Visualising Ideas

Design communication skills are primary employment requirements for all design graduates. This unit takes a
theoretical approach to skill-based content so that students may begin developing their own specific, individual
approaches to visualizing and communicating their ideas within a professional context. The focus of this unit will be on
deployment of the appropriate visual skill required to communication a concept and the manifestation of the concept
across media and over time. The intention of this unit is to develop a portfolio piece that enables students to
communicate their unique design process they apply to all projects. Throughout this unit, emphasis will be placed on
experimenting with an array of visual forms for communication purposes.

 

At the completion of this unit students should be able to:
1. Undertake self-directed investigation into the design process and individual approaches of various designers;
2. Experiment with visualizing techniques for the purpose of communication;
3. Practice the visualizing typographic forms and structures;
4. Explore notions of creativity and innovation through visual investigation and experimentation;
5. Engage with ideas as a reflective practice through workbooks and project documents;
6. Communicate their personal approach to design.

 

90 hours of structured learning, including lectures, tutorials and assessments. In addition, the units require
approximately 90 hours of self-study, projects, assignments and skills development.

Visual communication project                                         Individual               30%
Communicating ideas in the design process              Group                     30%
Design project                                                                     Individual               30%
Presenting Design strategy                                              Individual               10%

Students will receive feedback on their progress in attaining the following key generic skills:
• teamwork skills,
• analysis skills,
• problem solving skills,
• communications skills,
• ability to tackle unfamiliar problems, and
• ability to work independently.

This unit explores the image making for communication purposes. It looks at the different stages within the design
process where visualisation is required to communicate such as, ideation, generation, mapping, information (design)
systems as well as refined conceptual visual representations. It also addresses the effective use of visualisation within
design strategies in non-design fields of practice.