CHAPTER 1

Introduction to
Design and Visual
Communication

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

The Purpose of This Book

The purpose of this book is to provide students
and teachers with a comprehensive, yet
succinct, guide to develop the required skills
and knowledge base that will enable success in
an NCEA Design and Visual Communication

(DVC) course. This book can be used as a

stand-alone classroom textbook suitable
for students in Years 9 and 10. A student
studying by correspondence or being
home-schooled will easily be able to follow
the clear explanations and the step-by-step
guides to creating effective drawings.
Each DVC technique is explained to
show how it increases a students ability to
engage in Graphics Practice. The purpose of
the specified communication is explained,
followed by an explanation of the key idea.
From there, the basic building blocks are
explored.
Each chapter focuses on a key idea,
showing how to learn the technique,
followed by some basic activities to reinforce
the concept. Tasks help the students further
embed their understanding.
Year 10 students can recap what they
learned in Year 9, then use the extension
work activities to deepen their knowledge
and consolidate their skills.

Graphics Practice

To the Teacher

The drawing exercises in this book are

separated into the following task levels (the
curriculum level will be indicated in blue):

Exploration
These introductory exercises will allow
you to understand the key ideas that
underpin each new technique.
New learning for Year 9, or revision for
Year 10.

Reinforcement
Completing these exercises will ensure
you fully understand the concept.
Extension for Year 9, or revision for
Year 10.

Visual Communication Skills

Extension
Design

Year 9

This diagram shows how, as students

progress through Years 913, their
programme of work will initially start
with an emphasis on developing Visual
Communication skills and end at the point
where, in Year 13, their work will be centred
entirely on design briefs. Nonetheless, it
is important that Year 9 students are given
some exposure to developing a brief in
Graphics Practice, because that is the
practical application of skills learned in
Design and Visual Communication.

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

These exercises add complexity for

Year 10 students.

Year 13

Design, Graphics and Visual Communication for New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Assessment
When you have completed the
Exploration, Reinforcement and
Extension Tasks, you will be ready
for the formal Assessment Tasks.
Your Assessment Task will be graded
against the assessment criteria
contained at the end of the chapter.

The exercises in this book are designed to

build your skills so that you can tackle more
complex tasks; it is only through practice
that you will achieve this goal. The exercises
are designed to challenge you. If you find it
hard, then you are learning.
Twilight
Panic
Stretch

To the Student

Comfort

The purpose of this book is to enable you

to develop greater graphical literacy. To
do that you must practise, because it is
only by practising that you will improve.
The exercises in this book are designed to
reinforce your learning through practice.
Graphics Practice involves using
DVC skills to convey information. That
information is often provided to a third party
that is, the person who draws the drawing
is not present when the person receives the
drawing and so the drawing must be clear,
concise and unambiguous. Consequently,
although you can develop some skills
by copying drawings from a book, the
important and underlying skill is in being
able to convert a drawing from one drawing
system to another. For this reason there are
no exercises in this book that require you to
just copy; that is what a photocopier is for.
Furthermore, there is no point in copying
the drawing from a classmate in the hope of
satisfying your teacher. Your teacher already
knows the answer. Some of the exercises in
this book may only require you to translate
a freehand drawing into an instrumental
drawing, whereas others may require you to
change a two-dimensional (2D) drawing into
a three-dimensional (3D) drawing.

The Learning Zone

The Zones

This diagram reinforces the idea that unless

you are stretching yourself you are not
learning. Yes, it can be hard, and yes, you do
need to persevere to find the answer, and
yes, by doing this you are learning.
At first, the drawings may appear a little
simplistic. However, it is important that
you master quality before you move on to
complexity. As you improve the quality of
your drawings, you can tackle more complex
drawings. In the same way, as you gain
experience in applying visual communication
skills and develop an understanding of the
principles of design, you will be able to
undertake more complex design briefs.
Many of the exercises in this book can
be developed by using Frbel blocks, which
are discussed further on in this introduction.
Once you have mastered these exercises
you will be ready to design sports cars, cafs
and skyscrapers.

