CUV503111 Diploma of Graphic Design

Assessment 2 Visual Diary

CUVDIG502A

Investigate technologies for the creation of digital art

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© Open Colleges Pty Ltd, 2014

OC assessment code:

30533/02

By Colleen Sedgwick

Student noE0498336

Assessment overviewIntroductionThis assessment requires you to create a Visual Diary that serves as a reflection and learning journal for this course and describes your exploration and investigation of a single software package used for the creation or manipulation of digital art and content. This exploration revolved around the four progress challenges detailed in the learning module.

File namingOnce you feel confident that you have covered the learning materials for this unit, you are ready to at-tempt this assessment. To help Open Colleges manage your assessment, please use the following file-naming convention: [student number]_[assessment]_[assessment number].doc for example 12345678_21850a_01.doc.

Assessment submissionWhen you are ready to submit your assessment, upload the file in OpenSpace using the Assessment Upload links in the relevant study period of your course. The Student Lounge provides a ‘Quick Guide to Uploading Assessments’ if you need further assistance. Uploading assessments in OpenSpace will enable Open Colleges to provide you with the fastest feedback and grading on your assessment. It is important that you keep a copy of all assessment materials submitted to Open Colleges.

TIPWe strongly recommend you complete all activities and engage in the student forums throughout the module.

Elements and critical aspects

Assessment for this unit of competency is comprised of:

• CUVDIG502A Investigate technologies for the creation of digital art

You will be assessed on your understanding of:

• research digital technologies

• select digital technologies for in-depth exploration

• integrate technologies into own work

• manage digital technologies in professional practice.

You must demonstrate the ability to:

• apply knowledge of digital technologies and how they may be used and adapted at a professional level

• evolve and refine ways of working with technologies through a demonstrated process of experimentation

• integrate technologies into own work in a way that supports coherence of the creative work

• demonstrate technical proficiency in the use of selected digital technologies using safe and sustainable work practices.

Assessment Part A – Software research and analysisNature of task: Critical analysisWord count: 250 RequiredYou are required to complete Progress challenge 1. Recommended• Complete all activities• Engage in forum discussion Summary• Save your final work as a PDF for final submission.

Activity Progress challenge 1: Software research and analysisThis progress challenge requires you to research and investigate three different software technolo-gies that would allow you to create and manipulate digital imagery and designs. This report should include the following:

1. An analysis describing the features and capabilities of each of the three different technol-ogies you chose to investigate.2. An analysis detailing the latest features and benefits used by each of the software technol-ogies you chose and what this may potentially mean to any designer using it.3. An analysis describing at least three effects and capabilities that can only be achieved by using one of the technologies you chose to investigate.4. An analysis describing how each of the software technologies you chose can be acquired or purchased and what method of acquisition would work best for a freelance digital designer.

Assessment Part A - Software Research and Analysis

I chose the following for pho-to imaging technology (these are all software I have used on my desktop computer):

1. Adobe Photoshop

2. Roxio Photosuite

3. Olympus Master 2

Features and capabilities:

1. For Photoshop, these include: Rendering to various formats e.g. jpg, png, bmp; Interactive with other programs in CC; Many dif-ferent effects

2. Photosuite: Also has many different effects and able to edit photos, e.g., simple shapes, pho-to cut-outs, drop shadows.

3. Olympus Master 2: simple photo editing, such as cropping, sharp-ening, hue/saturation, bright-ness/contrast; features similar

to Light Room (another photo ed-iting application in the Adobe CC suite)

Benefits:

1. For Photoshop: A comprehen-sive array of effects; highly ver-satile (able to use with the oth-er programs in Creative Suite); Upgrades and latest information available

2. Photosuite: simple and easy to use – not a lot of training is required; cost-effective, as long as you are happy with the range of effects.

3. Olympus Master 2: simple and easy to use; no prior knowledge of digital technology necessary.

Features exclusive to this program:

1. Photoshop: Puppet Warp; liq-uefy; lasso tool and many other

effects which are not available on other programs.

2. Photosuite: easy to use Cut-out (trace) function; scroll-down to preview effects

3. Olympus Master 2: Functions similar to Lightroom (so not en-tirely exclusive), but not avail-able to Photosuite.

Acquisition

1. Photoshop: Via monthly sub-scription to Adobe Creative Cloud; Student discount c/o Open Col-leges.

2. Photosuite: Came with comput-er; upgrades available as down-load;

3. Olympus Master 2: Available as a CD-ROM, which I can load onto the computer, and came with the purchase of my Olympus camera.

Assessment Part B – Software assessment and selectionNature of task: Artwork and reflectionWord count: 250 RequiredYou are required to complete Progress challenge 2.

Recommended• Complete all activities• Engage in forum discussion

Summary• Save your final work as a PDF for final submission.

