As part of the VCD study design, you are expected to carry out a variety of research to inform your design process. This research should include:
Research for inspiration: Contemporary & historic design research.
Research for understanding: Surveys, interviews, site visits, market research.
Mood Boards - Create mood boards to show your aesthetic inspiration.
Designer Insight - Research or create a mini case study on a designer of choice & how they work. This may include reading articles, watching videos. Document this in your folio by printing and annotating the article or taking notes as you watch a video.
Media/Methods/Materials Research - Designers' aesthetics & concepts are often heavily influenced by these choices, in your research, you may create a folio page investigating how different designers approach this within your chosen field of design practice.
UNIVERSAL FOLIO DEVELOP PAGES (All Fields)
Problem-Solution Mind Map: Central problem with branching solutions, user needs, and constraints
Context Research Map: Existing solutions, competitors, market gaps, and opportunities
User Journey Mind Map: User experience flow, pain points, and interaction touchpoints
Inspiration Web: Visual connections between influences, references, and design directions
Aesthetic Mood Board: Choose one or more of the terms in your design brief that refer to aesthetics or style. Gather images, colour palettes, textures, and other components of visual language
Visual Language Research: Choose one or more of the terms in your design brief that refer to specific Design Elements, Principles, or Design Movements. Create a folio page of existing imagery using these aesthetics, or generate mixes of your own to analyse. Eg. Create colour palettes on Coolers.co, screen shot, assemble onto A4 page and annotate using PMI to assess the suitability of the palettes for your design. Reflect on the psychological impact & cultural meanings of colours, and how these align with your design brief.
Aesthetic Influence Analysis: Breakdown of 3-5 key visual references with annotations or through drawing, inspecting the key elements by picking out notable sections of the design.
Typography/Visual Language Studies: Font pairings, visual hierarchy, layout, and style exploration. See above.
QUICK, HIGH IMPACT DRAWING METHODS
Blind Contour Drawing: Focus on observation without looking at paper
One-Line Continuous Drawing: Develop fluidity and confidence
Value Study Sketches: Light, medium, dark tonal exercises
Gestural Sketches: Capture essence and movement quickly
Memory Drawing: Sketch from recall to strengthen visual memory
Line Quality Studies: Thick, thin, broken, continuous variations
Shape/Form Progression: Geometric to organic transformation exercises
Texture Technique Samples: Hatching, stippling, and rendering methods
Composition Rule Tests: Rule of thirds, balance, and focal point exercises
Contrast Studies: Light/dark, rough/smooth, large/small relationships
Word Association Sketches: Visual responses to prompt words
Combination Exercises: Merge two unrelated objects/concepts
Opposite Thinking: Design for the reverse of your brief requirements
Metaphor Sketches: Visual representations of abstract concepts
Random Stimulus Response: Use random images to spark new directions
30-Second Sketches: Rapid fire idea generation (50+ concepts per page)
Form Exploration Studies: Geometric to organic shape progression sketches
Ergonomic Consideration Sketches: Human interaction, grip, and usability studies
Scale & Proportion Studies: Size relationships and dimensional explorations
Function Breakdown Diagrams: Component analysis and mechanical considerations
Material Properties Chart: Strength, weight, cost, sustainability comparison
Texture & Finish Samples: Physical samples with application notes
Manufacturing Process Research: Production methods, tooling requirements, cost analysis
Sustainability Impact Analysis: Lifecycle assessment and environmental considerations
Joint & Connection Studies: How components fit together and assembly methods
Mechanism Sketches: Moving parts, hinges, and functional elements
Cross-Section Studies: Internal structure and component relationships
User Interaction Scenarios: How users engage with the product in context
Prototype Planning: Materials list, construction methods, testing approach
Safety & Standards Research: Relevant regulations and compliance requirements
Site Analysis: Primary PREFERRED. Context, scale, weather, space, relationships to other structures, and environmental factors
Scale Figure Studies: Human proportions in space and accessibility considerations
Circulation Flow Diagrams: Movement patterns and traffic analysis
Zoning & Function Maps: Space allocation and activity planning
Material & Texture Board: Physical samples with aesthetic properties & Influencing factors - Technology, sustainability, economic.
