CDS1303 The language of graphic design
Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
CDS1303 The language of graphic design is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, offered in 2025 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
The 2027 handbook has no page for CDS1303. This is its 2025 entry, the latest one.
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Requisites
Before CDS1303
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
Corequisites
Pass these before, or take them in the same semester.
After CDS1303
No unit lists CDS1303 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be enrolled in a Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture course, or approval from Chief Examiner.
Overview
In this unit you will study the work of innovative visual designers from Modernism until the present. You will analyse how designers use pictorial images and words to convey meanings; and how they achieve this by employing a form of visual language equivalent to written language. Through studying design solutions created in contexts ranging from mainstream graphic design and advertising through to socio-political messages and imagery made by non-designers, you will develop a referential understanding of the potential of visual language for designers. You will then be required to apply this knowledge to the making of designs employing similar problem-solving strategies.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Project 1Project15%
- Project 2Project35%
- Project 3Project50%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Understand the breadth of communication elements used within graphic design including metaphor, juxtaposition, parody, wit and humour;
- 2
Understand the development of modern graphic design and its associated conceptual and intellectual development;
- 3
Clearly understand the language and grammar of visual communication;
- 4
Utilise a thorough comprehension of this language in the execution of your own projects.
Workload and teaching
- Studio activities36 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
12 hours per week including 3 contact hours plus 9 hours of independent study.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Mr Warren Taylor
- Unit Coordinators
- Mr Warren Taylor
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for CDS1303?
None, but you must take OHS1000 before or alongside it.
When is CDS1303 offered?
In 2025, CDS1303 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
Does CDS1303 have an exam?
No. CDS1303 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.