Activity Progress challenge 2: Software assessment and selectionThis progress challenge requires you to reflect on the evaluation and selection process you ob-served to choose which of the three software technologies you wanted to investigate further. This report should include the following:

1. An analysis describing at least three different types of real- world projects that each of the three software technologies can be used for and what industries or organisations can benefit from these types of projects.2. An analysis describing the weaknesses and limitations that each of the three software tech-nologies has and how this may affect designers using these tools.3. An analysis explaining which among the three technologies you investigated would best suit your practice and want to learn and experiment with, and why this is so.

Assessment Part B – Software assessment and selection

Part 1

Good uses for all three software

applications:

1. Creating diagrams and charts – much like Visio in Microsoft

2. Create vector graphics – an alter-native to Illustrator

3. Mind mapping

Google Draw can also be used for:

4. Educational activities - presenta-tions

5. Collaboration and sharing – online via Google Docs (all you need is a Google account) (Google Docs, 2016).

Illustrator is the industry standard for graphic design and I would expect most kinds of industries to use it when there is a call for illustration.

I have only used Google Drawings once, for a mood board – however, I thought it would do for creating simple graphics until I become familiar with Illustra-tor. I read it is good for educational purposes (to be used with Google Docs) and for basic illustrations and graph-ics.

I have not used Inkscape yet, but I know people who have.

Part 2

One of the drawbacks of Illustrator is that like most programs with Creative Cloud, it is costly. Another is that it

can be quite time consuming to learn because there are so many different things.

The main drawback I found with Google Drawings is that its capabilities are limited. Also, you have to go online to use it (and be a member of Google as well)

I have yet to discover the drawbacks for Inkscape, since I haven’t used it at all.

See Above (from left to right):

• An Infographic for Australia Post made using

Illustrator;

• A mood board made using Google Drawings;

• Another graphic made using Google drawings.

Assessment Part C – Software exploration and experimentationNature of task: Artwork and reflectionWord count: 250RequiredYou are required to complete Progress challenge 3.

Recommended• Complete all activities• Engage in forum discussionSummary• Save your final work as a PDF for final submission.

Activity Progress challenge 3: Software exploration and experimentationThis progress challenge requires you to share the processes involved in experiment-ing with the software you chose by submitting the following:

1. Website link to two different online tutorials or exercises that take you through the process of creating different pieces of digital art.2. At least three images or screen shots showing various work- in-progress versions while you were doing one of the two tutorials.3. One image of the final artwork you created through the tutorial.4. Using the techniques in the tutorials you viewed, submit one image of your own original simple artwork created by using the software you chose.5. Show your original digital artwork to a friend or peer for and, in a short report, describe opportunities of refinement and personal improvement based on your peer’s feedback.6. Describe at least three sustainability issues, safety and health procedures and practices you want to observe when using the design software you chose.

This one is from 3D Buzz:http://www.3dbuzz.com/t r a i n i n g / v i e w / p h o t o-shop-cs5-fundamentals/photoshop-cs5-fundamen-tals

These are the Photoshop tutorials I did for Study Period 2, Module 1, and

Progress Challenge 10.

These include painting ba-sics, brush presets and history brushes.

Assessment Part C – Software exploration and experimentation

Assessment Part C – Software exploration and experimentation

Another set of tutorials are

these ones on Adobe TV, in re-

lation to image compositing, for

Progress Challenge 6, Study Pe-

riod 2, and Module 2:

https://helpx.stage.adobe.com/

photoshop/atv/cs5-tutorials.

html

Assessment Part C – Software exploration and experimentation

Final image: Reclaiming the Harbour

Assessment Part C – Software exploration and experimentation

From left to right: Gotcha - hammerhead shark (using Photo-

shop); t-shirt designs (using Illustrator); and poster design

(using InDesign)

Assessment Part C – Feedback, OH&S, Sustainability

Hi Colleen, I like the theme that you chose for your com-position. I nearly did the same type of thing (with the floating sharks), but I changed my mind at the last minute. I also had a look at some of your blog sites. It took me quite some time to go through it all - as you always do such a thorough job in many of the tasks. I thought you did really well with managing to get a lot of your work out there on multiple websites. Good to see!

Re: Progress Challenge 6: Student discussionby Andrew Yu - Saturday, 12 December 2015, 04:49 PM

Greetings all,Here is my work for Progress Challenge 3. I used Photoshop to do the pictures, then InDesign for the final layout.I actually worked on some of those images in Study Period 2, so I am re-using them, but what I forgot to do was upload and submiBut anyway, it showcases what I have done or can do with Photoshop and then with InDesign.Cheers,Colleen

Re: ACTIVITY progress challenge 3By Lakeia Mundine - Monday, 28 March 2016, 02:05 PM

For the ‘Gotcha’ picture and ‘Shark Smart’ adver-tisementRe: ACTIVITY progress chal-lenge 3By COLLEEN SEDGWICK - Mon-day, 28 March 2016, 01:38

AM

Hi Colleen,

Thank you for the feedback. I quite like your T-shirt shark design, the shark looks like it is 3D and that it is coming out at you.

Good work!

