Communication Design Studio
Overview
This unit provides students with opportunities to identify and explore individual design interest areas that link design research and practice. The unit is structured to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of the link between design research, creative innovation and practice-based application. Studio classes provide opportunities for students to initiate, explore and expand individual areas of design interest into project opportunities. The projects will give students the scope to blend contemporary design research and advance their practice techniques. Students will be expected to demonstrate a sophisticated knowledge of type and image as well as typesetting and conventions.
Requisites
Rule
Prerequistie
300 credit points in the Design (Communication Design)
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Produce an innovative concept in response to a practice-based project brief
- Apply a range of visual solutions to a concept including the integration of a design process narrative
- Apply sophisticated type and image as well as typesetting and conventions to the visual solutions
- Justify the visual resolution reflecting on the strategy, research process, design experimentation, and iteration
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Class | 6.00 | 12 weeks | 72 |
| Specified Activities Various | 16.00 | 12 weeks | 192 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| TOTAL | 300 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Prototype | Individual | 40% | 2,3 |
| Design Tasks and Research | Individual | 30% | 1 |
| Workbook and Prototype Presentation | Individual | 30% | 4 |
Content
This unit teaches students to ground their design work in sound research and innovation processes. Topics for discussion will include:
- Communication through form, considering the traditions and 'isms' of graphic design
- The shifting nature of Communication Design in a complex media landscape
- The designer as mediating the reception of information and contemporary social experience
- Design authorship
- Design detail and refinement.
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.