Top Designs is an annual exhibition at Melbourne Museum presenting work created by students who completed VCE Media, Product Design and Technology, Systems Engineering, Theatre Studies and Visual Communication Design, as well as a range of VCE VET studies including Creative and Digital Media, Engineering Studies, Furnishing, Integrated Technologies and Music (Sound Production).
- A brief description/synopsis of your Media product (less than 80 words)
- Your intention statement
- Your Media product
- Authentication Record Form
- Copyright clearance (if required)
- A brief description of your end-user (less than 30 words)
- Five images of your final product
- A single PDF with the folio pages listed below OR your full folio (if digital)
- Authentication Record Form
- Copyright clearance (if required)
Please include the following pages as a single PDF (up to 40 pages in total):
- End-user/s' profile
- Design brief
- Evaluation criteria
- Research
- Visualisations
- Design options
- Justification of the selected option
- Working drawings of final option
- Scheduled production plan
- Record of progress and modifications
- Evaluation report
- End-user/s instructions or care labels
Optional:
- Additional supporting material, e.g. videos of your product
- A brief description of your system (less than 100 words)
- Five images of your system
- Your full folio OR a single PDF with the folio pages listed below
- Authentication Record Form
- Copyright clearance (if required)
If your folio is not digital, please upload a single PDF with the following scanned pages:
- Design brief
- Evaluation criteria
- Research
- Production work plan, including equipment, components and materials list
- Risk assessment
- Diagnostic testing report
- Evaluation report
Optional:
- Additional supporting material, e.g. videos of your system
- A single PDF with the folio pages listed below
- Authentication Record Form
- Copyright clearance (if required)
Please include the following pages as a single PDF (up to 30 pages in total):
- Brief
- Research (2 to 4 pages)
- Including observational drawing that supports the generation and development of ideas
- Generation of ideas (2 to 4 pages)
- Visualisation drawings with annotations to generate ideas for Presentation 1 and 2
- Development of concepts (4 to 6 pages)
- Methods, materials and media to develop and refine concepts for Presentation 1 and 2
- Design elements and design principles to develop and refine concepts for Presentation 1 and 2
- Application of design thinking (creative, critical and reflective) for Presentation 1 and 2
- Refinement of design concepts (2 to 4 pages)
- Refinement in response to feedback from the pitch for Presentation 1 and 2
- Images of final Presentation 1 and 2
- A brief description of your work (less than 80 words)
- Your work uploaded to a Google Drive folder
- Copyright clearance (if required)
Optional:
- Additional supporting documents, e.g. development of ideas, progress images
- A brief description of your work (less than 80 words)
- Five images of your work uploaded to a Google Drive folder
- Copyright clearance (if required)
Optional:
- Additional supporting documents, e.g. planning, technical drawings, progress photos
- A brief description of your work (less than 80 words)
- Five images of your work uploaded to a Google Drive folder
- Copyright clearance (if required)
Optional:
- Additional supporting documents, e.g. planning, technical drawings, progress photos
- A brief description of your work (less than 80 words)
- Five images of your work uploaded to a Google Drive folder
- Copyright clearance (if required)
Optional:
- Additional supporting documents, e.g. plan or diagram of materials, components and circuits, progress photos, video of product working
- A brief description of your work (less than 80 words)
- Your sound production uploaded to Google Drive
- Copyright clearance (if required)
Optional:
- Additional supporting documents, e.g. pre-production planning, screenshots of the digital audio workstation (DAW) in use, photos in the recording studio
Selection process
The VCE Season of Excellence team at the VCAA organises and facilitates panels of teachers from metropolitan and regional government, Catholic and independent schools to view and shortlist Top Designs applications.
The state reviewer for each study oversees each panel, ensuring work is considered fairly and represents best practice according to curriculum.
Each application is de-identified before being presented to the panel. The VCE Season of Excellence team and other VCAA staff members have no input into which works are shortlisted.
After all the applications have been viewed and shortlisted, the selection panel meets one final time to select the final collection.
Selection criteria for selected works
Exhibits should be suitable for public exhibition and fit exhibition constraints including:
- space and weight restrictions
- suitable for display purposes in regards to fragility and power needs
- stable enough to be shown for duration of exhibition. For example, works on paper must allow mounting or framing.
Works that exceed size and weight restrictions, but otherwise fit the selection criteria, may still be considered for shortlisting and final selection. They will only be displayed if the student can supply photographs or a video of suitable quality to be displayed in the exhibition.
Works selected will need to be suitable for display using the infrastructure – technical and display furniture available from the VCAA and at the Melbourne Museum.
All studies
Works selected must:
- achieve an A+ or A on the School-assessed Task (moderated score)
- be appropriate for public exhibition
- provide evidence of copyright clearance and/or citation for all non-original material used
- be accompanied by an Authentication Record Form (VCE studies), signed by the student and their teacher
- be accompanied by a Declaration of Authenticity Form (VCE VET studies), signed by the student and their teacher
For more information on study-specific criteria:
Works are selected that:
- are accompanied by a research portfolio, production experiments and media production design
- demonstrate an understanding of all stages of the Media Production Process through development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution
- demonstrate critical and creative thinking throughout the Media Production Process
- demonstrate technical excellence in the use of Media technologies to realise the production design.
In regard to short films and multimedia, works are selected:
- to demonstrate a range of genres. For example: documentaries, fictional narratives, animations, interactive products, audio products, music videos and hybridised media products.
