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NSW Curriculum
NSW Education Standards Authority

7–10Visual and Motion Design 7–10 Syllabus (2025)

Implementation from 2028
Expand for detailed implementation advice.

Content

Life Skills

Life Skills for Stage 4/5

Through collaborative curriculum planning, it may be decided that Life Skills outcomes and content are the most appropriate option for some students with intellectual disability.

Design practice: design forms

The materials, equipment, processes outlined in the visual design and motion design forms are not a list of essential content.

Teachers select design materials, equipment and processes according to the relevant design form being taught. Students with disability may require adjustments to access or engage with design forms.

Visual design forms: Graphic and typographic design
  • Everyday uses of graphic or typographic design

  • Elements and compositional design principles, such as line, shape, space or colour

  • User-centred and inclusive design principles, such as high contrast colours, clear fonts and descriptive alt text

  • Concept design communication strategies, such as thumbnails, sketches or mock-ups

  • Graphic, illustrative, photographic or background design elements

  • Printmaking such as screen, block or digital

  • Street art and design techniques, such as stencilling, paste-ups or digital projections

  • Typography and font design techniques, such as colouring, arranging or outlining

  • Branding design using typography, colour, symbols or layout to communicate ideas

  • Patterns and motifs, such as repeating patterns

  • Preparing work for reproduction or presentation, such as selecting file formats, resolution, colour settings or physical display methods

  • Arrangement and presentation of graphic and typographic design artworks, such as illustrations, a graphic novel, branding materials and character(s) for an intended audience

Visual design forms: 3D design and the built environment
  • Everyday uses of 3D design, objects or the built environment

  • Elements and 3D design principles, such as form and function, proportion, symmetry or scale

  • User-centred and inclusive design principles, such as tactile accessibility, ergonomic design or accessible layouts

  • Concept design to explore structure, scale and intended function

  • Everyday products, such as small-scale objects, wearables or props design

  • Installation design, such as sites or sets

  • Material exploration, such as surface, texture, structure and form

  • Construction techniques, such as forming, joining, folding, sculpting, casting, moulding or carving

  • Clay types, forming methods and techniques, such as pinching, coiling, slab building, surface treatments, glazing or firing

  • 3D digital modelling techniques

  • Arrangement and presentation of 3D design works, considering scale, layout, materials or audience interaction

Motion design forms: Animation and kinetic design
  • Everyday uses of animation or kinetic design

  • Elements and time-based design principles, such as line, movement, scale, timing or flow

  • User-centred and inclusive design principles, such as including captions or diverse perspectives in storytelling

  • Concept design using narrative and storyboards

  • Animation principles, such as squash and stretch, anticipation, follow-through and timing

  • Traditional 2D animation design techniques, such as flipbooks, cel animation or shadow puppetry

  • Emerging 2D animation design techniques, such as digital drawing tools, vector-based animation or stop-motion

  • Kinetic design techniques, such as mechanical movement, rotation, pulleys, levers, balance-based motion, wind or magnet-driven components

  • File formats and export settings for animation, considering resolution or playback requirements across devices

  • Arrangement and presentation of animated and kinetic design works for screening, projection or interactive display

Motion design forms: Emerging design
  • Everyday uses of hybrid, interactive or emerging design

  • Design elements, such as space, interaction, contrast or user responsiveness

  • User-centred and inclusive design principles, such as intuitive navigation, haptic or audio feedback

  • Concept design blending traditional and digital media

  • Blending traditional and digital media integrating manually created and digital techniques

  • Visual, auditory and tactile elements to create multisensory experiences

  • Hybrid, interactive and emerging forms

  • Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR)

  • Hybrid or interactive forms to create storytelling experiences

  • Digital tools and techniques used for emerging design

  • File formats for compatibility or display

  • Installations or exhibitions that incorporate interactive elements, such as lighting, audio or motion

Related files