Introduction to Design and Visual Communication

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Literacy

Consuming and Producing Media

Design and Visual Communication language

requires a high level of literacy. Design,
by its very nature, is rich in language.
Furthermore, it uses specialist language and
words that have specific meaning to the
industry. You will need to become fluent in
the language of design. To help you build
a design vocabulary, we have included
green textboxes that explain the meaning of
specialist terms.

Almost all of us use social media and

consume media, from advertising, to
billboards, through to pedestrian crossings.
The reason television is such a successful
form of media is because it uses sight,
sound and motion; it appeals to a range of
our senses. Increasing our understanding
of how media can be used makes us betterinformed consumers of media, and therefore
better producers of media products.

Every product and place has a name,

and every part of a product or place has a
name. The advancement of technological
ability could not have developed without a
matching increase in vocabulary. Every part
on Captain Cooks ship Endeavour had a
name as did every part on its namesake,
the space shuttle Endeavour, 200 years later.

To develop competency in the use of

media and design, we must master all forms
of communication.

The space shuttle Endeavour had more

than 2.5 million parts. Each one was
designed and drawn.

Design and Visual Communication is more

than just learning content; it involves taking
one or more concepts, and interpreting and
applying it/them in new ways. For example,
you can learn about the Victorian design era
and then apply your drawing skills to create
product and spatial designs for the fictitious
Steampunk design era.

Communication is More Than WORDS

Write: You must be able to add notes to
your drawings. You must also be able write
briefs and specifications. Writing about
design and design history is also desirable.
Observe (listen): Observe others using
products, and observe others designing
and drawing. Listening to a clients needs as
well as listening to your teachers and peers
ideas are valuable learning opportunities.
Read/Research: Reading and researching
ideas, specifications, techniques and the
opinions of others offers a rich and diverse
source of design information.
Draw: Drawing allows you to communicate
and develop your thoughts and ideas.
Speak: Speaking is powerful in persuading
others about the viability of your ideas.
Being able to speak clearly about your
designs allows you to externalise and refine
your thinking. It is also a test to find out
whether you have fully processed your ideas.

Design, Graphics and Visual Communication for New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Frbel Blocks
Friedrich Frbel was a German educator
who was instrumental in establishing some
of the ideas underpinning modern
education, where children were seen as
individuals with their own
learning needs. He coined
the word kindergarten,
meaning childrens garden.
Frbel also invented
Frbels gifts; these were
wooden blocks in a range of
geometric shapes that
encouraged children to be
creative and to begin to
comprehend geometric
concepts as well as spatial
awareness. Frbel blocks
Friedrich Frbel, will be used extensively
21 April 1782
21 June 1852 for the drawing exercises in
this book.

The maple-wood blocks ...

are in my fingers to this day.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois, USA, designed

by Frank Lloyd Wright

The architects Frank Lloyd Wright and

Buckminster Fuller both credit being given
these blocks to play with in their childhood
as having a strong influence on their lives.

Frbel blocks were the design inspiration

for the Unity Temple

Frbel blocks

Introduction to Design and Visual Communication

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Frank Lloyd Wright

All fine architectural
values are human
values, else not
valuable.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867

1959) was an American
architect, interior designer,
writer and educator.
Wrights mother, who was
a teacher, gave Frank a
set of Frbel blocks for
his ninth birthday thus
beginning his fascination
with geometric shapes.

Wright first worked for Louis Sullivan,

who was a great influence on him. Sullivan
is considered the father of the modern
skyscraper. Working in the Art Nouveau
style, Sullivan is famous for saying form
follows function.
In turn, Wright believed in designing
buildings that were in harmony with the
environment. He believed that a house
should not be on the hill but of the hill. An
example of this organic style is Fallingwater,
a home that Wright designed in 1935. This
mountain retreat has a waterfall running
underneath it, and the rock foundation can
be seen inside the house in its natural state.
Fallingwater, described as Americas most
important building, is now a museum.
Wright also designed the interior decoration
and the furniture for some of his house
designs so that everything was in harmony.
When Wright visited clients in one of his
houses, he would even put furniture back in
its correct place if they had moved it!

