign or
Google Sketch up for a professional workflow.
In Refinement students must also ensure that image kind, file type, image mode, size and resolution suit the
purpose and context for the presentation.
Tasks
1. Continue to refine your one selected idea in the variety of presentation formats required in the design
brief. This will amount to differing numbers of prints, models, drawings or pages for different students.
And:
Don't forget, presentations that include more than one component (like the Grill's brief above) require
separate layout designs as well as the design of the individual components. These must be completed prior to
production of final presentations.
Students complete their final presentations in this stage. Production in a real life design process is not the
same as we do in a Visual Communication Design class. Production in industry refers to the actual
manufacture or printing of design products. At school we produce 'mock-ups' or at best a 'prototype' of our
designs in the production phase. This means we will make a presentation that gives our client the impression
of a product. We may print or 3d print or model our designs as 'one off' realisations of our ideas. The
technical expertise and skill it takes to produce these kind of 'one off' final presentations are assesed as
'production'.
Allow plenty of time - perhaps a week to complete your final presentations. Label your work appropriately.
Design a logo for your own design company to complete your work.
See the model answer at the top of this page for an example of a final presentation for the Grill'd brief.
Task
1. Produce your final presentation formats as required in your brief. Print and apply components to mounting
boards. Make labels and bases for models. Work carefully and neatly.
Copyright
All designers must observe the laws and conventions applying to Copyright. Your work will be copyrighted
as soon as you complete it. You need to pay the same respect to all other designers, writers, type-designers,
artists and crafts-people with whom you work. Remember, you're all in the same industry. Now, right now.
Task
1. Write the source of all work that is not your own in your folio. Give the URL of all images, the names and
owners of each font you use. Write them beside images at any point in your folio.
Due Date
Assessment criteria
Please note:
To achieve good marks in criteria based assessment you must remember to include some work for each part
of the task required. Spread your time evenly across the task.
CHECK LIST
UNIT 2 - Outcome 3 APPLYING THE DESIGN
PROCESS
-at least 1 A3 page of observational drawing of real objects related to those you are
researching.
-Responded to your research by writing comments that discuss how the images you
have collected relate to the needs described in your design brief.
-Wrote the sources where you got the images from beside each image.
-Complete 2 - 6 A3 pages* of Generation of Ideas. You must generate at least 4
totally different directions for your designs.
-1. Ensure that your Generation of Ideas pages includes;
1. Creative use of materials including;
o
Make 1 new A3 page. Title the page "Evaluation of the suitability of design ideas".
On this page include the following elements;
1. Paste in photocopies or redraw up to 3 different design alternatives that have the
most potential to answer the communication need of your design brief,
2. Write comments beside each image to describe;
o
2.
brief,
A comment beside the image that describes;
o
3.
The audience,
Copywrite -. Give the URL of all images, the names and owners of
each font you use. Write them beside images at any point in your folio.
DUE DATE: