Art Department Report 

Year 10 VCD Students Design for the Ballarat Marathon 

Year 10 Visual Communication and Design students were excited to welcome Adam McNicol, director of the Ballarat Marathon, to Woodman’s Hill Secondary College on Friday 31 July. 

Adam spoke with students about the Ballarat Marathon and what makes the event unique, providing valuable insights as students develop concepts for the official 2027 Ballarat Marathon finisher’s medal. Students had the opportunity to ask questions about the event, runners and the design brief, gaining valuable first-hand knowledge. 

As part of the project, students also co-created a survey for the marathon’s key target audience, receiving almost 400 responses. This real-world, human-centred research has helped students identify what participants value and use genuine audience feedback to guide their design decisions. 

The project provides students with an authentic opportunity to apply their Visual Communication Design skills to a real client, audience and design brief.