VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN

SAT – School Assessed Task 2024-2027

Unit 3 Outcome 3 AND Unit 4 Outcomes 1 & 2

50% of Study Score

Design process: defining problems and developing ideas

How do designers apply a design process to reframe problems and develop ideas?

Unit 3 Outcome 3 - SAT

On completion of this unit the student should be able to identify two communication needs for a client, prepare a brief and develop design ideas, while applying the VCD design process and design thinking strategies.

• You will explore the Discover, Define and Develop phases of the VCD design process, and apply understandings of good design when addressing a selected design problem.
• You begin the Discover phase by using divergent thinking strategies and applying ethical research methods to identify a design problem or opportunity.
• You gather insights about stakeholder perspectives and other influential factors using a range of research methods such as but not limited to interviews and surveys, audience or user personas, competitor analysis and secondary research.

You will employ convergent thinking strategies as you progress to the Define stage of the VCD design process, analysing and synthesising findings in order to clearly articulate design opportunities.

From these findings, you prepare a single design brief for a real or fictional client, defining two communication needs that are distinct from one another in purpose and presentation format.

Design criteria is specified for each communication need, with consideration given to the audience or user, the purposes of designed outcomes, possible contexts and design constraints.

The Develop phase of the VCD design process follows the formation of the brief. You once again use divergent thinking as you employ an iterative process of seeking and analysing inspiration, brainstorming and generating design ideas.

This phase of the design process is undertaken twice, as you address each communication need identified in the design brief.

You will use methods such as but not limited to ideation sketching and prototyping to document potential concepts; you undertake further research if necessary and share ideas-in-progress with peers for critique.

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This feedback is used in Unit 4 to select and further evolve design concepts through refinement, testing and evaluation.

Key knowledge

• the Discover, Define and Develop phases of the VCD design process
• the role of convergent and divergent thinking in the VCD design process
• ethical research methods to identify and analyse a design problem
• the role of the brief in defining communication needs
• methods and techniques used to generate design ideas
• key features and functions of the design elements and principles
• legal and ethical obligations relevant to the designer’s work
• techniques for engaging in critiques to present design ideas and both respond to and deliver constructive feedback
• conceptions of good design
• appropriate design terminology.

Key skills

• apply the Discover, Define and Develop phases of the VCD design process
• use divergent and convergent thinking strategies when defining problems and developing ideas
• use design research methods to define communication problems
• apply legal and ethical obligations relevant to the designer’s work
• document a brief defining two distinct communication needs and presenting design criteria including purposes, contexts, audience or user characteristics and design constraints
• generate a range of design ideas drawing on design criteria documented in the brief
• annotate design ideas using design terminology to explain and evaluate design decisions
• use the design elements and principles to develop design ideas
• present design ideas for critique, and both respond to and deliver constructive feedback
• use appropriate design terminology.

Design process: refining and resolving design concepts

How do designers resolve design problems?

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Unit 4 Outcome 1

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On completion of this unit the student should be able to refine and resolve distinct design concepts for each communication need, and devise and deliver a pitch to communicate concepts to an audience or users, evaluating the extent to which these meet the requirements of the brief.

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In this area of study, you reflect critically on feedback received in Unit 3, Outcome 3 as you evaluate, select and evolve design ideas into concepts for further refinement and testing.

In doing so, you explore the Deliver phase of the VCD design process.

You will engage in an iterative cycle as you rework ideas, revisit research and review the client’s needs.

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You manipulate the design elements and principles in response to the brief and develop expertise in a range of appropriate manual and digital methods, materials and media.

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Development and documentation drawings, together with mock-ups, models and low-fidelity prototypes, may be used to assist with visualising, testing and resolving design concepts.

During this process, you move from divergent to convergent thinking, drawing on conceptions of good design when synthesising ideas and using annotations to evaluate their potential.

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The refinement of design concepts for each communication need continues as two separate design processes.

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Ensure that these are distinct from one another in purpose and presentation format.

You will resolve selected design concepts and devise a pitch of one concept for each communication need to communicate their design thinking and decision making to an audience or user.

Explain the reasons for your selection and use of particular materials, media and methods, design elements and principles, and formats for presentation.

Consider responses to your pitch and further refine each selected concept, in preparation for the presentation of final design solutions.

Key knowledge

• the Deliver phase of the VCD design process
• the role of the brief and convergent thinking when refining and resolving design concepts
• features and functions of the design elements and principles used to create and resolve design concepts
• manual and digital methods, media, materials and conventions used to create design concepts
• methods and techniques used to evaluate, test and resolve design concepts
• techniques used to deliver a pitch to present and explain design concepts
• the extent to which design concepts meet the requirements of the brief
• conceptions of good design
• legal and ethical obligations relevant to the designer’s work
• appropriate design terminology.

Key skills

• apply the Deliver phase of the VCD design process
• select and apply a range of manual and digital methods, materials, media and conventions, together with the design elements and principles to resolve design concepts
• use convergent thinking strategies to refine and resolve design concepts
• test and evaluate the suitability and quality of refined design concepts, drawing on the requirements of the brief
• devise and deliver a pitch that supports the presentation of one design concept for each communication need
• apply practices that fulfil the designer’s ethical and legal obligations
• use appropriate terminology to document the refinement and resolution of design concepts.

Presenting design solutions

How do designers propose solutions to communication needs?

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Unit 4 Outcome 2

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On completion of this unit the student should be able to produce a design solution for each communication need defined in the brief, satisfying the specified design criteria.

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• Present your design solutions for each of the communication needs.
• Choose how best to use visual language to communicate solutions to stakeholders, considering aesthetic impact through applications of design elements and principles.
• Select materials, methods and media appropriate for the presentation of final design solutions that are distinct from one another in purpose and presentation format, and that address design criteria specified in the brief.

Key knowledge

• appropriate presentation formats for the delivery of two distinct design solutions
• techniques to apply methods, media and materials to deliver design solutions
• components of visual language, including design elements and principles, used to address distinct communication needs specified in the brief
• visual language used to communicate solutions to stakeholders.

Key skills

• select suitable presentation formats that meet communication needs defined in the brief
• select and apply a range of methods, media and materials to deliver distinct design solutions
• select and apply components of visual language, including design elements and principles to address the distinct communication needs specified in the brief.

https://www.theloop.com.au/project/sarahanderson/portfolio/design-matters/228417