PLANNING & IDEAS GENERATIONWeeks 6 - 9: The final section of the design cycle

Session Aims:

1. To explore the ideas and production section of the design cycle and how unit criteria is of utmost importance.

2. To discuss individual development with tutor and formulate plans and tasks to progress based on assignment content and unit criteria.

3. To develop individual assignment work at various stages of the process, sharing work with peers for critique.

4. To show your understanding of research techniques, visual language, contextual references, and materials & processes, and how these link to the assignment process.

5. To carry out further ideas generation through experimental research, planning and exploration of ideas, based on findings from research activities, assignment intentions, and individual ideas.

Where we are now:• Experimental research should reflect

research

• Ideas development should reflect research & experimental research

• Planning should be initially done on paper and explored widely. It should be the result of both types of research and ideas development

• Production should show all the development of ideas on paper and as screen prints showing tools and techniques used.

• Final designs should show refinements made after peer feedback etc.

• Overall evaluation should be substantial and a journal of reflection should be kept from now until completion.

1. Brief analysis

2. Research

3. Experimental

research

4. Ideas development

5. Planning

6. Production

7. Final design

8. Evaluation

The Design Cycle

Achieving Unit 1: Visual Language

• This can be achieved by experimenting with page layout, the formal elements, imagery, text and principles in your assignment and comparing and discussing your findings.

1.1 Critically compare, through experimental application, the

characteristics of a wide range of visual language elements.

• This can be achieved by experimenting with page layout, the formal elements, imagery, text and principles, and selecting appropriate findings to use in your own work.

2.1 Apply visual language, across a range of contexts, to influence

appearance and meaning in art and design.

• This can be achieved by analyzing the work of others as well as your own experimental and developmental work, and making clear links between the two.

2.2 Critically compare the use of visual language, across a range of contexts, to influence appearance

and meaning in art and design.

Achieving Unit 2: Research tools & Techniques:

• Select and compare a range of different research tools, methods and skills and provide examples and advantages/disadvantages of each.

1.1 Critically compare a range of research tools, methods and skills.

• Explain the difference between primary and secondary research sources and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

2.1 Critically compare a range of primary and secondary research sources.

• Use research tools, both primary and secondary to select, analyse and interpret information, then use your findings to support the development of your work.

3.1 Apply research tools, methods and skills to record and interpret information and develop ideas for creative activities.

• Evaluate your use of research tools, both primary and secondary, discussing how they have supported the development of your work and helped you to achieve the outcomes you have created.

3.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of research tools, methods and skills to develop ideas

for creative activities.

Achieving Unit 3: Critical and Contextual Awareness

•Compare the different periods and graphic design styles within your timeline. Discuss the work and influence of designers that fit the timeline periods and styles.

1.1 Critically compare a range of critical perspectives that influence the analysis of art and

design.

•Apply your findings to your developmental and final design work to support their development. Make clear links between the two via evaluation and reflection.

1.2 Apply knowledge of critical perspectives to the analysis of a range of art and design activities.

•Apply your findings to your developmental and final design work to support their development. Make clear links between the two via evaluation and reflection.

1.3 Apply knowledge and understanding of a range of critical perspectives to support own art and

design practice.

•Compare the different periods and graphic design styles within your timeline. Discuss the work and influence of designers that fit the timeline periods and styles.

2.1 Critically compare a range of contexts within which art and design is positioned.

•Apply your findings to your developmental and final design work to support their development. Make clear links between the two via evaluation and reflection.

2.2 Apply an understanding of a range of contextual parameters to support own creative development.

Achieving Unit 4: Materials, Processes and Technical Skills

• Experiment with digital and traditional techniques and materials. Reflect on, evaluate, and compare the different tools, techniques and materials you use.

1.1 Critically compare a range of materials and processes used in art and design

through experimental application.

• Use your findings to support the development of your work and make clear links between your research, experiments, and ideas.

1.2 Apply understanding of materials and processes to support own art and design

activities.

• Apply understanding of technical skills such as Photoshop and traditional art and design skills in your work, and link to research and experiments.

1.3 Apply understanding of technical skills to support own art and design activities.

• Discuss and evaluate the different technical skills, processes and materials you have used throughout the development of your work, reflect on the work of others and your experimental work.

1.4 Evaluate the use of materials, processes and technical skills to support

art and design activities.

Assignment Success:

• What page layout will you use?

• What grids and composition will you use – RoT or Modular, Golden ratio?

• How you will use the formal elements – line, shape, space, texture, colour?

• How will you use Hierarchy, Visual direction, Balance , and other principles to aid in the successful production of your work?

• How will you use photography and imagery?

• How will you use text and typography?

• What skills and understanding will help you to be successful in this assignment?

Expectations:

• You need to show in your experimentation, development and final designs that you are using the following:• Graphic Design Styles and influence from

designers

• Formal elements; line, shape, space, colour, texture

• Page layout conventions

• Visual hierarchy

• Visual direction

• Balance

• Other principles

• Photoshop & traditional tools and techniques

Vitally Important:

Make clear links between your research and design ideas – what influenced you and how, why, etc.

Explain your use of the list on the left and compare with examples from your timeline and research.

Discuss your use of software skills, what, how, why, advantages & disadvantages etc.

Journals

Your journal should be closely related to your work and kept at all stages of its development:

• Evaluation & reflection:

• How did it work, or not, why?

• Did it contribute to the development of my design work, or not, why?

• What did I find out by doing it, how can I use this to support better design work?

• What do I need to do to find out more about this, how will this support the development of better design work?

• How does this relate to my research, why?

• Was my research supportive, how?

• Planning:

• What do I need to do next, how, why?

• How long do I intend to spend on this?

• How will this help me to develop my work?

What Now??

• Continue exploring materials, media and techniques – based on research and ideas.

• Begin your journal of reflection, evaluation and planning.

• Plan your ideas out on paper – This should be substantial with a number of ideas for each theme. Reflect in your journal.

• Get feedback from peers and Tutor. Reflect in your journal.

• Develop your designs digitally and traditionally. Note your tools, techniques, visual language, principles and elements etc. and how you use them.

• Share your designs and gather feedback. Reflect in your journal.

• Refine your designs and prepare for professional mounting. Reflect in your journal.

• Evaluate the success of your designs. Use the overall evaluation slide and paper based evaluation materials.

Overall Evaluation:

• What was the theme for the project?

• How have you developed your ideas?

• What was your research and how did you use it?

• What materials, tools and techniques were used in the research you found? Have you utilised these in your own work?

• How have your skills developed during the project?

• How have you used formal elements such as line, shape, colour, space and texture?

• How have you used principles such as Rule of thirds, modular grids, hierarchy?

• How does your work communicate with the audience?

• What materials did you use, and why? Did they work successfully?

• What meaning and messages did you want to convey and were you successful?

• Are you happy with your final piece? Are there any elements you like in particular?

• Is there anything you would change? Why?

• Overall, how effective do you think your designs are, and why? Could you improve them? How?