Visual Communication Design is about identifying design problems and developing design based solutions to them. Designers use images, drawings and design tools to communicate ideas. Students learn how to create designs for different purposes—like advertising, architecture, and product design. The subject combines creativity with technical drawing and digital design skills.
You will learn to use design software (Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD or Figma) as well as freehand drawing techniques and technical drawing methods.
You will learn ethical research practices and data analysis techniques
You will work collaboratively to refine and resolve design ideas, collecting and providing feedback in small groups.
Unit 1: Finding, Reframing and Resolving Design Problems
In Outcome 1 you will formulate your own concept of what constitutes good design, then use these to guide an group investigation into an issue you have identified affecting people, communities or society that might be solved through good design. You will explore this issue utilising human centred research methods used by designers to identify and define a design problem. Human centred research methods include interviews, surveys, observations and case studies. Individually you will prepare a brief outlining the problem and proposing potential solutions
Outcome 2 will see you further developing your conceptions of good design and using them to develop visual language to communicate to a specified audience. This requires you to consider not just the aesthetic qualities but also the use of emotion, symbolism and context to appeal to your audience. Learn how designers manipulate people - make yourself immune to commercial manipulation.
Outcome 3 asks you to investigate how design is (and has been) shaped by the available technology, materials and methods used in its production. This outcome has you working in the field of Objects to design a 3D thing that is sustainable, using as little material as possible.
Unit 2: Design Contexts & Connections
In Outcome 1 you investigate the built environment, looking at architecture from past and current time periods and investigating why & how architectural styles have changed over time. Your task in this outcome is to design a new building that references exisiting architecture while following a set brief
Outcome 2 is a written task investigating the cultural ownership of design, and how designers work legally & ethically when using cultural knowledge, imagery and symbolism. The focus is on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but also applies universally to all traditional knowledge systems and design styles. There is also a practical component developing your own personal design iconography.
Outcome 3 is focused on the design and development of interactive experience while employing the skills and knowledge you have learnt in the previous outcomes. Primarily focused on User Interface (U.I.) designyou will be tasked with identifying a design problem, researching the issue and user needs before developing an interactive solution. Software used is Adobe XD or Figma.
Design folios, practical tasks, written analysis, and presentations
Ongoing assessment based on your design work and understanding of visual communication concepts
Any creative field, or anything involving people! Fields included in the study design are: Communication Design (Messages), Industrial Design (Objects), Architecture (Environments) & U.I./U.X. (Interactive Experiences) but you can take these skills into anything that involves communication, ideation & prototyping, messaging or collaboration.
Additionally VCD (and any folio subject) are also a great foundation for the types of assessment used at tertiary level.
Top Designs 2025: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/learning/top-designs-2025/visual-communication-design/