VCE Visual Communication Design (Year 11) · Unit 1 — Design Problems and Practice · 14m read

The Design Process — Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver

Designers do not start with drawing — they start with understanding the problem. The double diamond process structures the whole of VCD, from Year 11 to the Year 12 folio.

Learning objective: Apply the VCD design process (the double diamond) to communication design problems.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can describe each phase of the double diamond.
• I can explain divergent and convergent thinking.
• I can write a design brief.

The double diamond is breathing in and out. Designers breathe out (diverge — explore many ideas), then breathe in (converge — choose the best). They do it twice: once to understand the problem, once to solve it.

The Design Process — Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver

THE DOUBLE DIAMOND:
• DISCOVER — research the problem, users and context (divergent).
• DEFINE — synthesise findings into a clear design problem and brief (convergent).
• DEVELOP — generate, test and refine ideas (divergent).
• DELIVER — resolve and present final design solutions (convergent).

DIVERGENT vs CONVERGENT THINKING:
• Divergent — explore many possibilities.
• Convergent — narrow down using criteria.

THE DESIGN BRIEF:
• Client, audience/users, purpose, context, constraints, deliverables, timeline.

DESIGN FIELDS:
• Messages (posters, branding), objects (products), environments (spaces, signage), interactive experiences (apps, websites).

| Phase | Mode | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Discover | Diverge | Research, interviews, observation, mood boards |
| Define | Converge | Brief, needs, constraints, design criteria |
| Develop | Diverge | Ideation, sketches, prototypes, testing |
| Deliver | Converge | Refine, final presentation, evaluation |

Key ideas at a glance

• Diverge before converging: Many ideas first.
• Return to the brief: Criteria guide choices.
• Iterate: Test and refine.
• Annotate decisions: Explain why.

Worked example (Medium)

Write a design brief summary for a school recycling campaign.

1. Client. School sustainability committee.
2. Audience. Students aged 12–18.
3. Purpose. Increase correct recycling.
4. Deliverables. Poster series and bin signage.
5. Constraints. A4/A3 print, school colours, two-week timeline.

Answer: Client, audience, purpose, deliverables and constraints clearly stated.

Worked example (Hard)

Apply the double diamond to designing a café logo.

1. Discover. Visit café, interview owner and customers, competitor research.
2. Define. Brief: warm, local, eco-friendly; works on cups and signage.
3. Develop. 30 thumbnail sketches → 3 concepts → digital tests.
4. Deliver. Refined logo, style guide, mock-ups.

Answer: Each phase diverges or converges towards a refined logo.

Common mistakes

• Jumping to final designs The process requires research and ideation first. Fix: Show discover and define stages.

Design thinking

Design thinking puts people at the centre: empathise, define, ideate, prototype, test.

It's used beyond graphic design — in business, health and government — to solve complex "wicked" problems.

Practice questions

1. Generating many ideas is which kind of thinking?

   1. Convergent
   2. Divergent
   3. Critical
   4. Final

   (1 marks)

2. Name three elements of a design brief.

   (2 marks)

3. Which phase diverges to explore ideas?

   1. Define
   2. Develop
   3. Deliver
   4. All converge

   (1 marks)

4. Explain why designers diverge before converging.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Discover, define, develop, deliver.
• Divergent and convergent thinking.
• The brief frames the problem.
• Diverge, converge, twice.