Information Visualisation (DECO2200)

Course overview

Information visualisation transforms complex data into clear, insightful visual representations that enhance understanding and support analysis. By combining graphic design principles, visual communication theory, and data visualisation techniques, we turn raw, tabular, or numerical data into meaningful visuals that tell a story. These visuals not only reveal patterns, trends, and anomalies but also ensure clarity, accuracy, and integrity in how the information is communicated. 

This course introduces students to graphic design and data visualisation theory, focusing on how these concepts apply to the encoding and presentation of both simple and complex data for effective communication. Students will apply theoretical concepts to the creation of meaningful visualisations in print & interactive form, focusing on how to effectively communicate complex datasets through thoughtful content structuring, information architecture, and layout design. The course builds upon design foundations introduced in earlier courses such as Design Thinking (DECO1100), Introduction to Web Design (DECO1400), and Design Computing Studio 1 (DECO1800).

Through the assessments, students will practice design methods and technical skills essential for creating both print and digital media, using industry-standard graphic design tools, such as Adobe Illustrator and Flourish.

Students will study the work of influential contemporary and historical designers, with an emphasis on understanding the social and cultural contexts that shape visual communication. Additionally, the course encourages peer critiques, enabling students to engage in constructive discussions about their own work and that of their peers. By doing so, they will gain the language and skills necessary to critique and evaluate information visualisation with clarity and confidence.

Changes in Response to Previous Student Feedback

The lecture and theory session have been combined into a 2 hour applied class. This session will be a combination of content delivery and design exercises for students to explore information visualisation and graphic design theory.

The Visualisation Plan and Design Exercises assessments have been removed. These have been replaced with the Redesign & Review assessment to better support student learning through regular production and critique of design work.

A formal interim deliverable has been introduced for the Data Visualisation to provide students with an opportunity for feedback on their posters prior to the final deliverable. This was offered to students in 2025, however as it was not a formal assessment item, many students did not participate leading to poor assessment outcomes.

The flow of the course has been revised to better support the design process for the major assessment item - Data Visualisation Poster.

Course requirements

Assumed background

As this course is a 2nd year course, it is expected that students have completed at least 1 year of University study prior to commencing this course. It is assumed that students will have prior design process experience, achieved through the prerequisite courses listed. Students who have not studied the prerequisite course, and wish to take this course, must consult the course coordinator prior to enrolling in the course.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

DECO1100 or DSGN1100 or DSGN1002

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

DECO7220

Jointly taught details

This course is jointly-taught with:

• DECO7220

Shared class sessions - applied class & practicals with DECO7220.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

As active learners, you are expected to attend and participate in all scheduled class activities across the semester.

The course comprises the following class sessions:

• Applied Class - 2 hr - one session per week, Wednesday 12pm - 2pm. All students to attend.
• Practical - 3 hr - various sessions on Tuesday & Thursday. Students to attend their allocated session as per MyTimetable.

There are no public holidays that affect scheduling this semester.

Aims and outcomes

In this course, we aim to:

• provide students with a solid foundation in graphic and information design principles as they apply to the visual communication of simple and complex data; both theoretically and technically;
• introduce students to the work of contemporary and historical designers;
• provide students with production skills through the development of design projects;
• promote and foster creative thinking through the development of design projects and critique of contemporary works;
• foster student skills in critical analysis of design approaches through critique - of own and others work.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Redesign & Review Cycles

• Online

Mode

Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written

Category

Essay/ Critique, Poster

Weight

3

Due date

Cycle One - Redesign Due 11/03/2026 4:00 pm

Cycle One - Review Due 18/03/2026 4:00 pm

Cycle Two - Redesign Due 25/03/2026 4:00 pm

Cycle Two - Review Due 1/04/2026 4:00 pm

Cycle Three - Redesign Due 15/04/2026 4:00 pm

Cycle Three - Review Due 22/04/2026 4:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Students will submit a digital image of their redesign and a short rationale to the course Padlet by each cycle deadline. Redesigns can be produced by hand as polished, hand-drawn sketches; or digitally produced using Flourish, Illustrator or a digital drawing application. If produced by hand, a photograph of the work should be submitted. Digital works should be uploaded as high-resolution JPG or PNG format images.

Peer critiques are to be submitted as comments directly replying to the work being reviewed. Students cannot critique their own work.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Extensions are limited to 7 days as feedback will be provided within 14 days.

Please notify the course coordinator if you submit an extension request.

Late submission

A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.

Data Visualisation Poster: Interim Critique

• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia

Category

Presentation, Poster

Weight

Pass/Fail

Due date

28/04/2026 - 30/04/2026

Interim critiques will take place during the Week 9 practical sessions. Students must attend their allocated practical and must bring a print-out of their poster scaled down to A3 (297mm x 420mm); and a valid UQ ID card for identity verification.

Other conditions

Secure.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

No submission required. A photograph of your printed poster will be taken by teaching team for our records.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Students may apply for a maximum of 7 days extension for documented, extenuating circumstances. The maximum is 7 days to ensure that students are able to receive feedback to improve their posters for final submission in week 11. Please notify the course coordinator if you submit an extension request.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Students who do not participate in the interim critique and who do not have an approved extension will receive a Fail for the interim critique.

Data Visualisation Poster

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Poster

Weight

5

Due date

Final Critiques to take place during Week 11 practical sessions

Poster files and statement of work must be submitted to Blackboard by 4pm 15/05/2026 4:00 pm

Students must attend their allocated practical session in Week 11 for the final poster critique. Students must bring valid UQ identification as this assessment is identity-verified.

