AS 91630 Annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 4.2 MB]

TKI Design and Visual Communication assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to effectively resolve a product design through graphics practice.

This involves:

• making informed designer decisions that integrate product design knowledge, and understanding of the wider environmental conditions and human factors related to the design context
• communicating a product design that is justified in terms of the significant opportunities and constraints

This student has researched existing modern lighting design and analysed the relevance for their own context of a desk lamp (1). The conceptual ideas and design development express and integrate product design knowledge of shape and form, function, fixtures, fittings, assembly detail (2) and some understanding of environmental and human factors as ergonomic related issues (3).

There are good levels of visual communication which clarify design thinking which assists the student’s ability to express informed designer decisions (4) and justify reasons for design decisions with annotations referring to opportunities and constraints (5).

For a more secure Excellence, the student could show further understanding and integration of wider environmental conditions and human factors. The significant opportunities and constraints could have been justified further by including, for example, scaled plans of the desk space, location of the lamp, how the light could be diffused and research on optimal lighting (lux) levels for a study environment.

For Merit, the student needs to clearly resolve a product design through graphics practice.

This involves:

• exploring the wider environmental conditions and human factors related to the design context to identify opportunities and constraints
• communicating a product design that addresses significant opportunities and constraints

The student chose to design a chair, influenced by Oscar Niemeyer. The research is connected to the analysis of the context (1). Some wider environmental conditions have been explored in the research and design development (2). The chair design is both creative and unique and significant constraints and opportunities have been explored with shape, form and ingenuity (3).

To reach Excellence, there would need to be further evidence of justifying how the chair was addressing the more significant opportunities and constraints such as wider environmental and human factors, the manufacturing detail required to make a complex piece of furniture, and ensuring a robust and durable design. It is expected that the exploration and refinement also address the wider environmental conditions and human factors.

For Merit, the student needs to clearly resolve a product design through graphics practice.

This involves:

• exploring the wider environmental conditions and human factors related to the design context to identify opportunities and constraints
• communicating a product design that addresses significant opportunities and constraints

This student chose to design an efficient and aesthetically pleasing desk light. There is some analysis of the design context in the research (1) to identify opportunities and constraints (2). The student is beginning to consider the wider environmental conditions and human factors by visually communicating desk layout and proportion (3).

To move towards a more secure Merit the student would need to strengthen the resolved nature of the final design. For example, the student could show scaled drawings, parts and assembly views that indicate fixtures, fittings and materials. Wider factors relating to the lighting environment and the human/product interface would need to be explored.

For Achieved, the student needs to resolve a product design through graphics practice.

This involves:

• exploring and refining design ideas based on an analysis of the design context (including opportunities and constraints) and understanding of product design knowledge
• communicating a product design that addresses identified opportunities and constraints

The student chose to design a ‘bike bar’ - a place where cyclists can remain on their bikes and eat, drink and/or gather as a group. The student has chosen a range of contemporary designers (1) as sources of inspiration, and this contributes to the analysis of the design context (2). Analysis of the context gains strength in the development of the ideas (3). There are good levels of visual communication which explore form and show some understanding of product design knowledge (4).

To reach Merit, the exploration of ideas would need to consider wider environmental conditions. These could be location and human factors such as further ergonomic studies. The design idea is very conceptual and for this standard, further resolution of size, scale, construction and assembly detail would be required.

For Achieved, the student needs to resolve a product design through graphics practice.

This involves:

• exploring and refining design ideas based on an analysis of the design context (including opportunities and constraints) and understanding of product design knowledge
• communicating a product design that addresses identified opportunities and constraints

The student chose to design a chair inspired by a range of influential designers and products (1). There is good analysis of the design context in the research (2). The student explores shape and form with continued analysis of opportunities and constraints (3). There is some refinement and resolution of ideas (4).

For a more secure Achieved, the student would need to show further evidence of product design knowledge such as how the chair is assembled. The student could move beyond just producing conceptual shape and form in the final design to providing further visual communication of fixtures, fittings and assembly details.

For Achieved, the student needs to resolve a product design through graphics practice.

This involves:

• exploring and refining design ideas based on an analysis of the design context (including opportunities and constraints) and understanding of product design knowledge
• communicating a product design that addresses identified opportunities and constraints

The student chose to design mood lighting for a stakeholder. The research begins to analyse the context (1) and explores shape and form to reasonable levels (2) and there is some analysis of the design context seen in the student’s annotation and visual communication (3).

To reach Achieved, the work needs to demonstrate a more relevant design focus. There would need to be further evidence of the resolution of the design ideas, such as scaled assembly detail of the components and strengthening of the visual communication used throughout the development of the design ideas.