PREREQUISITES

60% General English and B in Year 10 Design or Visual Arts. If you have not studied Design or Visual Arts in Year 10, you may still be accepted into this course with high results from Year 7-9 Visual Arts or Design. Please contact Mr Mark Barron (Head of Technologies) to discuss your individual case.

aim of the course

ATAR Design is a creative and future-focused course that equips students with the skills to solve real-world problems through purposeful and innovative design. Through a structured design process, students explore areas such as product design, digital media, architecture, and visual communication. The course builds technical and conceptual skills in sketching, research, idea development, prototyping, and digital tools including CAD and design software. Both traditional and contemporary techniques are applied in response to real design challenges. In Year 11, students undertake guided projects to develop their understanding of design principles and processes. In Year 12, students lead a self-directed major project based on a personally relevant design problem. The course supports the development of a professional portfolio and provides strong preparation for further study or careers in design, architecture, media, and related creative industries.

Course descriptioN

Year 11

  • Unit 1 – Representational Design: In this unit, students begin to experiment with various techniques for representation, such as sketching, drawing, photographing and prototyping, to communicate design ideas and Design Thinking. They are introduced to an iterative design process to create possible design outcomes.

  • Unit 2 – User-centred Design: In this unit, students increase their understanding of design methodologies through the introduction to an iterative design process. They prototype and modify designs to test the impact on audiences and address practical outcomes for users.

Year 12

  • Unit 3 – Responsible Design: In this unit, students become aware of the legal, ethical and environmental responsibilities of a designer as they focus on the development of useful, sustainable and/or ethical design forms.

  • Unit 4 – Influential Design: In this unit, students learn how the communication of ideals, messages, information and values can influence opinion and attitudes.

More detailed information on this course can be found HERE.

Assessment structure

  • Production (50%)

  • Response (30%)

  • Examination (20%)