Sample approaches to developing an assessment task
Unit 3 Outcome 1: Analysis and practice in context
On completion of this unit the student should be able to create visual communications for specific contexts, purposes and audiences that are informed by their analysis of existing visual communications in the three design fields.
Students will undertake a series of tasks analysing visual communications, one from each of the three design fields. Using the examples from the three design fields as inspiration, students create their own visual communication presentations. These tasks must provide the opportunity for students to analyse existing visual communications and allow analysis to inform their own practice. Students reflect on connections between their work and that of the studied designer and their work.
The following are examples of approaches to this assessment task. They may be adapted to suit a school’s particular needs.
Analysis to inform practice
For this assessment task students may begin by developing a mind map or annotated chart that identifies the key aspects and considerations when decoding a visual communication. Examples should be given in each of the three design fields. The intention of this tool is to determine the visual language used by the designer for this specific visual communication; such as purpose, target audience, context, design elements and design principles, methods, media and material evident. Students use the ‘decoding mind map or chart’ as the basis to analyse stimulus material provided by the teacher for each of the three design fields. This analysis will break down the visual language used by the designer to gain attention and maintain engagement of the target audience. From this analysis, students form a ‘design intention’ to stimulate possible approaches for the corresponding practical task. When the practical task is completed, students reflect on the connections between their work and the studied designer’s work. The mind map may be submitted before or with the practical task.
Practical production tasks
Practical production tasks are set for each of the three design fields.
Each task contains a separate focus driven by both the brief and the needs and characteristics of each field of design. This allows students to apply specific skills targeted for that task that may differ from the focus of the other tasks set, providing the opportunity in the assessment task to cover a range of skills as required in this area of study. Each separate task may not address all the performance descriptors for this assessment task. Proficiency in the key skills and knowledge for the Outcome will be demonstrated over a range of tasks.
Sample approaches to assessment tasks with analysis material and related practical tasks for each of the three design fields
Sample assessment tasks
Communication Design – Sample 1
Analysis Material:
Examples of architectural award winners from the
Australian Graphic Design Association Awards website
Practical Task:
Students are given a brief that requires the creation of designs for an exhibition such as
‘Plastic Fantastic’ a retrospective exhibition of classic designs from the late 20th century to be held at the National Gallery of Victoria, March to June 2018. The target audience is young, design-savvy university students who see ‘retro’ clothing and op-shopping as ‘cool’. Items and presentation formats required are: exhibition poster, billboard, catalogue cover.
Material for submission:
Decoding mind map of visual communications and visualisation drawings and final digital design concepts for each presentation format.
Specific focus of task:
Discuss and deconstruct design using appropriate terminology. Understand different contexts of presentations; use design elements and design principles; communicate to a specific target audience; gain attention and maintain engagement; use digital methods; apply type and layout conventions for communication design.
Communication Design – Sample 2
Analysis Material:
- Parks Australia,
Kakadu National Park website
- Corporately themed examples of advertising and promotional communication design.
Practical Task:
Students conduct research into visual communications in communication design. Use type and layout conventions to visualise and develop final concepts for a variety of presentation formats for a series of advertising and promotional material for Kakadu National Park.
Material for submission:
Short-answer visual analysis of existing communication designs, demonstrating the link with the proposed design concept and research, visualisation drawings and final presentation.
Specific focus of task:
Analyse designs using appropriate terminology. Understand different contexts of presentations; use design elements and design principles; communicate to a specific target audience; gain attention and maintain engagement; use digital methods; apply type and layout conventions for communication design.
Industrial Design – Sample 1
Analysis Material:
Marc Newson
A range of industrial design projects are located on
Marc Newson’s website under ‘Projects’.
Marc Newson has been a finalist in the AGDA awards and his projects are listed on the
AGDA Awards website.
The ‘Keep Cup’
The design of the ‘Keep Cup’: A design for a recyclable coffee cup.
