Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Communication Design

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Communication Design qualification is to ensure that graduates exit with the ability to engage critically and reflexively with visual communication design and attendant theories and discourses and that they hone associated practical competencies, which embody epistemological, ontological, and axiological transformations realised as part of a fit-for-purpose learning experience at Honours level.

This qualification aims to empower learners to demonstrate problem-solving capabilities, accountability and conduct that is appropriate to academic and professional contexts at NQF level 8, specifically with reference to how these capabilities, accountabilities, and behaviours are shaped in the context of an Honours qualification.

In alignment with the core purpose and characteristics of a Bachelor Honours Degree, the proposed qualification is primarily aimed at developing academic rigour and criticality in the discipline of Visual Communication Design, thus preparing learners for further postgraduate study. This is achieved with a focus on integrative and iterative research-led practice and practice-led research, which learners are challenged to undertake reflexively. The proposed qualification emphasises a number of key discourses pertaining to visual culture and the field of visual communication design, including body politics and representation, postcolonial and decolonial discourses, and discourses related to visual culture in the digital space, and affords learners ample opportunity to use discourses to frame practical work, as well as to project insights surfaced from the creation of practical work to feed back into theoretical frameworks.

Learners will also be expected to extend discourses around visual culture to the identification and creative response to design challenges in a socio-political context. The qualification provides learners with academic guidance on research practices, ensuring that all graduates receive individual and personalised assistance while mastering academic conventions, culminating in the completion of a mini dissertation framing a compendium of design work produced by the learner.

Learners are challenged to refine their practical design competence, all the while engaging in critical reflection, and moving between theoretical frameworks and design practice, and back from design practice to theoretical frameworks. The proposed qualification seeks to develop visual communication designers who are able to produce thoughtful and meaningful work of exceptional quality. In addition to affording learners' opportunities to hone the conceptual and technical skills to develop world-class designs, the qualification also hopes to enable Honours graduates entering or progressing in the industry to do so at a more advanced level through the development of a body of work - framed by and feeding into sound visual research - thus showcasing their academic, conceptual, and technical flair.

The qualification also features an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship with the recognition of the value that these aspects offer in the professional visual design context: learners will be challenged to explore ways in which design solutions can be engaged with from a creative entrepreneurial angle and commercialised meaningfully through processes of empathising, ideating, prototyping and testing creative design solutions based on a deep understanding of how such solutions would impact the triple bottom line. Therefore, the qualification seeks to instil in graduates a sense of accountability and ethics which, paired with insights into critical discourses in the field of visual communication design, will enable them to contribute to projects related to cultural enlightenment and social upliftment.

Upon completion of the qualification, the qualifying learner will be able to

• Demonstrate critical engagement with discourses around visual culture to render complex societal challenges open for visual research.
• Execute integrated visual design campaigns in response to unfamiliar problems that surfaced from discourse in the field of visual communication design.
• Drawing on the discourse around visual culture, position a novel creative entrepreneurial venture in adopting an ethical stance towards the triple bottom line to commercialise a creative idea.
• Produce and exhibit a unique summative compendium of visual design work that is underscored by sound visual research conducted in an unfamiliar, problematised visual communication context.

Rationale

This qualification also seeks to enable creative graduates and professionals to develop the conceptual and technical competencies, and the criticality required to meet industry needs in contemporary South Africa, with specific reference to the need for intermediate-level and senior positions in visual communication design, the broader creative industries, and other areas of practice where design innovation and visual communication are of crucial value. This speaks to the National Skills Development Plan 2030, which indicates that the South African education system could be enhanced through the inclusion of more qualifications that seek to facilitate career progression for both employed and unemployed individuals.

This qualification has been designed for career progression in the field of visual communication design (formerly referred to as graphic design) and related areas, including hand-rendered design, UX design, digital illustration, and photo manipulation. Alternatively, this qualification provides horizontal, diagonal and vertical articulation possibilities to cognate qualifications in the fields of visual communication (or graphic) design, illustration, visual communication, animation and app design. The knowledge, skills and values are encapsulated in the proposed qualification as competencies with which successful learners will exit the qualification.

The qualification has been conceptualised as one that will be offered in both the contact and distance mode of provision, to address the national imperative to facilitate widened access to qualifications offered in the Post School Education and Training (PSET) band. In this manner, the qualification hopes to address the diverse needs of learners but provide opportunities for direct interaction with subject matter experts and research supervisors (whether in person - for the contact mode, or online - for the distance mode), and focused research time. Although we anticipate that a number of Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication learners may likely enrol for the Honours qualification immediately upon graduation, we also recognise that many learners who partake in postgraduate study do so whilst working. By offering the qualification in both the contact and the distance modes, we also recognise the unique realities of many learners, who might struggle to afford transport costs or who have dependants and other responsibilities. In this way, the qualification hopes to provide flexibility and ensure accessibility to a wider range of postgraduate learners. This is done in alignment with the National Development Plan's belief that distance education, aided by advanced information communication technology, will play a greater role in expanding learning opportunities for different groups of learners and promote lifelong learning and continuous professional development as we move towards a more inclusive and prosperous society in 2030. Due to the nature of the qualification, learners will have some studio-based learning sessions. We believe that studio-based learning fosters a dynamic, creative and collaborative environment, where lecturers and learners are partners in exploration. Studio-based learning sessions in the contact mode will be facilitated on campus, whereas studio-based learning in the distance mode will be emulated online.

A closer look at the contemporary creative industry and the wider commerce industry indicates a demand for multimedia designers. Although the term 'multimedia' is slightly outdated, the competencies it refers to are definitely not and continue to be in high demand. At the same time, it has been reported that the design sector has skills shortages in a number of areas, including graphic, print and packaging design. This evidence is verified by online search results for career/job listings relating to graphics, visual communication and UX design.

