Unit 2 Outcome 2 | assessment task | Published: May 19, 2024 | Revised: June 27, 2025

This assessment task has been prepared in response to the Key Skills for this outcome. Teachers are reminded that they must assess to VCAA assessment guidelines, for their local context and their own students' needs. The author of this website takes no responsibility for the suitability or compliance of this material. It is the sole responsibility of teachers to design and implement and update assessments.

A simple illustration of a campfire with yellow and white flames rising above crossed logs, set against a circular light yellow background, highlighting Design Elements and Principles from Unit 1 Area of Study 2 VCE Visual Communication Design.

Cultural ownership
and design.

How do designers evolve culturally appropriate design practices?

VCD UNIT 2 AOS 2

Diversity,
depth & communication

This task is in the field of Messages.

Students will demonstrate their understanding of ethical and legal responsibilities and culturally appropriate design practices in a theory and a practical task.

Target Learning suggests students prepare an annotated visual report explaining how designers in one or more researched case studies demonstrated ethical and legal obligations and used culturally appropriate design practices when using indigenous knowledge.

In the practical task, students are encouraged to work in pairs, playing the roles of client and designer. Here, they will each design a set of personal iconography that represents or captures elements of their partner’s identity or life story.

outcome

What students need to do

ON COMPLETION OF THIS UNIT THE STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO

apply culturally appropriate design practices and understand the designer’s ethical and legal responsibilities when designing personal iconography.

(VCE VCD Study Design 2024 – 28 p. 29. )

Model answer

annotated visual report

An informational exhibit panel titled Australian Culinary Journey featuring text, photos of Breville appliances, a museum display, packaging, and details about the collaboration between National Museum Australia and Breville in 2022.

An annotated visual report analysing and explaining the use of ethical and legal obligations and culturally appropriate design practices found in a researched design case study. (Images by the author, for illustrative and educational purposes only. Full credits for the project and information about the artists involved can be found on this page of the Breville website.).

Personal iconography

Six minimalist black-and-white icons depict daily activities: waking up, eating breakfast, teaching, eating lunch, walking a dog, and watching TV. A note highlights the use of culturally inclusive, non-gendered figures.

A set of six icons depicting six different parts of a teacher’s day using culturally appropriate iconography. This is the ruled version. Check out the freehand version in the worked answer below.

VCD Design process

The VCD design process is a framework that illustrates the process designers use. It is based on a model conceived by the UK Design Council in 2003. There are four stages to the VCD double diamond design process. Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver. Each uses different kinds of thinking. Sometimes designers need to think outside the box. Thinking outwards is called Divergent Thinking. At other times, they are trying to narrow and refine their ideas. This is called Convergent Thinking. The Design Process structures everything a designer does, from generating their first inspiration to delivering a design solution to their client.

Areas of study in Target Learning VCD emphasise different stages of the VCD Design process.

A double-diamond diagram illustrates the design process: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. It shows divergent and convergent thinking, with iterations, and icons for each phase including a lightbulb, document, and framed solution.

The VCD double diamond design process. Note the positions of Divergent and Convergent thinking.

A graphic of a red sailing ship on the left with a dashed red arrow curving over a blue globe on the right, all within a gray circular border.

Discover

Use Divergent Thinking to challenge assumptions and explore design problems and opportunities.

A circular icon with blue and green arrows pointing outward in eight different directions from the center, set against a light green background.

A circular icon with a red and white quartered design, inspired by the Double Diamond Design Process VCD, is centered on a background of blue and light blue checkerboard squares.

Define

Use Convergent Thinking to analyse, evaluate and present information for Human-Centred design.

A pink circle with six red arrows pointing inward toward the center, creating a star-like pattern where the arrowheads meet.

A circular graphic with three stylized airplanes in blue, white, and red, layered diagonally on a light gray background. The planes have simple outlines and minimal details.

Develop

Use Divergent Thinking to challenge assumptions, test and explore ideas with unexpected results.

Deliver

Use Convergent Thinking to evaluate, refine, resolve and present design solutions to meet audiences and users' needs.

Graphic indicators representing each stage of the design process used in Target Learning VCD.

Annotated visual report

In this section of the assessment task, students will demonstrate their understanding of designers' ethical and legal responsibilities regarding ownership and intellectual property and describe culturally appropriate design practices that have been used in independently researched case studies involving Indigenous Knowledge. They will also examine and analyse the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to help inform their personal iconography in the following task.

key skills

A simple, stylized illustration of a stand mixer with two beaters and a large base, shown in light purple and white.

How I will demonstrate skills and knowledge

key Skills points for this outcome

describe the ethical and legal responsibilities of the designer and how issues such as ownership and intellectual property impact design practice
describe and apply culturally appropriate design practices
analyse the work and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers

(VCE VCD Study Design 2024-28, p. 29)

Introduction

Target Learning recommends that students complete an annotated visual report (see study design, p. 31) explaining the three areas described in the above-mentioned Key skills.

This task's first stage will be locating a case study to inform the annotated visual report. Several case studies are linked from the Learning page for this Area of Study. Students will choose a case study, collect one or more images and examine it through the lenses of the following concepts. (The numbers in the text refer to the 10 Best Practice Protocols in the International Indigenous Design Charter).

Background

After finding a case study, students should describe the project. They should give the title, date, client, designer, purpose and location, using Western terminology and the indigenous name and describe the kind of Country it is in.

