Visual Communication Design Unit 3: Visual communication in design practice

Prerequisites

Visual Communication and Design Units 1 and 2 are recommended, however, students who wish to apply without having completed these should discuss this with the Head of Learning - Senior School Art and Design.

Course Description

In this unit students explore and experience the ways in which designers work, while also analysing the work that they design. Through a study of contemporary designers practising in one or more fields of design practice, students gain deep insights into the processes used to design messages, objects, environments and/or interactive experiences. They compare the contexts in which designers work, together with their relationships, responsibilities and the role of visual language when communicating and resolving design ideas. Students also identify the obligations and factors that influence the changing nature of professional design practice, while developing their own practical skills in relevant visual communication practices.

Students study not only how designers work but how their work responds to both design problems and conceptions of good design. They interrogate design examples from one or more fields of design practice, focusing their analysis on the purposes, functions and impacts of aesthetic qualities. This exposure to how, why and where designers work, what they make and the integral role of visual language in design practice provides the foundation for students’ own investigation of the VCD design process.

Students explore the Discover, Define and Develop phases of the VCD design process to address a selected design problem. In the Discover and Define phases, research methods are used to gather insights about stakeholders and a design problem, before preparing a single brief for a real or fictional client that defines two distinct communication needs. Students then embark on the Develop phase of the VCD design process, once for each communication need. They generate, test and evaluate design ideas and share these with others for critique. These design ideas are further developed in Unit 4, before refinement and resolution of design solutions.

Areas of Study

Professional design practice

What are the visual communication practices used by designers?

In this area of study, students investigate how and where designers work, identifying the role of visual communication in professional design practice. Contemporary designers working in one or more fields of design practice are selected for study. Students compare the contexts in which these designers work, their applications of a design process, and the ways in which they use visual language to communicate ideas and concepts, and present design solutions. Students explore how designers collaborate with both stakeholders and specialists to shape and resolve design problems. They also identify the impact of ethical and legal obligations, including issues of ownership and intellectual property, and the extent to which contemporary designers adopt sustainable and circular design practices. In doing so, students learn how contemporary design practices differ from those in the past and how they may change in the future, identifying the influence of technological, economic, cultural, environmental and social factors.

Design analysis

How do designers use visual language to communicate ideas and information to audiences or users?

In this area of study, students learn how visual language is used to effectively communicate ideas and information to audiences or users. Students analyse the aesthetic decisions made by designers when producing messages, objects, environments or interactive experiences. They compare two or more design examples, considering how the design elements and principles are used in combination with media, methods and materials to address perceived communication needs. Drawing on conceptions of good design, students describe, analyse and evaluate how aesthetic decisions reflect the purposes, contexts and audiences or users of the selected design examples. They also consider the influence of technological, economic, cultural, social or environmental factors on the selected design examples.

Design process: defining problems and developing ideas

How do designers apply a design process to reframe problems and develop ideas? In this area of study, students explore the Discover, Define and Develop phases of the VCD design process, and apply understandings of good design when addressing a selected design problem. Students begin the Discover phase by using divergent thinking strategies and applying ethical research methods to identify a design problem or opportunity. They 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.

Assessment

Outcomes	Assessment Tasks	Marks Allocated
	(school-assessed coursework)
Outcome 1 Compare the ways in which visual communication practices are used by contemporary designers, using research methods and practical exploration.	A comparative case study of designers in selected design field(s) presented in one of the following formats: a written report an annotated visual report · a response presented in a digital format, such as an online presentation or interactive website.	30 20
	Two practical design exercises documenting emerging skills in selected field(s) of practice.
Outcome 2 Compare and analyse design examples from selected field(s) of design practice, describing how aesthetic considerations contribute to the effective communication of information or ideas.	Any one or a combination of the following tasks: A written report. Short and extended responses. Structured questions. An annotated visual report.	50
Outcome 3 Students identify two communication needs for a client, prepare a brief and develop design ideas, while applying the VCD design process and design thinking strategies.	Apply design thinking skills to prepare a brief, undertake research and generate a range of ideas relevant to the brief.	Unit 3 Outcome 3 is assessed in conjunction with Unit 4 Outcomes 1 and 2
Total Marks		100

Overall Final Assessment

Graded Assessment	Title	Assessment	Exam Duration	Contribution to Study Score (%)
1	Units 3 & 4 Coursework	School-assessed		20
2	School-assessed Task	School-assessed		50
3	Written examination	November	1.5 hours	30

School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3 will contribute 20 per cent to the study score.