Unit 2 Outcome 2: Cultural ownership and design – Visual Communication Design Resources

Unit 1 Outcome 1: Reframing design problems

How do designers evolve culturally appropriate design practices?

Unit 2 Outcome 2: Cultural ownership and design

1. XX

INFO

You are required to create a moodboard that reflects the key aesthetic features and cultural characteristics of a country or culture of which you share a connection. This project aims to help you explore how cultural heritage can inform design and foster deeper emotional connections. Your moodboard will serve as a visual resource for the remainder of this design project, highlighting the unique visual language of the chosen culture. You are expected to carefully research and understand the cultural elements you choose to represent, ensuring your work demonstrates sensitivity and respect for the culture’s traditions and aesthetics.

DETAILS

You are required to produce an A3-sized moodboard using a variety of media. This can include manual drawings, sketches, observational drawings, prints, or collages. You may also use found materials like photos, magazine cut-outs, and textures that visually represent your chosen culture. The composition should be cohesive, clearly organised, and thoughtfully arranged. Your design decisions should reflect the core visual elements of the culture you are representing, with careful attention to colour, texture, and form to ensure the moodboard captures the essence of the culture’s aesthetic.

BACKGROUND

In many professional scenarios, designers must respect and celebrate cultural identity while avoiding superficial or appropriative work. You should research the chosen culture deeply to ensure your design honours its traditions and values. This moodboard will help you learn how to incorporate cultural elements thoughtfully and meaningfully into your designs, ensuring sensitivity and respect in your approach, which is essential when designing for diverse audiences.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

WHAT YOU WILL BE MARKED ON

Task name

Task items	1-2 (Very low)	3-4 (Low)	5-6 (Medium)	7/8 (High)	9/10 (Very high)
Cultural Representation	Limited or inaccurate representation of chosen culture.	Some basic cultural elements are present but lack depth.	Adequate cultural elements, but lacks clear insight.	Strong representation of cultural features with thought.	Excellent and insightful representation of culture, showing deep understanding.
Use of Media	Minimal use of media, lacking variety and effort.	Basic media used, limited variety or thoughtfulness.	Good variety of media, with some thoughtful application.	Strong variety of media used effectively and cohesively.	Excellent variety and thoughtful integration of media, showing advanced skill.
Composition & Organisation	Disorganised, lacking structure or visual flow.	Basic organisation, but lacks cohesion.	Adequately organised, but could improve in flow.	Well-organised, visually cohesive with good structure.	Exceptionally well-organised, highly cohesive and visually engaging composition.
Respect and Sensitivity	Shows little regard for cultural sensitivity.	Some effort to show respect but lacks depth or care.	Reasonably respectful, but not deeply considered.	Clearly respectful with strong cultural awareness.	Highly respectful, deeply thoughtful and sensitive representation of culture.

2. Discover: Observational Drawings

INFO

You are required to complete an observational drawing of a relic or culturally significant item that relates to your chosen culture. This task will help you develop your drawing skills, with a focus on observing and capturing the details that make the item unique to its cultural background. You will be working with pencil and must incorporate tone, form, and texture into your drawing to create a realistic and sensitive portrayal of the object. This exercise will also encourage you to appreciate the craftsmanship and symbolic meaning behind cultural items.

DETAILS

You are required to create an observational drawing using pencil on A3 paper. Your drawing should focus on accurately representing the form, texture, and details of the chosen relic or cultural item. Pay close attention to the way light interacts with the object, using a range of tones to build depth and realism. You should also carefully depict the texture of the material, whether it’s smooth, rough, or intricate. Your goal is to capture the essence of the object, using form, tone, and texture to bring it to life on the page.

