U4AOS1
Design process: refining and resolving design concepts

How do designers resolve design problems?

In this area of study, students reflect critically on feedback received in Unit 3, Outcome 3 as they evaluate, select and evolve design ideas into concepts for further refinement and testing. In doing so, students explore the Deliver phase of the VCD design process.

Students engage in an iterative cycle as they rework ideas, revisit research and review the client’s needs. They manipulate the design elements and principles in response to the brief and develop expertise in a range of appropriate manual and digital methods, materials and media. Development and documentation drawings, together with mock-ups, models and low-fidelity prototypes, may be used to assist with visualising, testing and resolving design concepts. During this process, students move from divergent to convergent thinking, drawing on conceptions of good design when synthesising ideas and using annotations to evaluate their potential. The refinement of design concepts for each communication need continues as two separate design processes, with students ensuring that these are distinct from one another in purpose and presentation format.

Students resolve selected design concepts and devise a pitch of one concept for each communication need to communicate their design thinking and decision making to an audience or user. Students explain the reasons for their selection and use of particular materials, media and methods, design elements and principles, and formats for presentation. They consider responses to their pitch and further refine each selected concept, in preparation for the presentation of final design solutions.

On completion of this unit the student should be able to refine and resolve distinct design concepts for each communication need, and devise and deliver a pitch to communicate concepts to an audience or users, evaluating the extent to which these meet the requirements of the brief.

RUBRICS