Outline

Overview

This unit of study introduces students to the principles and practices of visual communication design for non-designers. Visual communication is an essential skill in today's complex world, for effectively communicating ideas, information, perspectives and proposals to diverse audiences in a variety of contexts. Students will learn about the theories of visual perception and psychology underlying visual design principles, and strategies for the composition of visual elements to produce effective and compelling visual presentations. On the successful completion of this unit of study, students will have demonstrated knowledge and skills in the understanding and application of visual design to produce and evaluate effective visual communication materials for a range of audiences.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Design Lab
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	DAAE2009 or DECO1015 or DECO2101
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Koji Ryui, koji.ryui@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Andrew Hurle, andrew.hurle@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Evaluation of visual material Essay	25%	Week 01 Due date: 28 Jun 2020 at 23:59	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Poster Poster	25%	Week 02 Due date: 05 Jul 2020 at 23:59	250 words
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Module quizzes Online quiz	15%	Week 03 Due date: 12 Jul 2020 at 23:59	10 questions each
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Design of visual communications for presentation Presentation slides, report	35%	Week 03 Due date: 12 Jul 2020 at 23:59	10 slides, 250 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Evaluation of visual material:
This assignment aims to develop your skill in critiquing visual imagery based on theories of visual perception. For this assignment you will need to select 2 pieces of existing visual imagery: a logo AND an advertisement poster.

You will also need to write an analysis of 500 words, discussing how the perceptual apparatus of the eye and brain are being used to receive and process the communicated message; your discussion should be made from the perspective of gestalt psychology and visual perception theories and these principles should be applied in your analysis. There is no requirement to compare the two pieces of visual imagery with each other, however it is acceptable to do so if there are good grounds for comparison. You are also encouraged to research other visual communication methodologies and theories as a basis for your arguments and analysis, beyond the learning material available on Canvas.

You will need to submit a PDF document which contains on the first page the logo and a picture of the advertisement poster and on the second page, your written analysis of the two pieces, totaling 500 words.
Poster:
This assignment aims to develop your design and visual communication skills in creating a single poster design in A4 proportions (either landscape or portrait format) that explores an area of personal interest. The subject could be made for a particular purpose - for instance promoting blood donation or raising awareness of an environmental issue. Your poster will need to communicate its message using a range of graphic design principles and images that are taken by you and NOT sourced from the internet (with the exception of company logos). You may also use geometric shapes and text.

The assignment is focused on how well you can express your area of personal interest visually by using: colour, layout, typography, and the graphic design principles addressed in the online lectures. You can use any software that is available to you. The maximum image size of your submission must not be larger than one printable A4 sheet.

Please write a short explanation about how you have applied the concepts of graphic design principles such as Gestalt, colour, layout and typography in your poster. You should also include a reference to at least one of the fonts you have used and one sentence describing how you have sourced or made the imagery. For a pass mark we are expecting you to cover at least 2 of the graphic design principles you have learnt so far.
Design of visual communications for presentation:
For this assignment you will create a 10 slide presentation based on the topic of: Who Am I? The presentation needs to cover categories that describe who you are, demonstrating an effective use of visual communication strategies.

The presentation could be functional (i.e. designed as a hypothetical pitch to an employer) or it could be a more personal reflection on your character or life experiences/ambitions. It could also be a character study of a fictional self (for instance, a presentation of who you were in a previous life).

In addition to the slide presentation, you will need to write a short report that outlines your design decisions and reasoning behind the design of the overall presentation, making reference to graphic design principles, visual communication strategies, tools and techniques that have been covered in this unit of study. You are also encouraged to research other visual communication methodologies and theories as a basis for your design rationale, beyond the learning material available on Canvas. In your report you will also need to identify your target audience, and describe how you have designed the presentation for this audience.
Module quizzes: The objective is to test your knowledge and understanding of topics presented in the learning modules. A series of short online quizzes will be available on Canvas. It is advisable to attempt each quiz soon after you have worked through the related module. You only get one attempt at each quiz. There are 8 quizzes for a total of 15% of the final mark (each quiz is worth the same). Each quiz comprises of 10 questions.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows significant innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or exceptional skill.
Distinction	75 - 84	Work of excellent quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or superior skill.
Credit	65 - 74	Work of good quality, demonstrating more than satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed, or work of excellent quality for a majority of the learning outcomes assessed.
Pass	50 - 64	Work demonstrating satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Module 1: Anatomy of the eye	Lecture (1 hr)
	Work on assessment 1 research	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Module 2: Colour perception	Lecture (1 hr)
	1. Visit the library’s iResearch online module and complete; 2.Choose an existing illusion and write a 100-word paragraph	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Module 3: gestalt theory	Lecture (1 hr)
	Work on asssessment 1 – analyse and evaluate selection of visual material	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Module 4: Colour theory	Lecture (1 hr)
	Work on assessment 2 – design of a poster	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Module 5: Typography	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial 2 on Microsoft PowerPoint	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Module 6: Layout	Lecture (1 hr)
	Work on assessment 2 – design of a poster	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Module 7: Principles of graphic design	Lecture (1 hr)
	Work on assessment 2 – design of a poster	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Tutorial 3 on Prezi	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Work on assessment 3 - design of visual communication for presentation purposes	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Module 8: Visual communication strategies	Lecture (1 hr)
	Tutorial 3 on Prezi work on assessment 3 - design of visual communication for presentation purposes	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Work on assessment 3 - design of visual communication for presentation purposes	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Complete the set of quizzes (assessment 4)	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Referencing guidelines: Please ensure you are using the correct format for citing and referencing of your sources - APA style
is required for assignments.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please refer to Canvas

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. explain the basic concepts of visual perception and gestalt psychology underpinning visual design principles
LO2. analyse and evaluate the communicative power of visual material
LO3. design visual materials following visual design principles
LO4. apply visual communication strategies for effective presentation to specific audiences.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Revision in progress

Additional information

The unit may be adjusted for each session. Please refer to information and materials provided on Canvas for any changes and updates.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

DAAE2011: Intro to Visual Communication Design

Intensive July, 2020 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect