NCEA Level 2 – 90235 Design
2012
Examples of Candidate Work
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Excellence
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This portfolio has been verified clearly within the Excellence
grade range.
‘The Last Straw’’
The portfolio presents outstanding evidence to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum,
Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in Visual Arts, Level 7:
Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas; Communicating and
Interpreting.
This promotion for the store ‘The Last Straw’ has the interesting premise of ‘up-cycling’ that is basically an
up-marketing of recycled items. A mood is established from the outset that is intelligently and critically
sustained throughout the six briefs. Historical and eclectic motifs such as paisley and doilies are cleverly
combined in a repackaging to appeal to the contemporary market.
Designers like Eduardo Recife and Paul Rand and 50’s fashion, fabrics, montage and art deco all could have
influenced the student’s decision to produce an eclectic yet very coherent promotion.
The student consistently regenerates a range of high quality options and critically selects the best outcome.
Regeneration is seen within each brief as well as across the whole submission. Developed options that
precede the final outcome are often sophisticated solutions in themselves. Technical expertise in digital
processes and construction contributes to the flow of the submission. Framing helps organise the sequences of
images and provides a focus without distracting from the overall flow from one brief to the next.
The student has produced a promotion that is intelligently established from the outset. Design ideas and
solutions are consistently developed, clarified and regenerated throughout. The student at no point loses sight
of the design process throughout this submission.
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This portfolio has been verified clearly within the Excellence
grade range
‘The Kills’’
The portfolio presents ample to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum, Learning
Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in Visual Arts, Level 7:
Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas;
Communicating and Interpreting.
This promotion of the band ‘The Kills’ includes designing a logo, cover and packaging for the compact
disc ‘Lucky Thirteen’, promotional poster and website. It references genres like post-punk and grunge
that are used with the red-cross motif and text and photographic images to develop a very well structured
and organised submission.
The candidate has addressed the needs of a particular and relevant brief. The artwork produced is
appropriate to its target audience and critically selects and edits throughout. The consistency and
effective use of the iconic cross motif plays a dynamic role in the submission. It is particularly effective
in the final set of web designs where it acts as a foil and contrast to the textured ground, image and type.
Appropriated imagery has been re-contextualised meaningfully. Commercially produced photographs
have not overwhelmed the design process but have been successfully integrated into the compositions
with skilful use of digital processes. The hierarchy of text and image is effectively handled throughout.
The candidate works consistently at a high level through both panels. This is a fluent body of work that
handles imagery with sensitivity. It thoroughly explores design processes and clarifies ideas with
informed criticality.
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This portfolio has been verified at the lower end of the Excellence
grade range.
‘Tea’
The portfolio presents sound evidence to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum,
Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in Visual Arts, Level 7:
Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas;
Communicating and Interpreting.
This promotion for a retro Tea Shop develops an aesthetic of a by-gone era that is informatively
established through an appropriate mood board. It employs imagery such as doilies, the silhouette head
and references to Old English tea shops that are referenced across the briefs. Something that could be
seen as quite prosaic is elevated to become culturally relevant and important because of the considered
approach of the candidate. The briefs of a logo, poster, tea bag label, magazine spread and website are
sensitively considered as ideas are clarified and regenerated.
The colour palette is consistent and entirely appropriate to the theme of the promotion. The use of
montage and floral motifs enhance the developments as designers like Eduardo Recife are used to
critically inform decisions. Sizing and ordering are intelligently employed throughout as ideas are
regenerated in each individual brief and also throughout the entire submission. A critical approach is
clear in the way images are sequenced from concept through to the resolved final images.
To move further up the Excellence grade range the candidate could have regenerated and clarified ideas
further for the website brief.
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Merit
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This portfolio has been verified at the higher end of the Merit
grade range.
‘One Heart’
The portfolio presents sound evidence to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand
Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in
Visual Arts, Level 7: Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge;
Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.
This submission promotes a music festival with a logo, business card, sticker, ticket and poster
presented. It explores within each brief and consistently across the submission, a range of
outcomes appropriate to the constraints of each proposition. Soul Bass [in the silhouette figure],
political posters and Constructivism could all have been used to inform the study that
effectively employs a limited colour palette throughout. There is a clear sense of purpose
evident in the submission.
Repetition is handled well in the context of the influences used and hand drawn elements are
used appropriate to purpose. The use of text as a backdrop pattern, along with subtle changes in
tonal variation contrast with the saturated red used throughout. A highly competent level of
understanding of both specific and generic approaches to design is evident throughout the
submission. There is invention across all briefs and clearly established hierarchies of
information presented.
To move to Excellence, the candidate could have generated and presented more initial ideas to
create further options for regeneration. This could have included another photo-shoot of the
dancing crowd or the introduction of another colour to regenerate ideas further on the second
panel.