BACKGROUND

You are required to approach this task with an understanding of how cultural relics and items carry historical, spiritual, or symbolic significance. Many objects have deep-rooted meanings within their cultures, and this drawing exercise will help you explore those connections through close observation. In design, understanding the context and meaning behind an object can enrich the way it is represented or incorporated into creative work. This task will not only help you improve your technical drawing skills but also foster a deeper appreciation for cultural items and their significance in design.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Setting up for an observational drawing

WHAT YOU WILL BE MARKED ON

Task name

Task items	1-2 (Very low)	3-4 (Low)	5-6 (Medium)	7/8 (High)	9/10 (Very high)
Use of Tone	Minimal or no use of tone; lacks depth.	Basic use of tone, but lacks contrast and subtlety.	Good use of tone, some depth, but lacks refinement.	Strong use of tone, showing good contrast and depth.	Excellent use of tone, creating realistic depth and contrast.
Accuracy of Form	Inaccurate form; object is poorly proportioned.	Basic form, but lacks accuracy or clarity.	Adequate form, but some proportions are incorrect.	Form is accurate with minor errors.	Excellent and highly accurate representation of form.
Representation of Texture	Little to no effort in capturing texture.	Basic texture, but not clearly defined or varied.	Good attempt at texture, but lacks complexity.	Texture is well-represented with good variation.	Texture is highly realistic and intricately detailed.
Attention to Detail	Very few details; object appears incomplete.	Some details present, but lacks precision.	Adequate detail, but some areas lack refinement.	Strong attention to detail, with minor omissions.	Exceptional attention to detail, highly precise and complete.
Effort & Presentation	Minimal effort, poor presentation, or incomplete work.	Basic effort, but presentation is untidy or rushed.	Good effort with acceptable presentation.	Strong effort, well-presented, and neat.	Exceptional effort, outstanding presentation, and polished work.

3. Develop: Icon library Ideation

INFO

You are required to create an ideation page for an icon set representing three Olympic sports of your choice. The goal is to develop symbols that clearly communicate the essence of each sport while reflecting the aesthetic characteristics and cultural identity of your chosen culture. This task will help you practice simplifying complex ideas into clear, recognisable icons, all while incorporating design elements that celebrate cultural uniqueness. You are expected to research and understand how visual styles and traditions from your chosen culture can be adapted into modern iconography.

DETAILS

You are required to sketch six different ideas for an icon set, focusing on one or all of the chosen Olympic sports, on an A3 landscape sheet. The drawings must be done manually using pencil or pen, with colour being optional. Your sketches should clearly represent the sport(s) while incorporating cultural aesthetics through design elements like line, shape, and form. Alongside each sketch, provide annotations explaining your design choices, focusing on how the cultural characteristics are represented and how design principles such as balance, contrast, and proportion are applied. This will demonstrate your understanding of cultural influences on design.

BACKGROUND

You are required to understand that cultural influence in design can make iconography more meaningful and engaging. Icons are often used to communicate across language barriers, and by incorporating cultural characteristics, your icons can also reflect the values and traditions of a specific group. When designing for an international event like the Olympics, respecting and celebrating cultural heritage is vital. This task will challenge you to think about how to represent sports through the lens of your chosen culture, showing the influence of cultural elements in shaping design solutions that are both functional and artistically significant.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

WHAT YOU WILL BE MARKED ON

Task name

Task items	1-2 (Very low)	3-4 (Low)	5-6 (Medium)	7/8 (High)	9/10 (Very high)
Cultural Representation	No visible cultural influence.	Minimal cultural elements, lacks relevance.	Some cultural elements but not fully integrated.	Strong cultural elements, integrated with some thought.	Exceptional cultural influence, deeply integrated and meaningful.
Application of Design Elements & Principles	Minimal use of design elements or principles.	Basic use, but lacks consistency and depth.	Adequate application, but some areas could be refined.	Strong use of elements and principles, mostly consistent.	Exceptional application, consistently enhancing clarity and design.
Quality of Sketches & Annotations	Sketches unclear or incomplete; annotations missing.	Basic sketches, annotations lack insight.	Good sketches; annotations explain some design choices.	Strong, detailed sketches; clear, insightful annotations.	Excellent, highly detailed sketches with thoughtful, in-depth annotations.

