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NCEA Level 3 - Visual Arts 2013

Examples of Candidate Work – 91455 Design

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Excellence

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Excellence Graphic Novel x 2

This submission sets out to develop two full coloured graphic novels from two ‘classic’ black and white movies – Alfred Hitchcock 1951 “Strangers on the Train” and the Fritz Lang epic “Metropolis” from 1927 (a silent black and white movie).

The candidate gathers a range of artistic models e.g., Tim Sale, Gabriele Ba and Mike Mignole and a research imagery bank to develop stylistic conventions and analyse compositional devices such as viewpoint, cropping, close-ups and page structure.

Story outlines are presented early on and the candidate responds with linear drawings and selects a limited colour and tonal contrasting palette. Drawing is employed to undertake clear and extensive character studies to look at a range of poses, viewpoints, facial expressions and atmospheric devices. The central series of portraits studies on board two explore and refine colour and style. The expressive qualities for the characters in the novel are investigated in these small paintings before digital translation and extension occurs.

Systematically the characters are then placed in context and a storyboard maps images with storyline. Selected pages are refined and revisited in a systematic process that culminates in the finished outcomes given to us. Purposeful selection by the candidate presents monochromatic solutions next to dramatic four colour compositions. Each spread is critically analysed in regard to composition, viewpoint, size and placement of vertical and horizontal sections within the grids explored. Devices like windows to frame, close-up to full view inform sequencing and rhythm within the graphic novel.

Two sophisticated graphic novels are confidently designed, crafted and produced at the end of this folio. There is clear ownership of this body of work and the candidate critically extends their practice through the synthesis of research, genre and aesthetics. Graphic novel conventions are clearly exploited and the atmosphere and stylistic outcomes are all fluently crafted.

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Excellence School’s 60th Diamond Jubilee

This well written brief asks the candidate to promote the 2013 School’s 60th Diamond Jubilee to past pupils and staff by redesigning the original logo and producing; a poster, a ticket to the reunion dinner, a 2014 calendar and diary to be sold at the jubilee celebrations, a cover and one sample DPS for the Diamond Jubilee Edition of the school’s magazine.

Right at the start the candidate gives us a sample of their research. Two colour illustrations by Allen Peters set up the style the candidate wishes to explore. Immediately we see the candidate explores flat fields of colour, repeating patterns and a thoughtful palette of orange, green and pink as they synthesise their artist’s models that give them a clear direction for the development of initial starting points. The folio does not necessarily show us all the brainstorming that the candidate has undertaken but there is clear evidence of appropriate selection and intelligent decision-making.

The logo uses the Latin word “sursum” meaning “to the heights” and the candidate purposefully selects typefaces to rework the original symbol towards a more contemporary outcome. The candidate generates and develops a set of characters to represent a cross-section of pupils and staff, which is both lively and humorous. This provides the candidate with original illustrations to propel their work across the folio.

The candidate explores a range of magazine covers in thumbnail format with clear understanding of the conventions being applied. The ideas combine the diamond shape, the characters, a limited palette and hierarchy of type. The outcome is visually playful and clearly communicates the candidate’s innovative and original brand.

The double-page spread demonstrates confident grid layout skills with contemporary use of negative space, carefully selected sans serif typeface and appropriate text. There is a depth of ideas presented but at the same time there is ongoing reference to the boundaries clearly defined by the brief at the outset. The merchandise continues to explore a range of possibilities with an elegant die-cut outcome as the notebook cover.

Type compositions become more and more confident as the candidate explores a two-sided ticket – the conventions of which are clearly understood and applied.

Formats are revisited and refined as the candidate critically selects appropriate imagery to provide new graphic outcomes for the poster. The folios layout clearly communicates the candidate’s journey. There is evidence of careful decision- making, intelligent selecting and editing and a body of work that systematically and intelligently responds to the initial proposition.

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Merit

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Merit Projecteur

This submission promotes an independent film festival showcasing both international and local films. The candidate has acknowledged the influence of the international Swiss style in their brief and the mood board sets up a considered aesthetic referring to specific and appropriate models at the outset.

Production includes a logo, poster, hanging banner, magazine spread, ticket, website, and pamphlet. The candidate investigates a range of geometric based shapes alongside line, tone and transparency in the initial logo investigation. A limited colour palette is introduced and appropriate typefaces are selected and trialled. The final logo is considered and refined, making a meaningful and clever reference to a projected light beam.

In the poster development the candidate picks up on architectural shapes introduced earlier and regenerates ideas instigated in the logo development. Outcomes are clear, restrained and purposeful.

On panel two the candidate moves confidently to a horizontal format for ticket options and explores the relationship of type and image using transparent overlays, photography, pattern, reversing out, and scale shifts. These ideas are further explored in developments for a banner where the format is changed again. A convincing festival guide booklet is produced with double page spread options explored in storyboard context, which demonstrate the candidate’s understanding of body copy, grid formats, hierarchy of text and formatting. A strategic die cut device is employed on the cover, which leads into several well-executed pages in the publication.

