DETAILED COURSE CONTENT OVERVIEW

UNIT 3 DESIGN THINKING AND PRACTICE

In Unit 3 of Visual Communication Design students will engage with the process undertaken by designers, looking closely at connecting with clients, target
audiences, other designers and specialists. They will also analyse existing visual communications to learn about how the selection of certain elements
produce effective outcomes, specifically for audience and purpose. Following on from this, students will then create a brief and work closely with the
design process to develop two distinctly different needs for their client. Students will create both observational and visualization drawings, and apply
design thinking strategies. The work conducted in Unit 3 will underpin the development and refinement work in Unit 4.

AREA OF STUDY

SAC

AOS1

OUTCOME 1

Students explore a range of existing visual

Create three visual communications,

communications in the communication,

designed for different contexts, purposes

environmental and industrial design fields.

and audiences

Students analyse how design elements, design

An explanation of the connections

principles, methods, media and materials are

between each of these visual

used in visual communication in these fields

communications and existing visual

Students draw on their findings from the

communications.

analysis to inform the creation of their own visual

communication
Students apply skills to create visual communi-

SAT

- annotated visual communications

- written or oral report supported by visual
evidence.

cations for different purposes, audiences and

contexts using a range of manual and digital
methods, media and material (two and or three
dimensional presentation drawing)
AOS2

OUTCOME 2

Students investigate how the design process is

Describe how visual communications are

applied in industry to create visual communica-

designed and produced in the design

tions

industry and explain those factors that

Students develop an understanding of the

influence these practices.

processes and practices used to support

- Written report

collaboration between clients, designers and

- short and extended response

specialists

- structured questions

Contemporary Australian and international

- annotated visual report

designers should be considered for study

Students develop an understanding of the
function of the brief and approaches to its
development
Students develop an understanding of the legal
obligations of designers and clients with respect
to ownership of intellectual property and how
these obligations may affect decision making
AOS3

OUTCOME 3

Students investigate how the design process is

A brief that identifies the contexts,

applied in industry to create visual communica-

constraints, clients needs and target

tions

audience, and a folio generating ideas

Students develop an understanding of the

relevant to the brief. The development folio

processes and practices used to support

for each need will include evidence of:

collaboration between clients, designers and

- use of design process and design thinking

specialists

strategies
- annotated research for information and
inspiration

 Contemporary Australian and international

- observational and visualisation drawings

designers should be considered for study

- generation of a wide range of design ideas.

Students develop an understanding of the

function of the brief and approaches to its
development
Students develop an understanding of the legal
obligations of designers and clients with respect
to ownership of intellectual property and how
these obligations may affect decision making

UNIT 4 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION

In Unit 4 students will develop their design concepts and present two final visual communications, as per their brief from Unit 3. Students will continue to
develop and refine their concepts, whilst conducting ongoing reflection and evaluation of their design solutions. The outcome of Unit 4 is the presentation
of two visual communications, which effectively reflect their brief.

AREA OF STUDY

SAC

SAT

AOS1

OUTCOME 1

Students focus on the design process stages of

A folio of conceptual developments for

the development of concepts and refinement.

each need. The conceptual development

Students manipulate and apply design elements

folio for each need will include evidence of:

and design principles to create concepts that

- use of design process and design thinking

attract the interest of their target audience and

strategies

convey the messages, ideas and information

- application of manual and digital methods,

required to satisfy the brief.

media, materials, design elements, design

Students explore and develop expertise in a

principles, presentation formats

range of appropriate manual and digital

- development and refinement of concepts

methods, materials and media for use in the

- reasons for selection of preferred concepts

design solutions for the brief.

for each need.

Students apply design thinking techniques and

use mock-ups to test and evaluate the suitability
of each design concept.
Students apply techniques to acquire feedback
and to reflect and record the design thinking
behind their decision-making.
AOS2

OUTCOME 2

Students produce two final visual communica-

Two distinct final presentations in two

tion presentations, which are the refinements of

separate presentation formats that fulfil the

the concepts developed in Outcome 1.

communication needs of the client as

This involves selecting and applying materials,

detailed in the brief developed in Unit 3.

methods, media, design elements and design

principles
Students explore ways of presenting their final
visual communications that attract and engage
the target audiences.
AOS3

OUTCOME 3

Students devise a pitch to present and explain

Devise a pitch to present and explain their

their visual communications. Their pitch is

visual communications to an audience and

informed by an evaluation of the ways that the

evaluate the visual communications against

final visual communications meet the

the brief.

requirements of the brief and the design

decisions made throughout the design process.

- Written report

Students explain their thinking behind each

- annotated visual report

visual communication and the reasons for their

- oral presentation

selection and use of particular materials, media

and methods, design elements, design principles,
and presentation formats.
They draw on their annotations and reflections
assembled during the design process to evaluate
the effectiveness of their design solutions in
relation to the requirements of the brief.
Students consider client responses to their
pitch. They may respond to questions and offer
further clarification of their visual communication.
Sourced from http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/visualcomm/VisualCommunicationDesignSD-2013.pdf