- Lakeia

My safety plan will include:• Being aware of and abiding by the

potential hazards• Setting up equipment – cameras and

computers;• Sitting correctly at my work sta-

tion and taking regular breaks Sustainability: • turning off lights and equipment

when not in use;• minimising resource usage;• Using recycled materials.

Assessment Part D – Managing the design softwareNature of task: ReportWord count: 250 RequiredYou are required to complete Progress challenge 4.

Recommended• Complete all activities• Engage in forum discussion

Summary• Save your final work as a PDF for final submission.

Activity Progress challenge 4: Managing the design softwareThis progress challenge requires you to create a short report describing practices and habits you can develop to expand and improve your skills in using the design software you chose to experiment with. This report should include the following:1. A description on how you plan to continuously improve your competence, knowledge and skill in using the software2. At least three practices that will allow you to save electricity, disk space and paper in using the design software.3. At least three practices you want to observe to ensure your software and computer life will be extended in terms of storage, logistics and handling it on an everyday basis.

Assessment SUBMISSIONInstructions• Collate parts A–D into a single ZIP file comprised of 4 PDFs.• Follow file-naming conventions.• Navigate to your Assessments page to submit.

•

Assessment Part D – Managing the design software

Keeping up to date:

Ways to keep updated include:

Blogs

In well as https://www.smashingmagazine.com/, another de-

sign magazine I have come across is HOW Design Magazine:

http://www.howdesign.com/. It has many tips for keeping

updated on technology.

Online video tutorials

• YouTube: for me, it is the ‘go to’ site for video tuto-

rials - https://www.youtube.com/.

• Adobe TV (the official video site for tu-

torials on using their software): http://

tv.adobe.com/. Because Adobe Creative

Suite and Creative Cloud are ‘industry

standard’ (i.e. I need to use them), I

know I can be updated on the latest soft-

ware.

• Lynda.com: For a monthly fee, there are

limitless courses to choose from.

Social Networking Sites:

• LinkedIn: I can look out for different

jobs, connect with other people, and watch

presentations on Slide Share (now part of

LinkedIn).

• Facebook: Like most people, I am a member

of this site as well.

Reducing Wastage

Three ways I intend to reduce waste:

Electricity:

• Turning off the power when a device (e.g. computer, tablet

or mobile phone) is not used;

Disk space:

• compressing documents and/or saving to PDF,

• using applications like Disk Cleanup or Crap Cleaner,

• backing up documents to an external hard-drive or storage

cloud (like Google Drive);

Paper:

• Using recycled paper,

• using both sides of paper,

• Not using paper unless necessary.

3 ways I intend to extend the

life of my computer and stor-

age:

• Switching off when there is an electrical

storm;

• Running virus checks regularly;

• Storing my external storage (i.e. CD-ROMs,

USB drive) when not in use.

•

References3D Buzz: Photoshop CS5 Fundamentals, http://www.3dbuzz.com/training/view/photoshop-cs5-fundamentals/photoshop-cs5-fundamentals

Adobe TV (2016): http://tv.adobe.com/

Adobe.com: CS5 Tutorials, https://helpx.stage.adobe.com/photoshop/atv/cs5-tutorials.html

Department of Primary Industries (2015): Fishing and Aquaculture - Sharks, http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/info/sharks

Department of Primary Industries (2015): Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Shark Attack in http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/info/sharks/tips-to-reduce-your-risk-of-shark-attack; see also ‘Shark Smart Brochure: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/304415/SharkSmart-brochure.pdf)

Google Docs (2016): Google Drawings for Graphic Organizers, in https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SCRsgF-3Su8DYYgzXqwCGCg_Xy-lq-LrZ5_jcSPbPRW0/edit#; viewed Sunday, 27 March 2016 at 10:47 PM

HOW Design Magazine: http://www.howdesign.com/

Lynda.com: http://www.lynda.com

Open Colleges (2013): ‘1.1: Exploring Photomedia’ in CUV50311 Diploma of Graphic Design – Stock Code 30529a (Work with Photo-media in Creative Practice), page 9; see also Trendbreaker - Source: http://trendsbreaker.com/fashion-photography-diet-coke/;

OpenSpace Student Forum (2015): : Progress Challenge 6: Student discussion https://learning.opencolleges.edu.au/mod/forum/dis-cuss.php?d=66771#p327477; viewed Saturday, 2 April 2016 at 8:48 AM

OpenSpace Student Forum (2016): Re: ACTIVITY progress challenge 3, in https://learning.opencolleges.edu.au/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=51596; viewed Monday, 28 March 2016 at 12:54 AM

Sedgie Art (2015): Sedgie Art on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SedgieArt/);

Sedgwick, C (2015): Colleen Sedgwick on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1081149281917419.1073741862.277379758961046&type=3;

Sedgwick, C (2015): Colleen Sedgwick on LinkedIn, https://au.linkedin.com/in/colleen-sedgwick-51a0315b

Sedgwick, C (2015): Colleen Sedgwick on SlideShare, http://www.slideshare.net/ColleenSedgwick

Smashing Magazine (2016): https://www.smashingmagazine.com/

YouTube (2016): https://www.youtube.com/.