Fallingwater, designed by
Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935

All architects evolve their ideas over time

from their own experience and the influence
of others. Wrights earlier buildings were
typically box-like. However, the Guggenheim
Museum in New York one of the last
buildings Wright
designed was
based almost
entirely on curves.
Its curved design
has influenced the
work of architects
Frank Gehry and
Zaha Hadid.
Guggenheim Museum,
New York

Design, Graphics and Visual Communication for New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Wright was a colourful character who

was not prepared to follow the social
conventions of the time he married three
times and had eight children. There have
been a large number of books written about
Wright and his buildings; Wright wrote at
least 20 himself. Two novels have also been
written about Wright and his tumultuous life.
His own house, Taliesin, was burned down in
1914 by one of his servants, and was struck
by fire a second time in 1925.
In 1991 the American Institute of
Architects recognised Wright as the
greatest American architect of all time.
(This biography of Frank Lloyd Wright
is an exemplar of how you might present
your research assignment on a designer in
Chapter 4.)
Whats in a Name?
Frank Lloyd Wright was born Frank
Lincoln Wright. It would seem more than
a coincidence that a number of famous
architects have changed their names.
Possibly this could be because they realise
how important their image is, and possibly
its also a sign of their preoccupation with
getting every small detail in harmony.
How would you change your name to
sound more like a designer?

Design
You can design your own Frank Lloyd
Wright House and learn more about
architecture by visiting www.cambridge.
edu.au/DGVCNZweblinks.

The Design and Visual Communication

Curriculum
Design and Visual Communication (DVC)
in the New Zealand Curriculum is about
product and spatial design pure and
simple. Well, not that simple, as after all this
is about design, and design is a complex
subject because it involves the intersecting
and competing elements of time, money,
resources, fashion and ever-complex human
nature. The human element means that
design is influenced by society, politics and
enigmatic human emotions.

Historical Perspective
As designers and technologists we know
that what we have now is the result of
competition in the past. An illustration of
this point is the battle waged between the
Betamax and VHS video formats, with the
former, superior, technology missing out
to the universal and now obsolete VHS
platform. Another example you can research
is why fridges are run on electricity and
therefore hum, when gas would be a better,
more silent option.
Technical Drawing was introduced
into the New Zealand Curriculum in the
early 1970s because of a shortage of
draughtsmen at the time. This was a time
that saw large-scale infrastructure being
built all over New Zealand, much of it by
the Ministry of Works. At this time every
construction site would have had a drawing
office on-site. Furthermore, people learned
their trade on-the-job as cadets. Every
building component was drawn up to
exacting standards.

Introduction to Design and Visual Communication

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

In the late 1980s it was recognised that

technical drawing was only one narrow
aspect of graphic communication. So
under the banner of Graphics design,
freehand drawing, and media design were
included in the curriculum. Graphics covered
the use of symbols, and the presenting of
statistics, maps and explanatory diagrams,
and was an independent subject with a
three-hour external end-of-year exam.
Today, DVC is a subset of the learning
area of Technology. Recognising the
differences between Technology and DVC
gives the learner a deeper appreciation of
each discipline.

Design from a Technology or a Design and

Visual Communication Perspective
Simplistically, Technology is about designing
and making products that can be realised
now. Fit-for-purpose is a key factor. Design
and Visual Communication is about
designing products that could be realised
in the future; the focus is on generating
conceptual ideas.
Product and spatial designs are
conceptual designs, whereas media design
is often a realised product. Media design
includes calendars, posters, magazines and
web pages. Therefore, media design fits
within the Technology curriculum because
the final product is driven by the client and
stakeholders. However, when a student
completes a design, the presentation of that
design is an important aspect of the process.
In presenting a design, the designer draws
heavily on the area of media design to
ensure the message is clear. Considerations
will include choice of font, layout, use of
white space, and media selection (the types

of drawing tools; for example, coloured

pencils or marker pens).
Design and Visual Communication is all
three-dimensional (3D) design product
and spatial design. However, it uses twodimensional (2D) drawing techniques to
explain the 3D designs.
Design and Visual Communication
Design and Visual Communication is where
students can develop their creativity, learn about
the practice of designing (initiating and developing
ideas), make qualitative judgements (informed
decisions on aesthetic and functional aspects of
design) and develop a range of drawing (visual
communication) skills.

