University of Technology Sydney

88404 Illustration for Product and Branding

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Design
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 88304 Illustration: Media and Techniques
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.

Description

Having developed an understanding of illustration techniques as a tool for communication, students now harness this knowledge to acquire experience designing for professional projects including illustrative packaging design, and illustration for products and brands. In this subject, students produce a portfolio of illustrations, in response to a series of briefs that simulate real-world jobs. Workshops and practical tasks in studio sessions focus on different methods of responding to illustration briefs, and professional project management skills. Students learn to respond to critique and incorporate feedback into their illustrative work. Students are expected to undertake visual research and critical analysis as part of this subject.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Present process work and final illustrations in a clear, engaging manner
2. Develop original and imaginative concepts, in response to a brief
3. Develop exploration of illustrative techniques, through an iterative illustration process
4. Produce hand generate original and imaginative illustrations, as expressions of ideas, through a range of media and techniques
5. Produce refined illustrations, developed through a process of reflective practice, to a professional standard
6. Develop professional presentation of work, according to the requirements of a brief
7. Undertake research into contemporary commercial illustration practices, and relate this research to your own illustration practice
8. Develop an ability to seek and respond to critical feedback on your work

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required, and constructively contribute to peer learning. (C.1)
  • Communicate an informed well-researched viewpoint. (C.2)
  • Communicate ideas effectively in a variety of ways, including oral, written and visual. (C.3)
  • Create designs that respond to their context in formally or conceptually innovative ways. (I.1)
  • Advance ideas through an exploratory and iterative design process. (I.2)
  • Independent development of high level technical and craft skills for the production, presentation and documentation of work. (I.3)
  • An ability to critique your own work and the work of others with reference to standards drawn from contemporary design practice. (P.1)
  • Independently engage in self-directed learning and select and apply appropriate methodologies specific to the project. (P.4)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject continues to develop the student's understanding of images in order to create effective illustrative communication. This subject aims to:

  • develop a student's ability to create innovative responses to specific briefs
  • further refine the student's ideas of image symbolism and visual metaphor for specific audiences
  • continue to extend the student's abilities to originate and refine illustrative techniques

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty gradiate attribute categories where:
C = Communication and groupwork
A = Attitudes and values
P = Practical and professional
R = Research and critique
I = Innovation and creativity
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories useing codes (eg. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc).

Teaching and learning strategies

Studio Sessions: Weekly sessions of 3 hour tutorials and workshops.
Studio Strategies: self-reflection; project management skills; thinking through making; critical thinking through visual research; experimentation with media/techniques. Students will be encouraged to refine techniques in which they excel to create illustrations to meet the requirements of specific briefs. Knowledge and skills gained in this subject support the processing and presentation of design project work in other subjects and areas.

Students are expected to commit 9–12 hours per week to each 6 credit point subject. This includes the contact hours. The 6–9 hours remaining each week are for the completion of preparatory activities and assessment tasks.

Studio sessions will give you the opportunity to discuss questions about the weekly topic/content with your peers and with an expert studio leader, to collaborate on activities directly relevant to key ideas and to develop your skills as a design practitioner with assistance from your studio leader. Studio sessions will provide you with the opportunity to take ownership of the ideas encountered in preparatory research. Your studio leader will facilitate discussion and offer expert insight and direction where needed, but as students you are primarily responsible for the mood of the studio session.

STUDIO ETIQUETTE

Lectures and studio sessions provide important opportunities for you to move out of digital environments. Mobile phone and laptop use can be distracting to those around you. Digital devices can interfere with face-to-face communication. Mobile phones and laptops should not be used in lectures or studio sessions. You will be given explicit information about situations where limited use of these technologies might be appropriate.

Each week before class, you will familiarise yourself with a range of written and visual texts that relate to the subject. These are included in the weekly outline below.

Studio sessions will give you the opportunity to discuss questions about the weekly topic/content with your peers and with an expert studio leader, to collaborate on activities directly relevant to key ideas and to develop your skills as a design practitioner with assistance from your studio leader. Studio sessions will provide you with the opportunity to take ownership of the ideas encountered in preparatory reading, research and the lectures. Your studio leader will facilitate discussion and offer expert insight and direction where needed, but as students you are primarily responsible for the mood of the studio session.

Before leaving the studio, you will write an ‘action list’ of tasks you need to complete before the next studio session and assign times in your personal weekly planner to complete these tasks. You may be asked to reflect on how you managed these tasks with your learning group or studio leader in the following studio session.

Content (topics)

The subject will comprise the following:

  • studio work: studio sessions are used to introduce knowledge
  • develop media techniques and technical skills in illustration in one-on-one consultations site visit: one project will draw upon observations/drawings from a group site visit research: employing library
  • observational AND internet research to inform a project’s strategic direction.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Project 1: Product, Digital and Spatial Illustrations

Intent:

In this assignment, you will be guided through the process of interpreting, researching for, and responding to a client brief. You will work on several similar briefs in a six-week block, to reiterate this important professional design process.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, C.2, I.1, I.2 and P.1

Type: Design/drawing/plan/sketch
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 50%

Assessment task 2: Project 2: Launch an Illustrated Brand

Intent:

In this assignment, you will be guided through the process of interpreting, researching for, and respond to a complex client brief. You will work on a single brief for a five-week block, to deeply engage with this professional design process.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.3, I.1, I.2, I.3, P.1 and P.4

Type: Design/drawing/plan/sketch
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 50%

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.

Other resources

Illustration kit (as developed in Illustration 1)