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This portfolio has been verified in the middle of the Merit
grade range.
‘MX’
The portfolio presents sufficient evidence to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand
Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in
Visual Arts, Level 7: Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge;
Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.
This promotion involves presenting a logo, pictogram, business card, sticker, ticket and poster
with an emphasis on type and image. The submission builds in scale and complexity
appropriate to the ideas and conventions of each brief. The work could have been influenced by
David Carson and other genre specific designers.
The initial research informs successive experimentation and image making. Patterning,
repetition, scale and positive negative relationships are all explored with a clear sense of
purpose. Conventions like alignment and contrast are used to inform the selection and
placement of the visual elements. Layering adds a degree of complexity to the imagery and is
confidently demonstrated. A coherent and relevant colour scheme is used throughout. This aids
the presentation and assists the reading of the proposition.
The submission sits in the middle of the Merit range because it purposefully uses the cog/tyre
as a motif with deliberate intent. It shows clear understanding of spatial properties and the use
of motifs as compositional devices. It could have moved further up the Merit grade range by
presenting some new imagery, either photographically or drawn, to create new opportunities for
extension.
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This portfolio has been verified at the lower end of the Merit
grade range.
‘Thirstea’
The portfolio presents sufficient evidence to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand
Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in
Visual Arts, Level 7: Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge;
Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.
The submission deals with promoting an iced-tea company. Briefs on logo, bottle label, bus
shelter poster and website are developed. The submission is well presented, clearly ordered
with the selection of works showing a clear sense of purpose throughout. The ideas could have
been informed by Soul bass, surf culture designers and summer heat.
The candidate uses strong, saturated and consistent colour to support the ideas and add to the
brand’s strength. Typography and the amount of text used assists in the management of the
imagery that is aligned to brand use and is entirely appropriate. The alignment and placement
of the bottle to indicate the cap demonstrates careful consideration by the student.
There is an extension of ideas articulated in each brief with understanding of the conventions of
branding clearly evident. The logo has informed and supported the making of subsequent briefs
in a purposeful manner. Similarly the bottle is used as a motif informatively in the poster and
web designs. Initial explorations provide sufficient opportunities for a range of outcomes.
However, the candidate could have provided further extension by introducing new ideas to take
the submission further into the Merit grade range.
The submission’s initial concepts are purposeful and it reaches a level of competency and
maintains this without any inconsistencies. The sequences of work presented have an inherent
logic to its overall development and these are based on the sound generation of ideas.
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Achieved
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This portfolio has been verified at the higher end of the
Achieved grade range.
‘Outboxed
The portfolio presents sufficient evidence to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand
Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in
Visual Arts, Level 7: Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge;
Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.
The submission promotes a boxing event with briefs on logo, T shirt design, ticket and poster
.Key ideas and references at the top of panel one are clearly shown and inform a related series
of briefs. David Hockney’s photo-montages, boxing posters and grunge designers could have
contributed to informing the candidate’s decisions.
The submission works through a narrow range of ‘ingredients’ but it does so in a systematic
manner. There is consistency between each of the briefs with clear ordering and presentation
that assists the reading of the work and the development of ideas. Design conventions and the
use of a consistent set of visual elements show understanding in the sequences presented.
Drawing is used to explore initial research and layout. Type and typography provide the early
focus, and the logo’s tonality and readability are well handled. The decision to use the
photographs of a t-shirt as a canvas is appropriate given that the designs include arms and
shoulders.
The submission could have moved into the Merit grade range by producing a greater variety of
imagery to inform the proposition so that image production and ideas could have been
extended. The candidate could also have investigated height and width formatting to
demonstrate a more purposeful approach in the presentation of the briefs.
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This portfolio has been verified at the lower end of the
Achieved grade range.
‘Perfume’
The portfolio presents sufficient evidence to meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand
Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007, relating to the following strands in
Visual Arts, Level 7: Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge;
Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.
The submission involves the promotion of a book ‘The Fantail’ with briefs for a title, cover,
double page spread and it concludes with a poster. The candidate has demonstrated
understanding of design conventions in the double page spread and selected final concepts
presented on panel two. These also show understanding of how the computer can be used as a
design drawing tool. The investigation of ideas in this brief demonstrates sufficient evidence of
generation and development of ideas to affirm the Achieved grade.
To move further up the Achieved grade range the candidate could have shown a clearer
relationship between the individual briefs and provided evidence of development in the poster
design. The candidate would also need to produce more work throughout the submission and
eliminate obvious gaps evidenced at the conclusion of panel two. The selection, editing and
ordering of work are important in achieving this standard.
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