89124 Experimental Visual Communications: Visualising the Invisible
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 2024 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 12 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
In this subject students create projects that give visual form to the social, cultural, scientific or economic narratives embedded in contemporary society. Students have the opportunity to reveal stories that have yet to be realised, or create new experiences from existing stories. This can range from the pragmatic/factual to the poetic/metaphorical, and take various forms such as information design, experimental publication design, exhibition design, motion graphics, etc. The aim is to extract and communicate previously inaccessible meanings, insights and experiences through work that is speculative, provocative, and experimental. In this subject there is an emphasis on the designer as cultural agent/critic. Students are challenged to develop a critical position around an issue, and use their design skills to communicate this position in innovative, playful and challenging ways. Outcomes could be static or interactive, print or digital, objects or installations, and could incorporate sound or moving image.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Undertake a professionally advanced level of research utilising relevant primary and secondary techniques; |
|---|---|
| 2. | Investigate systems of organisation and visual languages appropriate to project proposal; |
| 3. | Insightfully interpret ideas and their appropriateness as essential for project processing and refinement; |
| 4. | Devise creative and or innovative design responses as evidenced in project work; |
| 5. | Experiment and critically analyse, refine, synthesise and process ideas to a stage of realisation and presentation, evidenced through iterative process work; |
| 6. | Demonstrate sensitivity to media selection in use and application (through reflection and notation); |
| 7. | Demonstrate sensitivity, originality or appropriateness of design responses in communicating the identified project objectives; |
| 8. | Critically evaluate and communicate the successes and problems of the project activities against the proposed project objectives and user requirements; |
| 9. | Indicate with confidence, clarity and quality in the written, oral and visual presentation of your research and project; |
| 10. | Reveal a level of self-sufficiency to time management and project development. |
Teaching and learning strategies
This is a semester long subject, delivered through a range of lectures on specialist topics of interest, with supporting studio sessions. Students may be required to attend field-trips depending on the studio selected.
Content (topics)
A – (Re) branding country and urban identity: culture addresses the following issues and topics:
- Identifying, questioning, and challenging existing and emerging patterns in urban and national identity; - Design approaches to reading and writing about places; - Trend forecasting and predicting future developments; - Political theories; Social and cultural planning.B – Capstone Continuation addresses the following issues and topics: - Experimentation in the expression of cultural information; - Cross-disciplinary applications of creative communication devices; - Developing meaning, insight and experience through experimental visual practices; - Experimenting with materials, as well as traditional and experimental technologies.Assessment
Assessment task 1: Research Report
| Weight: | 50% |
|---|
Assessment task 2: Final Project
| Weight: | 50% |
|---|
References
Please refer to either studio A or B briefs.