ASSESSMENT 2: PRACTICAL PROJECT PAGE 1/4

GEOMETRIC COMPOSITION

A S S E S S M E N T N O . 2

GEOMETRIC
COMPOSITION
Timeline: Seminars 5, 6, 7 & 8
Deadline*: Due Sunday 17th January
2022 8pm via CloudDeakin
Weighting: Final Submission = 30%
of overall mark for unit.
*This is subject to change, refer to
class emails for latest information.
Overview: Using Adobe Illustrator, you will design 2, abstract compositions,
each reflecting/evoking an emotion, chosen from the supplied options:
HAPPINESS | SADNESS | FEAR | ANGER | DISGUST | SURPRISE. Your composition will
use only basic shapes, colour and composition to represent your emotions
in a conceptual and non-literal manner. Using Illustrator and basic design
elements (colour, form, composition) to convey the complexity of emotions
will hone both your technical and conceptual visual communication skills.
Consider the lessons on symbols, icons and colour, and incorporate this
thinking into your work.

WHAT TO DO Inside Scheduled hours: Outside Scheduled hours:

The purpose of this brief is to gain
skills in visual communication,
working with abstract concepts
and evoking or representing them
using simple design elements. This
exercise encourages students to
think laterally, push beyond cliché
and consider how basic visual
elements are interpreted.
Please refer to page 3 for an
illustrated example of the design
process for this assignment.
Please refer to page 2 for detailed
instructions and considerations.
READ PAGES 2 & 3 THOROUGHLY.
• Weekly Classes (lectures) will help
build the research methods for
completing the assignment.
• Weekly Seminars (tutorials) will
include work time and guidance
to build the required practical
acquisition. This must be supported
by independent technical tutorials
and collaboration. This means you
must supplement in-class guidance
with independent skills aquisition
and familiarisation with software,
concepts and principles via Lynda,
YouTube, group exploration, etc.
• Field research: observing and
capturing inspiration for the
assignment.
• Academic research (library,
online) to gain understanding of
the concepts and visual techniques
relevant to contemporary design.
• Studio experimentation
establishing a thorough creative
process that includes research,
exploration, concept development,
refinement and finalisation.
• Skills acquisition to add
understanding of software and other
techniques in order to fulfill the
assignment how you envisage it.
ASSESSMENT 2: PRACTICAL PROJECT PAGE 2/4
GEOMETRIC COMPOSITION

WHAT TO SUBMIT & WHAT TO CONSIDER

Assessment 2 requires students consider ways to • 4 • Screen-grabs that document your process
represent/convey/evoke something abstract, like in the digital platform. These should show
an emotion, using only simple shapes, colour and exploration and work that doesn’t end up in your
composition. Students will complete the following final! It should show you exploring/interrogating/
5 components, and submit one, multi-page PDF to playing with your chosen symbols to see how
the cloud. they might look in various iterations. Explore a
different colour palette, or arrangement, or shape,
The following are MINIMUM requirements
or composition! You won’t be able to explore every
to receive a passing mark.
variation, but try to stay true to your concept and
• 1 • A library of at least 40 images of visual see if you can simplify or alter your symbol in some
research/Mood-board/stylescape images found way. Do not just show the step-by-step to your final
both online and offline! This visual research design, this is not evidence of exploration! 
should relate to the work you want to create. It
• 5 • Your two final, refined designs & Explanation.
will capture your eye and inspire you. It may be
These will be completed entirely in Adobe
the colours used, the composition, the concept,
Illustrator, using only basic shapes. These designs
the forms, the style or just the general vibe. This
will evoke/convey/represent your emotions without
is work that reflects something that you want to
depicting them. You are not representing sadness
create in your own designs. All work should include
when you draw someone with a sad face (you are
references to who created it and where you found
depicting someone who is sad). Include a 1 or 2
it. Organise this work neatly with these references.
sentence description of the emotion and the colour
Refer to the Visual Research Example under
theory used. You may present this like a poster
Assignment 1 on the cloud. Be sure to source
(like the Philographics posters) if you would like, or
this work from reputable resources (DO NOT use
however suits you. 
google images) look through design magazines
and books in the library, visit design/art/illustration You must create each element of your design (no
blogs. Avoid pinterest as it is often difficult to tell clip-art, no stock images/designs). Do no use
who created the work. Utilise the “Links, resources, existing images found online or elsewhere.
blogs, places, etc.” page under Readings and
Combine all of the above (components 1-5) into
Further resources on the cloud.
a single, neat and organised, mulit-page PDF and
• 2 •  A minimum of 40 hand-drawn Thumbnail upload to the cloud.
sketches (20 for each design). You may use a
**Please include, in your file name, and/or in the
tablet, but these should be very quick and rough.
notes when you upload, a mention of who your
Each thumbnail explores a unique concept/
tutor is. Your single PDF file should look like this:
direction through different compositions, shapes
and colour (though this may be annotated if done FirstName_Surname_tutorName.pdf
in pencil). Refer to examples. Consider the presentation of your document, the
order, sizing, orientation and flow. Aim to show
• 3 • A minimum of 10 colour palette explorations your work in the best possible light and be sure
with brief annotation of relevant colour harmony to open your final PDF to ensure everything is
theories employed. These will be displayed as included and looks right before you uplaod.
swatches (squares or circles of colours set next to
one another). Avoid using too many colours per
palette (2 or 3 is ideal, not more than 5).
ASSESSMENT 2: PRACTICAL PROJECT PAGE 3/4
GEOMETRIC COMPOSITION

W H AT T O D O :
(Remembering that the
Design process is non-linear!)

Visual Research/
Moodboard/
Stylescape/
Minimum 40 Images with reference
of: Who made (artists/designer)
Where found (book, blog, etc.)

Thumbnails
Minimum 40 Thumbnails that explore
unique solutions to represent/
evoke/convey your emotion. Do
not explore the same idea over and
over!
Thumbnail examples from Shannon
Ferfuson: running-with-foxes.com

Colour Palettes Screen Grabs

Minimum 10 colour combinations & Show exploration, NOT STEPS!
colour harmony identified.

complemntary triadic

Final Designs
Presented neatly,
with annotations
triadic
ASSESSMENT 2: PRACTICAL PROJECT PAGE 4/4
GEOMETRIC COMPOSITION

CRITERIA EVIDENCE PERCENTAGE

OF MARK

Use appropriate design process • Compile 40 items for your visual ideas mood board 15%
and idea generation techniques

• Show an understand of basic colour theory in your 5%

colour selection

Display self- directed learning, • Evidence of influence of thumbnail sketches on final 15%
with attention to detail. digital design.

• Creation and completion of 2 final designs that reflect 25%

and follow the processes outlined in the brief

Discuss and interpret visual • Successful and accurate use of Adobe Illustrator in 10%
communication design using written creating content.
and oral methods

• Evidence of basic skills for organising content 10%

within Adobe Illustrator including alignment,
transform, duplicate.

• Successfully saved and uploaded assignment as a 10%

single pdf document.

Demonstrate design and analysis • Correct identification and application of a 10%

skills for creating design solutions colour theory

TOTAL 100%

This submission forms 30% of the unit assessment total

Due Date: Refer to deadlines detailed on page 1
OR YOUR LATEST EMAILS FROM TUTOR.
Submission: Refer to submission guidelines detailed
on pages 2 & 3.