Practical Task:
‘Drink bottles are too sporty!’…
Students are given a design brief that requires them to design and present concept drawings for a contemporary drink bottle (volume of 600+ ml) that sits more comfortably at the workspace of a young urban professional. It is to be an object that this young trend-setting, design-conscious high achiever will willingly carry from meeting to meeting without looking like he is just walking off a sports field or out of the gym.
Material for submission:
Short-answer visual analysis of existing products containing links with the student’s proposed design solution and informative research, observational drawings, visualisation sequence and concept rendering of a chosen design (manual or digital).
Specific focus of task:
Identify, describe and discuss visual communications. Conduct informative research from a variety of sources. Complete observational, visualisation and presentation drawing, drawing to represent form, two- and three-dimensional drawing methods for ‘objects’ (orthogonal and isometric), concept rendering of form, surface materials and textures.
Industrial Design – Sample 2
Analysis Material:
Analysis Material:
- Parks Australia,
Kakadu National Park website
- Any personal transportations system can be investigated or hired for examination by students.
Students must make links between existing and proposed designs.
Practical Task:
Students record existing industrial design by examining and recording in detail a personal transportation system. They research characteristics of Kakadu National Park. They sketch and develop a variety of ideas for an original personal transportation system that would be physically and aesthetically appropriate for the Kakadu National Park context. They develop one of their designs into a rendered presentation drawing.
Material for submission:
Mind map of industrial design and visualisation drawings and final digital design for each presentation format.
Specific focus of task:
Analyse design examples using appropriate terminology. Conduct informative research from a variety of sources. Complete observational, visualisation and presentation drawing, drawing to represent form, two- and three-dimensional drawing methods for ‘objects’ (orthogonal and isometric), concept rendering of form, surface materials and textures.
Environmental Design - Sample 1
Analysis Material:
ArchitectureAU website has a range of current architectural residential inner city properties which have won awards.
Practical Task:
Students are given a design brief for redeveloping a defined area in their school to incorporate more communal learning spaces, or alternatively, to create a more dramatic entrance to the school. Drawing direct inspiration from a contemporary designer, they are to pitch a concept to the school executive. Each student’s visual pitch must include a combination of annotated two- and three-dimensional drawing using conventions appropriate to the Environmental Design Field. The pitch should be no more than 2 x A3 panels that gain attention, inform and depict the design and other features of the building. The drawings must be clear and use correct drawing conventions including: documenting wall types, set-out, dimensioning and using symbols to simplified Australian Standards (see
VCAA ‘Technical drawings specifications' (pdf - 5.88mb)).
Material for submission:
Written analysis focusing on features and characteristics of examples of environmental design in timed conditions and (no more than) 2 x A3 panels that gain attention, inform and depict (in two and three dimensions) the design features of the building.
Specific focus of task:
Identify, describe and discuss environmental design. Complete drawings that inform/depict environment. Understand the context of site and final drawings. Understand and work with scale and conventions for architectural drawing. Use two- and three-dimensional drawing methods that include perspective, plans and elevations, and planometric. Develop a pitch.
Environmental Design - Sample 2
Analysis Material:
Practical Task:
After examining examples of small residential and commercial structures, students make a series of visualisation drawings to design a café/hire centre for the national park. Students develop two-dimensional plans and elevations. The drawings must be clear and use correct drawing conventions including: documenting wall types, set-out, dimensioning and using symbols to simplified Australian Standards (see VCAA ‘Technical drawings specifications (pdf - 5.88mb)’). They then use appropriate three-dimensional drawing methods to depict form and space.
Material for submission:
Written analysis focusing on features and characteristics of examples of environmental design that gain attention, inform and depict (in two and three dimensions) the design features of the building.
Specific focus of task:
Identify, describe and discuss examples of environmental design. Complete drawings that inform/depict environment. Understand the context of site and final presentation. Understand and work with scale and conventions for architectural drawing. Use two- and three-dimensional drawing methods that include perspective, plans and elevations, and planometric.