Within the clearly established aesthetic, this candidate purposefully and continually regenerates ideas and successfully integrates design conventions across a wide range of briefs. They demonstrate their ability to continually probe and add conventions from the field of design to their visual toolbox and they establish links through their application of conventions i.e., tone and transparency lead to overlays, which lead to reverse figure field and onto die-cuts.

This is a very strong Merit folio. For this submission to move to an Excellence grade the candidate could have generated more of their own imagery and synthesised from a greater depth of resources to extend their ideas alongside the production of well-crafted and sophisticated outcomes.

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Merit Lulu’s Teahouse

In the promotion for a new business ‘Lulu’s Teahouse and Treats’ the candidate has produced and developed a logo, business card, takeaway cup, webpage, tea tag and menu. These are all appropriate collateral formats for a beverage and packaging project.

An image resource is produced at the outset that establishes direction by defining colour palette, font selection and an image bank. Subtle refinements are made to these decisions over the course of the folio and although this is a low achieving Merit performance different options are invented, trialled and resolved.

Hand drawn typography leads the investigation towards logotype and in the digital developments formal and contemporary devices are introduced using geometric and tealeaf shapes. The final logo is presented after a thorough investigation. The candidate explores a range of framing devices with reference to conventions associated with food and beverage branding.

The candidate explores positive and negative relationships of image, type, line, and housing devices and the final business cards are professionally photographed and presented. This image sets a palette and aesthetic for the rest of the folio. On panel three the candidate successfully regenerates the logo from panel one into cut out and three-dimensional propositions for a tea tag. This begins with a purposeful exploration, quickly developing into a series of imaginative and highly plausible solutions. The logo is reused and reinvented appropriately within each new format, which is the high point in this submission. The candidate ambitiously and enthusiastically attempts to commandeer a range of design and drawing conventions - to have moved more securely into the Merit grade range the candidate needed to execute all artwork with greater confidence over craft, execution and media treatment.

In the web site the candidate demonstrates their understanding of hierarchal elements, navigational devices and grid formats. A wide range of menu options are developed which investigate a range of subtle colour shifts, different stocks, scale, type and transparency treatments. Each option is credible and different; the final revisits the logo again and regenerates this, coming up with a positive outcome.

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Achieved

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Achieved Novice 2 Pro

This candidate has created a brief based on a new Youth Football Academy and identified collateral that encompasses a logo, program cover, double page spreads and a billboard. The candidate is clearly engaged in their topic and has directed a photo-shoot, which gives ownership to their initial research and resource generation. The investigation is situated within a specific genre and they have identified options for development from their research/resource base. The candidate has used some sourced imagery, but they have not over relied on found imagery to propel their own work.

Montage is an effective image making strategy used throughout the folio and demonstrates the candidate’s ability to integrate and extend ideas. The brand has been established with a limited colour palate, which shows some understanding of brand conventions. The images are appropriate and there are a number of approaches to crop and draw in from, to help extend the development of the folio.

The candidate has worked systematically with typographical concepts. Whilst many of the typographical layouts are very basic the integration of text and image extends ideas. There is an obvious shift in typographic understanding on board two through the use of hierarchy with display typefaces and the arrangement of body copy. This is a high Achieved performance that required further evidence of analysis, editing and compositional strategies. Another sequence of design work that drew upon a new set of design conventions and research could have extended ideas and supported a greater refinement of outcomes to achieve at a Merit level.

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Achieved Zhen Clothing for Men

This submission establishes an appropriate proposition designing a clothing brand for men called Zhen that includes marketing for Zhen’s Annual Black Tie Ball and the production of a range of marketing and sales collateral. The candidate has considered the application of design conventions in relationship to a number of advertising formats such as logo, posters, invites and websites.

Throughout each of these formats the candidate tries to reform and extend their ideas through the development of design outcomes within this cross section of formats. Although the changes and reformations are minimal, there is an attempt to grapple with compositional layout strategies and use conventions from the field of design. The production of their own photography shoot in response to the set brief and the fact that the folio is not relying on found images from the internet is a positive feature of this submission. Unfortunately the photo shoot provided a limited set of approaches (options) and regeneration was needed to avoid an overreliance on the same photos. The photo-shoot in itself could have driven an extension of ideas.

The candidate recognizes that the integration of photos (image) and text is a fundamental characteristic driving the practical process however further research of precedents and conventions may have informed the use of photographic media, procedures and methods to strengthen the candidate’s own work. In terms of developing coherent links between the phases of working, this submission does not recognise what components of the design they should refine. Therefore, very small steps and decisions are made between works. There is a reliance on the same set of devices throughout each of the formats; the same images are used in conjunction with very slight compositional layouts decisions from the website to the poster. A wider repertoire of devices and visual language strategies were required to assist in the integration and extension of ideas.

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