DesignFields.
3 Kinds
of design.
Visual Communication Design is about all kinds of design. This means everything from tickets, posters, mobile phone apps, web sites, knives, forks, chairs, kitchen appliances, tools, chairs, cars, boats to houses, schools and sky scrapers. All this design is grouped into three different categories known as 'fields' of design. Each design field has a set of distinguishing characteristics. These characteristics refer to the ways designers work, the conventions and rules they follow and the kinds of designs they produce. This page will unpack the three different fields of design.
designers and specialists
There are many professions in design. For example, a graphic designer and an architect are both design professions. More of these can be found below each Design Field. Whilst designers are experts in their fields, it is seldom possible nor does it make economic sense for one person to do every process. Designers often work in collaboration with specialists who are familiar with different aspects of work within of each field of design. Students in the Visual Communication Design examination are frequently asked to discuss how a designer has collaborated with specialists within a design field. Relevant specialists are listed in each section below.
This page describes the three different design fields, the distinguishing characteristics and names of jobs in each and some of the specialists that work with them.
Communication Design.
Communication designers design and present and convey information, ideas and concepts. They work primarily in a two-dimensional space. However, sometimes cross over into three-dimensional space when designing packaging nets, surface graphics or merchandising. This field of design is often concerned with composition, layout and typography for print and web-based presentations.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
JOBS IN THIS FIELD
SPECIALISTS ASSISTING THIS FIELD
Communication designers use and create;
- Modular grid and other layout and typographical conventions
- Surface graphics and three-dimensional packaging nets
- Pictorial and illustration techniques
- Print and web-based presentations
- Vector, raster-based and desktop publishing digital applications, semiotics, signs
- Graphic design
- Art direction
- Information design
- Digital and Web design
- App design
- Motion graphics
- Advertising
- Illustration
- Book design
- Typography
- Package/ surface design
- Logo, Corporate and Brand Identity design
The following specialists collaborate with this field;
- Illustrator, artist
- Photographer
- Typographer
- Model maker, 3d printer
- Computer programer, web developer
- Printer, book binder
- Signwriter
- Painter
- Interior, exhibition designer
Drawing methods used
(Click the images to find out more about each method.)
Sketching
Layout
Packaging net
Jump to
Industrial Design.
Designers in this field create visual information for objects and products. These include any manufactured objects ranging from pens, watches, mobile phones, toys, kitchen appliances, TVs, furniture to cars. Industrial designers usually work in a three-dimensional space and use drawing methods including Isometric, Perspective and 3rd Angle Orthogonal drawing. Industrial designers use CAD applications to model products and output two-dimensional drawings for fabrication.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
JOBS IN THIS FIELD
SPECIALISTS ASSISTING THIS FIELD
Communication designers use and create;
- Manual and digital three-dimensional drawing methods. Our study requires Isometric and 1 and 2-Point perspective
- The two-dimensional drawing method for this field is 3rd Angle Orthogonal drawing. The use of specific Australian Standards conventions for technical drawing
- Digital-based applications including CAD applications. CAD applications created deigns in virtual, measured space
- A range of manual and digital model making techniques including CNC routing and 3-d printing.
- Product/ Industrial design
- Engineering design
- Furniture design
- Automotive design
- Aeronautic design
The following specialists collaborate with this field;
- Illustrator
- CAD engineer
- Model maker
- 3d printer
- Computer programer
- Software developer
- Engineer
- Photographer
- Graphic designer
Drawing methods used
(Click the images to find out more about each method.)
Sketching
3rd Angle orthogonal
Isometric
1-Point Perspective
2-point perspective
Jump to
Environmental Design.
Environmental Designers design what is know as the 'built environment'. This includes town planning, landscape design and landscape architecture, architecture, interior design and interior architecture, set and stage design. Environmental Designers typically work in a three-dimensional space and use drawing methods including planometric, perspective and Plans & Elevations. They use CAD software to model spaces and output two and three-dimensional drawings and specification schedules.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
JOBS IN THIS FIELD
SPECIALISTS ASSISTING THIS FIELD
Communication designers use and create;
- Manual and digital three-dimensional drawing methods. Our study requires planometric and 1 and 2-point perspective methods
- The two-dimensional drawing method for this field is called Plans and Elevations. The use of specific Australian Standards conventions for technical drawing
- Digital-based applications including CAD applications. CAD applications created deigns in virtual, measured space.
- A range of manual and digital model making techniques including CNC routing and 3-d printing.
- Architectural design
- Interior design
- Landscape design
- Theatre set design
- Exhibition/ display design
- Nautical architecture
The following specialists collaborate with this field;
- Draftsperson
- CAD engineer
- Illustrator, Renderer
- Model maker
- Laser cutter
- Engineer Acoustic
- lighting, hydraulic, air conditioning engineers
- Photographer
- Interior, exhibition, graphic designers
Drawing methods used
(Click the images to find out more about each method.)
Sketching
Plans and elevations
Planometric
1-pt perspective
2-pt perspective
