Level 3.30 DVC Initiate design ideas through exploration Part 1 Lesley Pearce National Coordinator Team Solutions The Auckland University

LO: Visual Communication Level 8 At level 8: Students demonstrate they can work from a starting point/experience and are able to generate ideas in the broadest sense to create new innovative design ideas. Students demonstrate effective and clear complex and high quality visual communication strategies/techniques and knowledge that communicates the intent of their design.

3.10 Initiate design ideas through exploration Where do designers start their design thinking from? Where do these ideas lead to? What visual techniques do they use to explore design ideas?

Starting point Exploring ideas Final design idea Use of visual communication techniques: sketching, rendering

Working from an inspiration board

Starting experiences can come from…

Nature Young fern shoots The Koru (Spiral) Symbol spiral, new beginnings The spiral shaped koru is a very popular Maori tribal symbol. The Koru, shaped in the form of an unfurling spiral represents the unfolding silver fern frond. It symbolizes new beginnings in life. Koru is the Maori word for "bight" or "loop" and refers to new shoots of the silver fern. The circular movement towards an inner coil refers to 'going back to the beginning'. The unfurling frond itself is symbolic for new life, hope, perfection, rebirth, a new start, awakening, personal growth, hope, purity, nurturing, a new phase (in life), the spirit of rejuvenation, and peace.

5etnApDS8 architect Barry Berkus demonstrates how nature can inspire design

Maori Guardian Angel - Manaia The manaia symbolizes a mythical being with a bird's head a human body and fish tail. Manaia is considered the messenger between the Gods and mortals. In Maori culture the bird is thought to be an omen-carrier or intermediary between man and the spirits. That's why manaia, with its specific body shape, represents spiritual power and is seen as the guide that leads the spirits to heaven. Sometimes the manaia symbol is described as some kind of aura; the invisible light surrounding a person. The Manaia symbol is described in many ways. The word doubles as the word for lizard and some say it is a beaked and ornamental figure. Others think its origins are in the human profile. There is also the movement that suspects the Manaia relates to a distant avian (bird) cult.

Case study Charlotte Dickson Table lamp Inspired by the The Maori Circle (Porowhita) Circle - Porowhita The closed circle with a hole in between represents the never ending circle of life and nature. It also stands for the belief that life has no beginning or end. A celebration of cradle to cradle

Activity In groups read the Learning Objective, Assessment Specifications and AS Create a visual to explain the process expected by a student to be successful.

Assessment Specifications Variety of media in any form Up to A2 60 page maximum Focused on product or spatial Visual communication techniques Starting point experience to idea generation Exploration of ideas through 2D and/or 3D