In regard to photography and print-layout, works are selected:
- that demonstrate a range of genres. For example: fictional narratives, and documentaries, magazines, picture books, photo books, graphic novels and online presentations
- that demonstrate innovative approaches to the presentation of the Media product with an understanding of the Media technologies available to the student, and that follow the intentions of the Production Design.
Works are selected that:
- are accompanied by an exemplary folio
- demonstrate research and thorough development of ideas
- incorporate a range of materials and creative uses of those materials
- demonstrate safe workshop practices
- demonstrate an understanding of design thinking
Works are selected that:
- are accompanied by an exemplary folio
- demonstrate research and thorough development of ideas
- incorporate a range of materials and creative uses of those materials
- demonstrate safe workshop practices
- demonstrate an understanding of the system engineering process
Works are selected that:
- demonstrate individual and creative qualities
- address the assessment criteria in innovative, individual ways
- demonstrate research and thorough development of ideas
- demonstrate significant imagination and flair
- demonstrate deep and insightful understanding of the monologue, its associated scene and the play as a whole
Works are selected that:
- are accompanied by an exemplary folio
- demonstrate a diverse range of concepts and ideas
- demonstrate exemplary skills in manual and digital production
- demonstrate an understanding of design thinking
- demonstrate significant imagination and flair
Works are selected that:
- demonstrate high quality technical skills in the process used for the production of the work
- show that user experience has been well considered
- demonstrate individual and creative qualities
- demonstrate a range of formats and content for example: websites, portfolios, games, animations
Works are selected that:
- demonstrate high quality technical skills in the process used for the production of the work
- show that student understanding of the materials selected has been well considered
- demonstrate individual and creative qualities
- demonstrate a clear understanding of engineering processes for the production of items according to the project brief
Works are selected that:
- demonstrate high quality technical skills in the process used for the production of the work
- show that student understanding of the materials selected has been well considered
- demonstrate individual and creative qualities
- demonstrate a clear understanding of furniture making processes for the production of items according to the project brief
Works are selected that:
- demonstrate high quality technical skills in the process used for the production of the work
- show that user experience has been well considered
- demonstrate individual and creative qualities
- demonstrate a range of formats and content for example: automated systems, robotic systems, smart technologies, security systems, design and develop electronic equipment
- demonstrate high quality technical skills in the process used for the production of the work
- demonstrate professionalism in the planning and realisation (project management) of the work
- demonstrate novel and/or creative application of a range of current techniques and skills
- show a level of creative maturity and artistry
Ticketing and venue information
Purchase tickets
Entry to Top Designs is free with museum entry. Students can enter Melbourne Museum for free.
Visit the Museums Victoria website for more information about museum entry, dates and education forums.
Education bookings
Visit the School visit information page on the Museums Victoria website for information about education bookings
Venue information
Top Designs is held at Melbourne Museum, located in Carlton Gardens between Rathdowne St and Nicholson St, Melbourne.
Public transport near Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is located a short walking distance from train, bus and tram services.
Parliament Railway Station
City loop train to Parliament Station.
Nicholson St trams
Tram route 86 or tram route 96 to corner of Nicholson and Gertrude Streets.
City Circle trams
Free City Circle Tram to Victoria Parade.
Rathdowne St buses
Bus routes 250, 251 and 402 to Rathdowne Street.
Bicycle
Local bicycle facilities include bike lanes on Rathdowne St and Canning St. There is also a shared pedestrian/bike path on Nicholson St. Bicycle racks on the Plaza provide ample bike parking just outside the front door.
For more information about visiting Melbourne Museum, please go to the Melbourne Museum website
Accessibility
Mobility Impairments
Melbourne Museum has wheelchair access within the museum to get around the exhibition spaces with ease. A variety of seating options within different areas of the exhibition space are available if rest is required.
Vision Impairments
Guide dogs and other registered assistance dogs are welcome at the Melbourne Museum. The Top Designs exhibition space has good lighting and object labels adhere to larger print/clearer font/colour contrast requirements.
Audio described tours will be presented in 2020. Please visit the Melbourne Museum website for bookings and further information, or call Melbourne Museum on 13 11 02.
Hearing impairments
Screen based works at Top Designs are subtitled.
For information about venue accessibility, visit the Melbourne Museum accessibility webpage.
Educational resources
Films and podcasts
VCE Theatre Studies
The following films explore the work of VCE Theatre Studies students featured in Top Designs 2018.
VCE Systems Engineering
The following films explore the work of VCE Systems Engineering students featured in Top Designs 2017.
Jimmy Trac, Top Designs 2017
Caroline Chisholm Catholic College
Water Quality Station, video starts at the beginning
Tom Algie, Top Designs 2017
Beaconhills College, Pakenham
Exoskeleton, video starts at 6 minutes
Xavier Roberts, Top Designs 2017
Templestowe College
Score Scroll, video starts at 13 minutes 36 seconds
Duration: 19 minutes 57 seconds
Kyle Postlethwaite, Top Designs 2017
Ballarat Grammar
Kynobot Welder’s Workbench
Duration: 7 minutes 27 seconds
Podcast
The following podcast explores the work of VCE Media Print student Isaac Gammon featured in Top Designs 2017.
Isaac Gammon, Top Designs 2017
Methodist Ladies’ College
Gone
Episode 18: Gone by Isaac Gammon
Duration: 6 minutes 47 seconds