University of Technology Sydney

88504 Illustration for Publication

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 illustrating for magazines, newspapers, books and other publications. In this subject, students produce a series of editorial illustrations in response to briefs that simulate real-world jobs. Workshops and practical tasks in studio sessions focus on different methods of interpreting written texts to illustrate them, responding to editorial illustration briefs, and professional time 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. Generate imaginative concepts, that are appropriate to the core readership
2. Develop an original visual language, as evident in final illustrations
3. Demonstrate range and quality of visual processing, as evident in tutorial sessions
4. Visually refine final illustrations, to a professional standard
5. Demonstrate consideration of detail and craftsmanship in final submission, with reference to the submission requirements specified in the brief (includes file set up and naming).
6. Identify key aspects of your work in need of critical feedback
7. Demonstrate research into contemporary illustration practice, with critical annotations, as evident in tutorial sessions and presentations

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

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

  • 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

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate 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 using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

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

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.

Time in studio will orient you to specific experience design concepts, methods and theories, studio and between-studio activities and project requirements. Practical workshops/studio exercises allow students to learn through experimentation with illustrative media and techniques; self-directed visual research encourages students to develop an awareness of contemporary illustration practice, and reflect on their own practice in this context; real world briefs encourage students to consider their role in relation to a client and an audience.

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. 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.

This subject incorporates a PBL (problem-based learning) strategy. The focus is on allowing students to engage with practical, experiential models of visual communication design. The design methodology of developing creative responses to project briefs continues to underpin the learning experience.

Peer learning groups and learning partnerships are encouraged at this stage for students, as individuals and collaboratively in groups to develop their ability to reflect upon and critically analyse their research and design work in order to experience perceptual change and enact their new understandings in progressive design iterations. Emphasis is placed on developing each student’s confidence in processing and refining ideas.

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)

  • Studio workshops focus on interpreting and responding to professional illustration briefs
  • Studio crit sessions focus on giving and receiving constructive feedback
  • Self-directed research into contemporary illustration practice

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Research Report and Concept Pitch

Intent:

This task allows students to develop research and concept development skills for professional illustration practice: interpreting a professional brief, analysing written text to develop illustration concepts, researching contemporary illustration practice, and pitching concepts to a professional standard.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 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.):

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

Type: Design/drawing/plan/sketch
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to critically analyse contemporary illustration practice, as evident in the research report. 20 7 P.4
Range and quality of illustration experiments, as evident in weekly studios 20 3 I.2
Ability to develop an original visual language, as evident in concept pitch 25 2 I.1
Ability to develop a concept appropriate to the target audience, as evident in concept pitch 20 1 I.2
Appropriate level of technical skills, as evident in concept pitch 10 4 I.3
Ability to follow submission requirements, including studio presentations and file submission as instructed 5 5 P.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Illustration for Publication Portfolio

Intent:

This task allows students to experience developing illustration skills for a publication project, developing illustrations from rough sketches through to final art based on critical feedback, and presenting work to a professional standard.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

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.):

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

Type: Design/drawing/plan/sketch
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 60%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Range and quality of illustration experiments, as evident in weekly studios 20 3 I.2
Professionalism of interim presentation, including self identifying aspect of the work that need feedback 10 6 P.4
Ability to generate imaginative concepts, that are appropriate to the core readership 20 1 I.1
Capacity to develop an original visual language, as evident in final illustrations 20 2 I.1
Visual refinement of final illustrations, to a professional standard 20 4 P.1
Attention to detail in the final submission, including following submission instructions 10 5 P.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

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.