The rationale for supporting meaningful academic research in the field of visual communication design, this qualification also seeks to facilitate access to on-demand, mid-to senior-level occupational opportunities in the field of visual communication design (formerly graphic design) and related fields, such as illustration, animation, UX design, and digital illustration. The qualification intends to catapult successful candidates into progressive career opportunities, further postgraduate study at Master's level or professional practice in an array of occupations in South Africa. In addition to being astute, resourceful, and reflexive visual researchers, learners who exit this qualification should be able to seek and secure employment in the following capacities:

• Visual Communication Designer.
• Graphic Designer.
• Creative Lead.
• Graphic Design Manager.
• Design Lead.
• Senior Graphic Designer.
• User Interface Designer.
• User Experience Designer.
• Motion Designer.
• Illustrator.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a key driver in support of the transformation and redress of the postschool education and training system and is part of the institution's commitment to responding to and providing flexible entry routes to the proposed qualification. RPL refers to 'the principles and processes through which the prior knowledge and skills of a person are made visible, mediated and rigorously assessed and moderated for the purposes of alternative access and admission, recognition and certification, or further learning and development' (CHE, 2016:1).

It serves to address barriers that impede access to Higher Education (CHE, 2016: 7). With reference to RPL in the Higher Education context, forms of prior learning may include informal and non-formal learning. Prior formal learning in the same NQF sub-framework usually attracts possible credit accumulation and transfer possibilities. As such, informal learning pertains to self-study, experience gained in the workplace, community involvement, in-house education and training, training by government agencies and/or other providers, and various forms of practical experience. Forms of in-formal prior learning can be measured against the outcomes of the target qualification to ascertain whether these are equivalent to the prescribed minimum requirements for admission.

For this qualification in particular, applicants are required to complete and submit a portfolio of evidence (including creative and written work) in support of their application. Should an applicant not meet the requirements, they will be directed to other suitable learning qualifications at the institution (if available) or at other institutions or be advised on further academic development if needed. The institution acknowledges that a maximum of 10% of a cohort of learners admitted to the proposed qualification may be admitted via the RPL route (CHE, 2016: 9).

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Visual Arts, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Advanced Diploma in Visual Communication Design, NQF level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 8, totalling 120 Credits

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 120 Credits

• Visual Design Discourse and Research Methods (Core), 30 Credits.
• Visual Communication for Design Innovation (Core). 30 Credits.
• Commercial Creative Practice for Designers (Core), 10 Credits.
• Research Practice and Minor Dissertation (Core), 50 Credits.

1. Demonstrate critical engagement with discourses around visual culture to render complex societal challenges open for visual research.
2. Execute integrated visual design campaigns in response to unfamiliar problems that surfaced from discourse in the field of visual communication design.
3. Draw on discourse around visual culture to position a novel creative entrepreneurial venture in adopting an ethical stance towards the triple bottom line to commercialise a creative idea.
4. Produce and exhibit a unique summative compendium of visual design work that is underscored by sound visual research conducted in an unfamiliar, problematised visual communication context.
5. Write a minor dissertation that rigorously and creatively frames a compendium of visual design work.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1

• Rigorously analyse the notions of power and power imbalance in visual culture to offer creative insights around the production and consumption of visual texts.
• Interrogate discourse around body politics, postcolonial and decolonial theoretical frameworks, and visual culture and representation in the digital space.
• Select discourses related to visual culture to frame visual research and creative practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2

• Critically draw visual and craft research to inform the execution of integrated campaigns from specific discoursal perspectives.
• Produce an integrated hand-rendered campaign and an integrated digital design campaign in problematised contexts relating to applicable discourses.
• Execute a blended campaign of integrated hand-rendered and digital visual design artefacts with evidence of critically reflexive practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3

• Locate the entrepreneurial self ontologically and axiologically in the unfamiliar context of a new creative venture.
• Derive creative ideas from engagement with relevant discourse and interrogate, research, prototype, test and package them in a compelling brand narrative.
• Compile and present a comprehensive business plan for a creative product or service with demonstrable reflexivity.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4

• Produce from a particular discoursal perspective an integrated body of hand-rendered and digital visual design work, framed by a minor dissertation and offering unique solutions to complex problems.
• Exhibit a compendium of hand-rendered and digital visual design work in a way that reflects on a particular discourse.
• Produce a body of visual design work that makes a significant contribution to the visual communication design industry.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5

• Develop a sound, theoretically underscored academic argument in complement to creative practice.
• Produce dissertation text in line with academic convention with an academic readership in mind.
• Illustrate reflexivity in navigating the conjunctions between research-led practice and practice-led research, and this is recorded in writing.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

Integrated assessment is a form of assessment which permits the learner to demonstrate applied competence and uses a range of formative and summative assessment methods (SAQA, 2005: i). As such, the Institutions assessment strategy indicates formative assessment moments as occurring during the process of learning and teaching to shape learners' progress and provide further direction and describes summative assessments as a process of evaluating or making judgements about achievement. The assessment strategy for summative assessment entails assessment at the conclusion of each module of learning.

The assessment strategy is designed in a way that aligns with the qualification's ELOs, AACs, module outcomes and component-level outcomes. The principles of constructive alignment have played a key role in informing not only the qualification's assessment strategy but also the overall design of the qualification.

The practical implications of the different learning environments in which the qualification will be delivered (contact mode and distance mode) were also considered throughout the design to ensure that teaching and learning activities are able to support the achievement of outcomes. As such, the assessment of learning is aligned with the qualification content and teaching methodologies employed to facilitate engagement with qualification content.