Virtual Design

Year 4

In Year 4 Virtual Design Innovation, students will be given the opportunity to explore the unique world of design for the very first time in their schooling lives. The concepts of unity, balance, contrast, emphasis, scale and repetition, the building blocks of design, will all play a part in this introduction – as will the 10 principles of renowned industrial design of Braun fame – Deiter Rams, with students ultimately designing both an item of clothing, as well as a ‘signature shoe’ as their practicum. Students will also be afforded the opportunity to talk a fashion designer and graphic designer and learn from their firsthand experiences in a secondary, tertiary and industry setting. Finally, as the name suggests, learners will learn how to turn a 2D design on a page into a 3D design through the help of Virtual Reality headsets and the tool ‘Open Brush’ - an intuitive form of computer assisted design that allows for digital painting in a 3D environment. Year 4 Virtual Design is sure to be a unique introduction to a varied and fascinating discipline. 

Year 5

In Year 5 Virtual Design, students will explore multiple facets of the world of design – ranging from sketching techniques, perspective drawings, raster graphics editors and even national design philosophies and cultures – all of which will serve as an exposure to the overarching discipline. To bolster their knowledge, students will be offered the chance to talk to two industry professionals – one a graduate from RMIT’s school of fashion design and the other a current graphic designer from the University of Melbourne. To conclude the term, the nations of Japan, Italy and France, all famous powerhouses in the world of industrial and product design, will be analysed, as their unique design philosophies are effectively a microcosm of their overall national psyches. This will culminate in students being afforded the opportunity to create a product line inspired by one of these countries, blending established rules and philosophies with their own opinions on what ‘good design’ should be. Finally, as the name of the class would suggest, learners will also become acquainted with Virtual Reality headsets and the endless possibilities they offer when it comes to 3D drawing and planning. 

Year 6

Year 6 Virtual Design students will experience both traditional and digital mediums of design, ranging from the classic pencil and paper to raster graphics editors to even Virtual Reality headsets, and decide for themselves what they think truly constitutes ‘good design’ - or indeed, if such a phrase is even possible to make an objective reality. An opportunity to explore the world of footwear design will present itself to the learners as an ‘introduction’ to the concept of design briefs and the design process, an introduction which will also be supplemented by the chance to talk to real industry workers in the fields of graphic and fashion design. Finally, in a lesson sequence that nestles itself at a unique intersection of arts, culture and history, students will analyse the street cultures of three great European cities, with Berlin’s fragmented past, London’s blend of pomp and rebellion and Paris’ elegance and romance all being examined. This will then culminate in students designing a ‘European product line’ based around the character of a selected city.