4. Deliver: Vector Icon Set

INFO

You are required to create a vector-based icon set representing three Olympic sports, designed to reflect the aesthetic characteristics of your chosen culture. The icons should be simple, recognisable, and stylistically cohesive, integrating cultural motifs, patterns, or symbolic shapes where appropriate. This task aims to help you develop your skills in simplifying complex ideas into clear, functional icons while incorporating cultural design elements. Your icons should demonstrate a balance between modern visual communication and traditional cultural aesthetics, reflecting the values and visual language of the chosen culture.

DETAILS

You are required to present your vector-based icon set on an A3 landscape page using Adobe Illustrator. The set should include three icons representing different Olympic sports, ensuring that each icon is stylistically consistent and clearly identifiable. The icons must use clean, simple shapes and lines to ensure functionality at various sizes, while incorporating visual elements unique to the culture, such as traditional patterns, colours, or symbolic forms. In addition to the icons, you must include a 200-word rationale explaining your design decisions. This rationale should discuss how the design elements (line, shape, form, and colour) and principles (balance, proportion, and contrast) were applied, and how the cultural characteristics were integrated into the icon designs. The final presentation should be clear, cohesive, and reflective of the culture you’ve chosen.

BACKGROUND

You are required to approach this task with an understanding of how iconography can serve as a visual bridge between cultures, particularly when designing for global events like the Olympics. Icons must communicate across language barriers while celebrating cultural diversity. This project will challenge you to think about how to merge the clean simplicity of modern icon design with the intricate and meaningful elements of a culture’s aesthetic traditions. By combining cultural motifs with functional design, your icons will serve as a testament to the power of design to honour heritage while remaining universally accessible.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Using Adobe Illustrator to produce Icons

WHAT YOU WILL BE MARKED ON

Task name

Task items	1-2 (Very low)	3-4 (Low)	5-6 (Medium)	7/8 (High)	9/10 (Very high)
Quality of Vector-Based Drawing	Icons are unclear or poorly constructed.	Basic icon design, lacks refinement and clarity.	Good design, but minor issues with clarity or precision.	Strong, clear vector icons with good attention to detail.	Excellent, highly refined vector icons with exceptional clarity.
Connection to Culture	No cultural influence visible in the icons.	Minimal cultural elements, lacks relevance.	Some cultural elements, but not fully integrated.	Strong integration of cultural motifs and elements.	Exceptional cultural connection, deeply and thoughtfully integrated.
Quality of Rationale	Incomplete or unclear rationale with limited explanation.	Basic rationale with minimal explanation of design choices.	Adequate rationale, but lacks depth or insight.	Clear, well-explained rationale with strong connections to design.	Exceptional rationale, deeply insightful and fully explaining design choices.

5. Written SAC

INFO

Students will be required to undertake a written SAC, which requires a grasp of the Australian Indiegnous Design Charter (https://indigenousdesigncharter.com.au/australian-indigenous-design-charter/) The SAC will require an understanding of the ethical and legal responsibilities impacting the work of the designer, such as issues of ownership and intellectual property, as well as protocols for the creation and commercial use of Indigenous knowledge in design, including representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture

DETAILS

The SAC will include a combination of written response and multiple choice questions relating to how designers can use Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and design within their design practice in an ethical and respectful manner.

BACKGROUND

In this area of study, students explore the designer’s ethical and legal responsibilities when drawing on knowledge and designs belonging to Indigenous communities from Australia or abroad. They learn how to adopt culturally appropriate design practices, including protocols for the creation and commercial use of Indigenous knowledge such as those published in the Australian Indigenous Design Charter. In particular, students develop a deep appreciation for the histories, practices and foundational contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australian design identity, while learning about respectful and appropriate representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in design.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Australian Indigenous Design Charter

Task name

Task items	1-2 (Very low)	3-4 (Low)	5-6 (Medium)	7/8 (High)	9/10 (Very high)