Design Development and Professional Practice

This unit advances students from conceptual sketches to refined, accessible visual designs by applying principles of proportion, color, and typographic hierarchy while integrating budget-conscious software, mobile apps, and AI tools. It also covers professional practice topics—pricing, choosing freelance versus agency work, and ethical decision-making—to prepare students for portfolio development and final project execution.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze user data, brand requirements, and accessibility constraints to inform sketches and select appropriate color combinations and typographic hierarchies.
• Apply principles of proportion, scale, color theory, and limited typeface usage to develop high-fidelity mockups using budget-conscious software, mobile apps, and AI-powered design assistants.
• Demonstrate progression from Phase 4 sketches to Phase 5 design development by producing compositions that prioritize storytelling, place key content above the fold, and meet accessibility standards.
• Evaluate professional practice decisions—comparing freelance and agency models, setting pricing, selecting tools, and determining when to reject speculative work—to create a portfolio-ready project and a project execution plan.