Design
Students gain
knowledge of design
and designing.
Designing combines
different considerations
of design elements and
thought processes to
initiate and develop
ideas.

Visual Communication
Students develop a
visual literacy, enabling
the communication and
presentation of design
ideas.

Graphics Practice
Students integrate and creatively apply
design knowledge and visual communication
in response to a brief.

Product Design
(Transport, furniture,
fashion, craft, jewellery,
packaging)

Spatial Design
(Architecture, interior
design, or landscape
architecture)

A visual representation of the

Design and Visual Communication curriculum
(adapted from the NZQA learning guide)

Design, Graphics and Visual Communication for New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Design and Visual Communication

Design and Visual Communication
encapsulates the skills and knowledge
needed for Graphics Practice to occur.
Graphics Practice is what designers do.
Although designers in different fields have
their own specialist knowledge, they have a
lot in common.
Designers draw on their knowledge of
design history, of design processes, and of
codes and conventions. They then use their
knowledge about the variety of drawing
methods available to select those which
best meet their communication needs, and
then apply their drawing skills to complete a
design that can be presented to the client.

Design
Design is the pursuit of solving problems.
The late Steve Jobs and his Apple empire
have built an industry around solving
problems we didnt even know we had!
If you observe someone completing a task,
you can draw up a list of possible problems
to solve. If, for example, you observe
someone making a cup of coffee, your list
may include the following: Why are all the
ingredients kept in different places? Why do
we boil enough water for eight cups when
we are making only one cup? How can the
ingredients be kept fresh? How many steps
are involved, and can they be reduced?
Good designers will have an
understanding of the history of design, and
the tension between form and function,
between decoration and simplicity, between
litism and mass production, and between
consumerism and sustainability. Designers
also need to understand the connection
between the current economic climate and

fashion. Flashy design may not sell during a

recession, for example.
Design processes are the methods
designers use to ensure the solution meets
all of the stakeholders requirements. These
processes include brainstorming, Gantt
charts, focus groups, surveys and modelling.
However, the design process is only a method
to generate and develop design ideas.
Design drawing visualises the thinking
process by using the building blocks of
point, line, shape, tone, texture and colour
to express ideas about the aesthetic and
functional aspects of a design.

Visual Communication
Visual Communication skills are the
arsenal of tools a designer can draw on to
reinforce and support the intention of their
communication.

Modes and Media

Modes are the types of drawing systems
that are in common use; they include all the
varieties of 2D and 3D drawing. The media
a designer can use include coloured pencils
and marker pens, for example.
It is important to note the distinction
between Art and DVC. While both use the
same modes and media, the purpose of
the drawing differs. Art is about the artists
feelings, whereas the designers drawings
are about ideas. The artist will often draw
existing scenes and artefacts, whereas a
designer will draw objects that they wish
were real. Artists are internally driven by
their need to speak to others, whereas
designers are externally driven by the need
to understand other peoples needs.

Introduction to Design and Visual Communication

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

If an artwork is shown to 100 different

people, then most likely there will be
100 different ideas and opinions about
the work. If a designer emails their work
to 100 different manufacturers, then, if
effectively communicated, they will receive
100 identical products. In short, everyone
gets the same message, which is why the
traffic Stop sign is a model of excellent
graphic design.

STOP!
The Stop sign is an example of a visual
communication where each element of the
graphic devices that have been used
combines to reinforce the same message.
Location: The sign is placed at intersections
where the driver is looking for instructions.
Colour: Red is used to signify importance
and danger.
Written words: The message is spelt out in
plain language.
Capitals: Bold upper-case lettering has
been used to shout the importance of the
instruction.
Sans-serif font: The font is
bold, clear and contains no
distractions.
Shape: The octagonal
shape is different from
other road-sign shapes
because you must follow
this instruction.

Graphics Practice
Designers are experts in their field. They are
problem-solvers, researchers and critical
thinkers. The designer Philippe Starck has
designed a diverse range of products,
ranging from the Alessi lemon squeezer to

10

the Virgin Galactic

spaceport in New Mexico.
A designer need not be
an expert in the field they
are designing for.
The designer is, however,
an expert in asking
the right questions to
ensure the product will
be fit-for-purpose and the
client brief is satisfied.