Students then identify areas of Indigenous Knowledge that were sought or incorporated into the design solution. Indigenous Knowledge may be present in art, pattern or design motifs, local knowledge and map making, language and place names, culture and history, song lines, or in other ways. (5)

Ethical and legal responsibilities

Students will examine, identify and describe any ethical and legal responsibilities of the case study designer, referring to specific parts of the project. Ethical issues may refer to traditional Indigenous Knowledge holders' ethical and moral rights and ensuring that Indigenous Knowledge is acknowledged appropriately and remains the property of Indigenous custodians (5).

Legal responsibilities include obtaining permissions (9) for copyright Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and other laws regarding accessibility, building regulations, and ownership of images and typefaces. Students explain how issues such as ownership and intellectual property impact the design practice evident in their case study.

Culturally appropriate design practices

Collaboration

Students will investigate instances where designers or project managers collaborated with local indigenous people, traditional owners, elders or Knowledge Holders during the design process. This may have been informed by protocols such as the International Indigenous Design Charter, explained on the Learning Page.

Students begin by identifying and discussing ways indigenous people were involved and then graduate to explaining how consultation, collaboration and involvement reflected indigenous leadership (1) and self-determination (2) aims.

Deep Listening

They identify and describe evidence of deep listening skills (4) and consultation that was specific to a particular community (3), leading to a regionally sensitive design outcome. Deep listening involves having an ‘ear to the ground’ and working at an Indigenous pace. Remember, for Australian aboriginal people, time is deep. Consultants listen to what is said and recognise what is not said may be equally important. Students look for and find ways the outcome leads to shared knowledge (6) that remains aware of Indigenous cultural and historical realities.

Shared Benefits and Impact

Students explain how the design outcome enables Indigenous people to share in the project's benefits (7). They ask questions about how delivering a commercial design solution improves Indigenous lifestyles and livelihoods.

They consider the impact of the design solution (8). They question if the project protects the environment, is sustainable and respects indigenous cultures; past, present and future. They explain how the project meets the aim of this protocol.

Indigenous art and design

Students identify and analyse local or regional styles and work practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers in the area where the project was delivered. Students may use the links on the Learning Page to help them find art styles. Students may analyse works from other areas to help inform the next part of the assessment task, the personal iconography. However, students must be mindful that they cannot appropriate Indigenous Knowledge for themselves.

task

Show I know ...

1.1 Choose Case Study

Locate a case study for your annotated visual report. (Click here to revisit the Learning Page for case studies). Collect one or more images of the project. (Remember to record the URL of the project and related images for your report).

1.2 Background

Describe the project. Give the title, date, client, designer, purpose and location, using Western terminology and the indigenous name and describe the kind of Country it is in.

1.3 Identify indigenous knowledge

Identify areas of Indigenous Knowledge evident in the design solution. (See the note describing Indigenous Knowledge above).

1.4 Ethical and legal responsibilities

Identify and describe any ethical and legal responsibilities of the case study designer, referring to specific parts of the project. (See the note describing ethical, legal and moral responsibilities and ownership above).

1.5 Culturally Appropriate Design Practices

1.5a Collaboration

Explain where designers or project managers collaborated with local indigenous people, traditional owners, elders or Knowledge Holders during the design process. Identify and discuss how indigenous people were involved and explain how consultation, collaboration and involvement enabled indigenous leadership and self-determination.

1.5b Deep listening

Identify and describe evidence of deep listening or consultation that was specific to a particular community. Explain ways the outcome leads to shared knowledge that remains aware of Indigenous cultural and historical realities.

1.5c Shared benefits

Explain how Indigenous people to share in the project's benefits. Explain how delivering a commercial design solution improves Indigenous lifestyles and livelihoods.

1.5d Design Impact

Consider the impact of the design solution. Explain how the project protects the environment, is sustainable, and respects indigenous cultures, past, present and future.

1.6 Indigenous art and design

Collect, identify and analyse images of local or regional work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and designers. These may be part of the project you examined or other art and design works. Analyse the use of Visual Language, including the characteristics of design elements and principles and methods, media and materials, aesthetic qualities and function. (Remember to record the URL of images for your report). This analysis may help inform the next part of the assessment task, the personal iconography.

Personal iconography

In this section, students will apply their knowledge by visualising and developing a set of culturally appropriate personal icons that represent a person’s connections with routine, culture, community or place. This is a mini-design process task using manual and digital media.

key skills

How I will demonstrate skills and knowledge

key Skills points for this outcome

select and use a range of appropriate manual and digital methods, media, materials and design elements and principles to develop personal iconography
use divergent and convergent thinking strategies to generate ideas and resolve design solutions
use terminology aligned with culturally appropriate design practice.

(VCE VCD Study Design 2024-28, p. 28)

Introduction

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of how visual language is used in iconography in culturally appropriate, inclusive and accessible ways. Target Learning suggests that to make this design job more authentic; students should work in pairs, each taking turns as a client and then a designer. The client gets to choose which topic a set of icons is made for them, and the designer gets to visualise, develop, resolve and present design solutions for their partners.

Brief

A blue marker draws four rows of wavy lines, resembling water waves, on a white background.

What I am designing

Client

Each student’s partner acts as the client

Communication need

Design a set of original icons representing six aspects of your client’s chosen theme.

Audience and users

Your classmates, Year 11 students, families and those attending your college exhibition are the target audience. Your client is the user of the icon set.

Purpose

The purpose of the icons is to illustrate aspects of your client’s theme.

Context

The icons will be seen at your college exhibition and in your client’s personal design collection. They may choose to post them on a blog or a social media post.

Constraints

Use visual language to communicate ideas or evoke emotions
Use stylisation to create iconic representations of ideas or emotions
Use visual language consistently and cohesively
Each icon is exported as a .png

Presentation format

A printed A3 presentation of the set of icons. A zip file of exported icons as .png files for use on a website.