1. MULTIMEDIA SECTION
BTEC First Diploma in Art and Design (Multimedia Pathway)
Assessment Instrument – David Carson Biennial Poster
Date of Issue: 21st September 2010 Interim Deadline: 20th October 2010
Submission Deadline: 24th November 2010
Evaluation 30th November 2010
Assessor: A Bowman Internal Verifier: Hamish McDonald
Units/elements covered by this brief:
Unit 07: Working with Graphic Design Briefs
To achieve this unit a learner must:
1 Be able to use appropriate graphics materials, equipment and techniques
2 Be able to meet the constraints of a pre-defined graphic design brief
3 Be able to develop ideas and produce a final product in response to a pre-defined
graphic design brief
4 Understand the successful characteristics and quality of graphic design work.
CREATIVE CHALLENGE/TASK
The key challenge is to work with the techniques graphic designers use to create dynamic
and innovative work and communicate messages or information in response to a brief.
The key challenge of this brief is Produce a set of rough designs for a Biennial Poster in the
style of David Carson. Researching visual and other information can be recorded from
primary source through drawing, painting, photography, and from objects, places, people,
galleries, exhibitions and museums, and secondary sources through digital technology,
paper-based and online images, commercial books, magazines and online advertising.
You will start with a project proposal, analyse the brief; write it in your own words to define
what you will need to successfully complete the assignment, make a schedule of when each
deadline will be met for all your deliverables. Develop ideas: ‘thinking on paper’ collecting
relevant materials, apply research to generate early ideas, then review and develop ideas
that seem to ‘work’ as an answer to brief. Show how work progressed from initial research
and ideas through to chosen ideas, selecting specialist techniques that are appropriate for
work and the presentation of the final piece.
This is an assignment that a Graphic Designer would undertake as part of their job
role within an advertisement company.
CREATIVE REQUIREMENTS
Your work can be as broad as you think fits with your poster. You need to think about all or
some of the elements below:
• Poster design
• David Carson’s Style
• Biennial Artists and their work
• How the information can be visualised on a poster
• How you can develop your ideas using text, font or visual elements. Colours,
materials or photography
• Typography

2. DELIVERABLES
• Your completed work should be an A3 Poster advertising the Biennial using the style
of David Carson, saved as both an Illustrator Document (AI) and a PDF) for printing.
You should also produce a folder containing ideas ‘work in progress, screenshots and
online research, which will show how your ideas were realised and developed,
handed in on a CD-ROM. (Unit 7: P2, P3, P4, M2, M3, M4, D2, D3 and D4).
• An A3 Pad of thought pooling, planning, research, rough layouts, both colour and
material theory to enhance presentation and a final design layout. (Unit 7: P1, P2, P4,
M1, M2, M4, D1, D2 and D4). This work must be annotated throughout not just writing
what things are but why you have chose them and what you like about them.
• A mood board of David Carson’s work to illustrate visually the direction of style which
you are pursuing, including his name, his career, quotes by and about him and visual
elements from what you consider is his best work in a collage format. (Unit 7: P1, P2,
P4, M1, M2, M4, D1, D2 and D4).
• A proposal and evaluation of your work, including:
A proposal with details of what your aims and objectives you intend to produce, with time
allocation and a description of how you will achieve them. Any problems and/or difficulties
you encountered and how they were resolved. A short analysis of the successes and failures,
together with a brief outline of you have experienced and learned. Explain strengths and
weaknesses of work: what sources have been used and why; which ideas were successful
and which were rejected and why; what went well and what went badly in the work; what are
the strengths and weaknesses in the final outcome and how could the work be improved.
Finally an analysis of what you did and you achieved it, with appropriate subject knowledge of
software used and screenshots of the process undertaken. (Unit 7: P5, M5 and D5).
Some of your work can be used towards (Unit 1: P1, P2 and P3)
Suggested Reading:
Textbooks:
Pipes A – Production for Graphic Designers (Laurence King, 1997)
Poynter R and Booth-Clibborn E – Typography Now (Internos Books, 1991)
Scharf A – Art and Photography (Pelican, 1979)
Sontag S – On Photography (Penguin, 1978)
Carson D, The End of Print, Laurence King Publishing. 1994
Carson, David (1995). The End of Print: The Graphic Design of David Carson. Chronicle
Books.
Carson, David (1997). David Carson: 2nd Sight: Grafik Design After the End of Print.
Universe Publishing.
Meggs, Phillip B.; David Carson (1999). Fotografiks: An Equilibrium Between Photography
and Design Through Graphic Expression That Evolves from Content. Laurence King.
ISBN 1856691713.
Stecyk, Craig; David Carson (2002). Surf Culture: The Art History of Surfing. Laguna Art
Museum in association with Gingko Press. ISBN 1584231130.
Mcluhan, Marshall; David Carson, Eric McLuhan, Terrance Gordon (2003). The Book of
Probes. Gingko Press. ISBN 1584230568.
Carson, David (2004). Trek: David Carson, Recent Werk. Gingko Press.
Mayne, Thom; David Carson (2005). Ortlos: Architecture of the Networks. Hatje Cantz
Publishers.
Websites:
www.biennial.com/
www.independentsbiennial.org/
www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/Biennial2010/default.shtm
www.davidcarsondesign.com/
www.adobe.com/ap/web/features/carson/index.html
www.gingkopress.com/08-pho/fotografiks__gra.html
www.davidcarsondesign.com/?dcdc=top/t

3. Grading criteria for unit 07
P1 use materials, equipment M1 explore materials and D1 integrate materials and
and techniques safely Techniques effectively techniques creatively and
independently
P2 use graphic design M2 explore graphic design
processes processes effectively D2 integrate graphic design
techniques and processes
P3 research and record primary M3 conduct competent creatively and independently
and secondary sources in research and record
response to a pre-defined brief appropriate visual and other D3 conduct independent
information from primary and research and record
P4 produce developmental work secondary sources in response appropriate visual and other
and a final product in response to a pre- defined brief information from primary and
to a brief secondary sources
M4 produce effective and
P5 discuss successful graphic varied developmental work and D4 produce imaginative and
design work. a final product to meet a brief varied developmental work
and final product to meet a brief
M5 compare and contrast
experimental, development D5 evaluate experimental,
and final creative works. development and final creative
works.
Please Note: All work should be completed and handed in to the assessor on or before the deadline shown.
Assessor’s Signatures……………………………………………………………Date……………
This brief has been checked prior to being issued to students:
Internal Verifier’s Signature………………………………………………………Date……………