Juicy Salif lemon

squeezer designed for
Alessi by Philippe Starck

Graphics Practice is
what designers do. Architects, engineers,
product designers, fashion designers, and
typographers all combine their specialist
knowledge with their knowledge of design.

Careers
Design and Visual Communication provides
pathways to employment and further
learning. However, the skills you learn in
DVC are skills you can also apply to your
other subjects. When you create anything
whether it is a design for a multi-storey
building or an English essay you are selling
your idea, and presentation is an important
aspect of this process, as it can make the
difference between success and failure.
Even if you are not considering a
career in the creative industries, we are all
consumers of media and should have a
basic understanding of how media work.
For example, as a consumer you may want
to build a house, in which case being able
to read the architects and builders plans
is essential if you are to make sure you are
getting what you want. We all purchase
products, so an awareness of the process of
design and what makes for good design are
essential life skills.

Design, Graphics and Visual Communication for New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Career Opportunities
NCEA level
qualication
required for entry

Qualication
Media design
you will gain
(print and
on graduation interactive)

Product design

Spatial design

Level 1

Certificates
and diplomas

Film editor
Website developer
Animator
Cartoonist
Illustrator
Photographer
Radio industry
worker
Screen printer
Television industry
worker

Manufacturing-process
worker
Dressmaker
Floral designer
Hat maker
Joiner
Furniture maker
Tailor
Clothing designer
Upholsterer
Weaver

Builder
Landscape
gardener
Interior decorator

Levels 23

Degrees and
diplomas

Electronics
technician
Film industry worker
Game designer
Information
designer
Systems designer
Website designer

Aeronautical designer
Boat designer
Costume designer
Electronics designer
Engineer
Furniture designer
Kitchen designer
Lighting designer
Surveyor
Textile designer
Industrial designer
Graphic designer
Map maker
Marketer
Advertising art director
Teacher
Yacht designer

Landscape
architect
Architectural
draughtsperson
Civil engineer
Interior designer
Urban designer
Urban landscape
designer
Exhibition
designer

Level 3

Postgraduate

Tertiary lecturer

Product designer
Biomedical designer
Tertiary lecturer

Architect
Tertiary lecturer

Exploration Task 1.1: Employment opportunities (CL 3)

Learn the skills of presentation in Chapter 3 and gain an understanding of the
design elements in Chapter 4, then produce a media product to promote one of the
employment opportunities that DVC can lead to.
Possible media products: A4 or A3 poster, web page, PowerPoint presentation,
pamphlet, YouTube video, game application, ebook and blog.

Introduction to Design and Visual Communication 11

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

12

Design, Graphics and Visual Communication for New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-107-61205-1
Terry Beech 2013
Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.

Cambridge University Press

Visual Communication
refers to the effective
communication and
presentation of design
ideas using modelling
and graphic design
techniques.

Knowledge of Design
Practice includes
understanding that
designers identify the
qualities and potential
of design ideas in terms
of the principles of
design, and that they are
influenced by societal,
environmental, historical
and technological factors.

Graphics Practice refers

to the creative application
of drawing and design
knowledge and
techniques to develop
conceptual outcomes that
address a brief, or to a
technological outcome of
a graphical nature.

Visual
Communication

Knowledge of
Design Practice

Graphics
Practice

Strand

Students will:
explore design
ideas, applying visual
communication and
design techniques and
knowledge, supported
by judgements, leading
to an outcome in
response to a brief.

Students will:
gain knowledge of
design principles and
processes and influential
designers.

Students will:
gain knowledge and
skills in fundamental
visual communication
techniques and graphic
design principles.

Students can:
explore design ideas by
considering possible alternatives
understand the principles of
aesthetics and function, and
design judgements
communicate design ideas
visually in accordance with the
context specified in the design
brief
explore design ideas to identify
opportunities and constraints for
refining a product and/or spatial
design
use presentation techniques to
present visual information.

Students can:
select and research an
influential designer
gain knowledge of aesthetic
and functional characteristics.

Students can:
create 2D and 3D freehand
sketches that show design
features that convey the intent
of the design ideas
draw instrumental 2D drawings
that show information about
features of a design (two views)
produce paraline drawings that
show information about design
features
learn rendering techniques
that communicate shape and
surface qualities, enhancing the
realistic representation of design
qualities to an audience
develop presentation skills to
present work to an audience.

