Subject Name:Visual Communication & Design
Continued from Year 9 or picked up in Year 10?:I continued from Year 9 (started in Year 7), but you could pick it up fresh in Year 10.
Workload:Moderate. It's one of those subjects where you could feasibly spend hours and hours on it, because design stuff is never
really finished. But for the most part, I had time in class to complete the relevant assessments. I remember spending a few lunch times working on stuff but honestly, this was probably because I just enjoyed the subject.
There isn't a heap of theory like some other Year 10 subjects - it's mostly practical understanding and application. That's not to say that there's no theory at all, but it's different to, say, a science or maths subject.
Assessment: (Outline the various assessments which make up the subject and how much each counts for)
A lot of the year was spent working on drawing techniques and technical understanding through various assessments. For example (admittedly might be mixing up my years here a little):
* To learn about different technical drawing types, drawing the same object in isometric, orthogonal, planometric, one-point perspective etc.
* Going through the design process (research, idea generation, idea development etc.) by designing something from start to finish. We did this with the front cover of our school diary; whichever was deemed the best/most suitable was used the following year.
* Mini assignments responding to various briefs of fictional clients.
Exam Thoughts: (What's the structure? How hard was it?)
I honestly don't recall there being an exam at all. If there was, I'd imagine it would have covered basic drawing techniques, a little bit of theory (design elements and design principles), and responding to briefs.
Textbook Recommendation: (What did you use? How much did you use it?)
I don't think we had a textbook for Year 10 VCD. For VCE, I used
this one, which was fine but seldom used.
Recommended Other Resources:If your school has access to Copic markers, learn how to use them! They are genuinely the most beautiful things in the world, and I hope you develop the same passion for them I did.
Year of Completion:For Year 10, 2010.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Your Mark/Grade: A+
Comments:I very genuinely enjoyed this subject - perhaps initially due to my teacher (who was a complete legend), but after that, too. I enjoyed it so much it developed in me an interest in design, and I was very close to pursuing design after high school in the end. If you take up VCD, don't do it as a bludge - it won't work out well. I know heaps of people who have done this, thinking it's "just drawing" or whatever, but the reality is, it can actually be quite time-consuming. If you end up producing a folio in Year 10, which you probably will, that's not going to be a bludge at all.
I recommend speaking with your teachers as much as you can to improve your drawing and design skills. And don't do what I did and assume that the research stage of the design process is pointless - it's actually very important!