Colour Psychology Analysis: Emotional impact of colour choices in different spaces. Research range of environments of inspiration, annotate to reflect on impact on colours.
Sensory Experience Consideration: Mindmap adjectives that refer to the sound, smell, touch, and visual comfort factors you want in your design. Annotate with what might be included in the design to align with these ideas.
Cultural Context Research: Local traditions, customs, and design vernacular of the contextual environment.
Furniture & Equipment Studies: Gather 6-10 reference images from notable works of inspiration. Create small scale drawings and ergonomic considerations
Accessibility Compliance Check: Research universal design principles and Australian standards that may apply to your design. Print and annotate to reflect on how you might incorporate these considerations.
Structural Element Integration: List or gather imagery of required structural elements for your design. Reflect on the ways in which you might incorporate these ideas in your design. Draw or annotate. Circle or highlight your preffered concepts, identifying their strengths.
Sustainability Features: Research & print energy efficiency, natural ventilation, and green technologies used in Environments in Australia. Print research, reflect on how you might consider these aspects in your own design.
Target Audience Personas: Demographics, psychographics, and communication preferences
Message Hierarchy Diagrams: Use scaled circles, labelled, to show the primary, secondary, and supporting information structure required of the design. Eg. 'Feature Image, title, secondary image, subtitle, author, quote' for a book cover.
Communication Method Analysis: Where and how the message will be delivered. Look for existing designs in the same context. Analyse their layout, use of type & imagery. See above.
Cultural Sensitivity Research: Research potential use of language, symbols, and cultural considerations, as relevant to your design.
Competitor Analysis: Gather range of imagery examples. Annotate to reflect on how others address similar audiences. What opportunities are there for inspiration? What should you avoid?
Typography Exploration: Font personality, readability, and hierarchy studies. Consider what different font types communicate to the audience - refer to class website here.
Symbol & Icon Development: Gather examples of imagery for inspiration (Unsplash for photographic, especially if you wish to trace). Consider the aesthetic you are aiming for, refer to the images and create simple pictographic communication and universal understanding
Grid System Studies: Research Grid systems & layout structure. Find examples and analyse these by printing and labelling methods used for information organization.
Brand Voice & Tone Studies: Research existing brands and gather imagery, reflect on how they communicate specific personality traits in visual choices.
Image Style Research: Photography, illustration, and graphic treatment approaches. Gather resource imagery, reflect on how you might create your own based on research.
Format Size Comparisons: Draw up or find existing references for how design scales across different applications listed in your design brief. Consider how this will impact layout, hierarchy, and communication.
Medium-Specific Considerations: Research & consider the value of print vs digital requirements and limitations
Production Method Research: Printing processes, digital specifications, materials, and costs
Distribution Strategy Analysis: How the design reaches its intended audience, consider what will be needed for phsyical or digital mockups.
User Persona Development: Detailed profiles including goals, frustrations, and behaviors
User Journey Mapping: Step-by-step experience flow with emotions and pain points
Task Flow Diagrams: Specific actions users take to complete objectives
Touchpoint Analysis: All points of interaction between user and experience
Accessibility Considerations: Inclusive design for diverse abilities and needs
Screen Flow Wireframes: Basic layout and navigation structure sketches
Gesture & Input Studies: How users physically interact with interfaces
Feedback & Response Planning: Visual, audio, and haptic response design
Navigation Pattern Analysis: Menu systems, breadcrumbs, and wayfinding
Content Hierarchy Studies: Information architecture and priority mapping
Platform Comparison Analysis: Desktop, mobile, tablet, and emerging technology capabilities
Technical Constraint Studies: Loading times, screen sizes, and processing limitations
Sensor & Input Research: Touch, voice, motion, and biometric interaction possibilities
Cross-Platform Consistency: How experience adapts across different devices
Future Technology Considerations: AR, VR, AI, and emerging interaction methods
Low-Fidelity Prototype Sketches: Paper prototypes and basic interaction models
Interactive Element Studies: Buttons, sliders, animations, and micro-interactions
Error State Planning: What happens when things go wrong or users make mistakes
Performance Optimization: Speed, efficiency, and resource management considerations
User Testing Scenario Planning: How to validate design decisions with real users
