Design and visual communication L7 AS91342 (2.35) – Develop a product design through graphics practice

Key messages for design and visual communication achievement standards

Key messages for teachers

• At level 7, students need to develop a product design through graphics practice.
• The focus of this standard is on the quality of the design ideas. There are some links between the quality of the visual communication and well-considered design ideas. There should be a balance between functional and physical features of the design explored, to ensure the intent of the standard is met.
• Product design is the design of objects and artefacts and may relate to: fashion, packaging, media products, consumer products and engineered products.
  • design tools used for the development of product design ideas (for example, market research, anthropometrics, ergonomes, mock-ups, and models)
  • technical knowledge of materials, joining, fitting, assembly, finish, fasteners, sustainability and environmental considerations
  • product visual communication techniques and approaches (for example, product design drawings and rendering, prototypes, models, and animation).
• Graphics practice involves expressing a visual literacy through the development of a design idea by applying design and visual communication techniques and knowledge.
• Design judgments are supported by qualitative and/or quantitative data through research. Design judgments are decisions made, or opinions expressed, and may reflect a designer’s perspectives, values, tastes, or views.
• Student evidence presented for assessment against this achievement standard may be generated using traditional media approaches or computer applications.
• For achieved, students need to develop a product design through graphics practice. Students need to explore and refine ideas that draw on product design knowledge and make design judgments on the positive and/or negative aspects of aesthetics and functional features of the design in response to a brief.
• For merit, a student needs to clearly develop a product design through graphics practice. This involves reviewing and refining design ideas that incorporate product design knowledge and making judgments on relevant features of the design, in response to the brief, that inform the progression of design ideas.
• For excellence, a student needs to effectively develop a product design through graphics practice. This involves reviewing and refining well-considered design ideas that integrate product design knowledge throughout the development.
• Summary of moderators newsletter dated June 2013
  • The student work/student evidence must show design development and progression of design ideas.
  • The focus of this standard is the development of design ideas and the access and use of product design knowledge. Design development at this level is expected to show the design ideas progressing in terms of both functional and aesthetic detail.
  • Students should use design tools, technical knowledge, and visual communication techniques and approaches throughout the development. The design development should be informed by quantitative and/or qualitative data gained through research. This would imply that the development needs to show clear links to any initial research and/or on-going research is embedded in the design development. Explanatory note 4 is a guide only, however it does determine some of the key aspects of design knowledge expected to be drawn upon, incorporated or integrated in the development of ideas.
• Product design knowledge may include but is not limited to: how it functions, possible materials, possible construction techniques, how parts fit together, internal components, how things open/close, relationship between materials properties and use, relationship between human factors and product, relationship between size and user group, consideration of sustainability/lifecycle, relationship between materials and aesthetics, aesthetic considerations such as style, colour, form.
• Students should be encouraged to explore existing products to identify possible functional and physical attributes their product should/could have.
• Teach students drawing methods that support the communication of product designs, such as isometric, oblique, orthographic, two point perspective.
• Ensure students develop a range of initial design ideas, and don’t get fixated on one idea.
• Encourage students to use ongoing research to inform their design work at the different stages of design.
• Encourage students to apply a process of analysis and evaluation to select ideas to take forward or disregard to show discernment.
• Support students to annotate their design sketches to support communicating their design thinking in a way that does not take away from their sketches/drawings.
• Ensure students develop design ideas considering both the aesthetic and functional elements.
• Encourage students to progress their design ideas in detail to communicate details such as construction and internal components.
• Support students to consider how best to visually communicate their ideas at each stage of the process.
• Provide literacy resources to support students with design language including terms and sentence starters.
• Support students to consider how they will present their ideas and how they will organise their work to show their flow of thought/design development.
• Support students to use graphic techniques to show choices using hierarchy techniques.
• Ensure students have a clear understanding of the brief context and all its associated environmental considerations (such as, human interface, ergonomics, physical environment durability) so that design ideas are responsive of these conditions.

Resources to support student achievement

• Achievement standard
• Clarifications document
• Conditions of assessment and assessment resources
• Exemplars

Other resources

• Glossary

Last updated March 13, 2024

TOP