Students will:
initiate and explore
design ideas by applying
visual communication
and design techniques
and knowledge
use qualitative
judgements, leading to
an outcome in response
to a brief.

Students will:
gain knowledge
related to the specialist
design fields, and an
understanding of design
history.

Students will:
gain knowledge and
skills and comprehend
visual communication
techniques and graphic
design principles.

Learning objective

Students can:
explore and refine design ideas that
draw on design knowledge
make design judgements on the
positive and/or negative aspects of
aesthetic and functional features
convincingly communicate design
ideas visually in accordance with the
context specified in the design brief
clarify design ideas through an
iterative refinement process that
draws on specialist product and/or
spatial design knowledge
use presentation techniques, and
the application of compositional
principles, to present visual
information.

Students can:
identify and explain the aesthetic
and functional characteristics of
their chosen influential designer
show understanding that design
does not develop in a vacuum; it
is affected by the circumstances of
the society in which it exists and
serves (e.g., Bauhaus responding
to the need for industrial growth
after World War I), and that the
social, economic and political
environment has a significant impact
on establishing and evolving design
movements.

Students can:
communicate their design ideas
using techniques that explore both
aesthetic and functional details of
a design; apply techniques such as
sketching, modelling, rendering,
collage, overlays and digital media
produce a set of instrumental
or computer-related 2D working
drawings showing technical details
that indicate shape and form (three
views)
produce paraline drawings that
show information about advanced
design features (circles and angles)
present visual information that
includes consideration of the
design context (e.g., spatial design,
product, landscape).

Indicators

Curriculum Level 4 (Years 910)

Learning objective

Indicators

Curriculum Level 3 (Year 9)

Students will:
initiate and explore
design ideas by
applying qualitative and
quantitative judgements
with specialist visual
communication and
design techniques and
knowledge, leading to
an outcome in response
to a brief.

Students will:
gain knowledge of
approaches to design
in practice, and an
understanding of
the nature of design
thinking.

Students will:
gain knowledge and
skills by applying
visual communication
techniques and graphic
design principles.

Learning objective

Students can:
explore and refine design ideas that
draw on spatial and product design
knowledge
make design judgements on the
positive and/or negative aspects of
aesthetic and functional features of
the design in response to the brief
clarify design ideas through an
iterative refinement process that
draws on specialist product and/or
spatial design knowledge
apply presentation techniques, and
the application of compositional
principles, modes and media, to
effectively present visual information
to an audience.

Students can:
gain knowledge of the aesthetic and
functional characteristics of a chosen
design era
describe social factors, such as
cultural, historical, societal and
technological factors that influenced
the design era
apply the identified design
characteristics into their own designs
undertake research to select
appropriate presentation formats and
techniques.

Students can:
communicate their design ideas using
techniques that explore and refine
both aesthetic and functional details
of a design; apply techniques such
as sketching, modelling, rendering,
collage, overlays and digital media
produce a set of instrumental
or computer-related 2D working
drawings showing technical details
that indicate shape and form using
sectional and auxiliary views
use rendering techniques to
communicate the form of design ideas
convert between paraline drawing
systems that show information about
advanced design features (circles and
angles)
select graphic modes and media,
and apply compositional principles
(e.g., proximity, alignment, hierarchy,
positive and negative space)
appropriately present visual
information with consideration of
the design and presentation context
(location, audience).

Indicators

Curriculum Level 5 (Year 10)

Design and Visual Communication focuses on understanding and applying drawing techniques and design practice to communicate design ideas. Students enhance their ability to conceptualise, develop, and communicate design ideas and potential
outcomes, and their skill to interpret graphical information. Note: Although the learning objectives describe knowledge, comprehension and application, students will be required to as is the nature of design analyse, evaluate, and be creative.

Design and Visual Communication Indicators of Progression

Indicators of progression can be used to identify the curriculum level that students have attained. This information can be used for reporting to
parents and/or identifying the next learning steps. Please note that this table is the authors opinion on what it should look like.

Indicators of Progression