Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Communication objectivesmay be to:
challenge
compare
contrast
entertain
inform
inspire
motivate
persuade.
Publicationsmay be:
annual reports
brochures
business reports
complex forms
magazines
newsletters
style manuals
technical reports
web interfaces.
Design briefmay be:
diagrammatic
verbal
visual
written.
Relevant peoplemay include:
clients
employers
end users
mentors
other artists and designers
peers
potential customers
supervisors
teachers
technical experts.
Specificationsmay relate to:
cost
delivery platform
environmental sustainability
material characteristics
quantity
technical requirements
technology
timeframe.
Other informationmay relate to:
client’s organisational background
conflicting demands
considerations, such as:
contractual
copyright
ethical
legal
historical information
product characteristics and statistics
style considerations
subject matter.
Sources may include:
art and design texts
examples of similar publications
films
images
internet
exhibitions
own experience
previous iterations.
Opportunities and constraints may relate to:
audience capacity or skills
cost
own level of technical expertise
potential for innovative approaches
technical feasibility
time.
Elementsmay relate to:
captions
colour
headlines
quotes
sidebars
visual elements, such as graphics and photo images.
Fundamental elements and principles relate to:
alignment
balance
coherence
colour
composition
contrast
direction
dominance
emphasis
form
line
movement
pattern
positive and negative space
proportion
proximity
repetition
rhythm
shape
simplicity or complexity
subordination
texture
unity.
Technical experimentation may involve:
challenging established ways of doing things
combining different approaches
using new features and tools.
Visual representationsmay be:
electronic drawing
mock-ups
models
presentations
sketching
technical drawings.
Capabilitiesmay relate to:
colour palettes
columns
heading hierarchies
master pages
navigational aspects
templates
style sheets.
Tools and features may include:
adjusting strokes and fills
alignment tools
applying envelopes
blending
clipping
compound objects
cutting, extending and closing paths
duplicating
filters and special effects
gradients and mesh
joining paths
modifying paths
moving in increments
other object manipulation tools and features
reshaping
scaling, rotating, skewing and distorting
slicing and cutting
specialty fills and swatches
stroke and outline adjustments
transforming
transparency
trim, merge and outline
warping.
Safe work practicesmay relate to:
ergonomics
use of consumables.
Technical requirementsmay relate to:
banding
bleeding
choke
colour
cut and fold marks
file formatting
font use
imposition schemes
packaging
resolution
separations
size
spread
trapping.
File formats may include:
encapsulated postscript (EPS)
graphic interchange format (GIF)
joint photographic experts group (JPEG)
native format
other suitable formats
portable document format (PDF)
portable network graphics (PNG)
tagged image file format (TIFF).

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
create original designs for the layout of at least two publications
use an extended range of tools and features of relevant software with a high level of technical proficiency
integrate technical and creative processes to produce outcomes that meet design objectives.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
industry-current graphic design software.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
evaluation of audience response to layouts produced by the candidate
evaluation of processes used by the candidate to develop the work
evaluation of technical aspects of the layouts
direct observation of work in progress, including use of software tools
evaluation of a candidate’s visual diary or other forms of documentation showing the development of the designs
group peer review of layouts created by the candidate
questioning and discussion about candidate’s intentions and the work outcome
review of portfolios of evidence
review of third-party reports from experienced practitioners.
Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy) and the needs of particular groups (e.g. people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties, such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling).
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
CUVGRD504A Create and manipulate graphics.