Other conditions

Secure.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Student must bring a professionally, printed copy of their poster at A2 size (420mm x 594mm) for the critique in Week 11. Resources for printing posters are available on Blackboard.

Poster working files, assets and statement of work are due to Blackboard by 4pm on Friday of Week 11.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

As it is important for the final critique be conducted with the final version of the poster, students who receive an approved extension for the final submission of this assessment, will have their final critique scheduled according to their new submission date.

Students who are unable to attend their final critique due to extenuating circumstances must submit an extension request for the poster assessment and notify the course coordinator so their critique can be rescheduled accordingly.

Extensions will be applied to the final deadline for the poster, not the critique deadline. Final critiques will be rescheduled in line with extension-adjusted deadlines. Please notify the course coordinator if you submit an extension request.

Late submission

A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.

Interactive Exploration

• Identity Verified
• In-person
• Online

Mode

Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written

Category

Computer Code, Creative Production/ Exhibition, Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration, Product/ Design

Weight

2

Due date

29/05/2026 4:00 pm

Demonstrations will take place during allocated practical sessions in Week 13.

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Digital submission to Blackboard by 4:00pm Friday of Week 13. Demonstration in allocated Week 13 practical session - bring valid UQ identification.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

As it is important for the demonstration to be conducted with the final version of the interactive work, students who receive an approved extension for the final submission of this assessment, will have their demonstration rescheduled according to their new submission date. Please notify the course coordinator if you submit an extension request.

Late submission

A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Qualitative Grading:

Grades for assessment during the semester will identify your work as being of a particular standard from the following list:

• No assessable work received (X) - applies to late or non-submission of assessment items.
• Low Fail (1) - absence of evidence of achievement of assessment outcomes.
• Fail (2) - minimal evidence of achievement of assessment outcomes.
• Marginal Fail (3) - demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of assessment outcomes.
• Pass (4) - demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of assessment outcomes.
• Credit (5) - demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of assessment outcomes.
• Distinction (6) - demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of assessment learning outcomes.
• High Distinction (7) - demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of assessment learning outcomes.

Within each grade category, there may be a further qualifier of + or - to indicate that the work is respectively at the upper or lower bounds of the category. These grades map directly to the standard UQ Grade descriptors (see Part H in the Assessment Procedure linked above). It is recommended that you read the descriptors and example criteria that are associated with each of the UQ grade standards.

Note, that percentages or numerical marks are not required in grading assessment or for calculating grade cut-offs. Percentage cut-offs are primarily employed in courses that utilise quantitative (numerical based) methods for marking. Qualitative grading, such as used here, uses a standards-based approach to grading.

Calculation of Final Grade:

The final grade for the course will be initially constructed from the individual grades according to assessment weightings; and calculated as a weighted average of your assessment grades, using the same formula as used for calculating your GPA (https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/final-grades-and-gpas). In this case, U equals the weighting for that particular assessment item, and G equal to the grade for the assessment item. In this course, the graded assessment items are Redesign & Review Cycles, Data Visualisation Poster, and Interactive Exploration

Example of calculation for final grade:

If you receive the following grades:

1. Redesign & Review (weight = 3) - Pass (4)
2. Data Visualisation Poster (weight = 5) - Distinction (6)
3. Interactive Exploration (weight = 2) - Credit (5)

The final grade will be calculated as:

The sum of your (grade x weight) for each assessment item: (Grade for Redesign & Review x 3) + (Grade for Data Visualisation Poster x 5) + (Interactive Exploration x 2)

Divided by the total weight of the assessment items: (Weight of Redesign & Review: 3) + (Weight of Data Visualisation Poster: 5) + (Weight of Interactive Exploration: 2)

((4 x 3) + (6 x 5) + (5 x 2))ﾠ / (3 + 5 + 2)

(12 + 30 + 10) / 10

52 / 10 = 5.2 = Credit (5)

This calculation provides the starting point for your final grade, which is then reviewed & moderated based on overall performance across the course; and pass conditions applied.

Pass Conditions:

Students must participate in and pass the Data Visualisation Poster: Final Critique to pass the Data Visualisation Poster major assessment item. This item constitutes the secure assessment for the course and is designed to ascertain the student's design working for the major assessment.

Students must achieve a grade of Pass (4) or higher for the identity-verified and secured Data Visualisation Poster to pass this course. Students who receive a grade of Fail (3) or lower will have their final grade for the course capped at Fail (3) regardless of performance in other assessment items.

Identify Verified Assessment:

The assessments Data Visualisation Poster: Interim Critique (in-person critique), Data Visualisation Poster: Final Critique (in-person critique) and the Interactive Exploration (in-person demonstration) are identity verified.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

Academic Integrity in Design Work:

Ideally, all work & elements within works will be the original creation of the student. However, it is recognised that students may utilise, create derivatives, adapt or alter already existing work to create original compositions. Existing/external works may include vector art, typefaces, patterns, textures — any work not of the student's original creation that is used in the final composition of a work.

Any work used that is not explicitly created by the student must reference the original creator and must be done so in accordance with the distribution license attached to the work. Works under public domain or royalty-free distribution licenses must also be referenced as these are not created by the student. Failure to correctly cite external work may attract a misconduct charge.

Students will be required to explicitly identify both original and non-original work in their submissions; and should be able to clearly describe any use of AI or MT used to inform the design or the production of the work. This may be in the form of a written statement of work or in person during critiques.

Having Trouble?

If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course material, you should seek help. Speak to your teaching staff and/or the course coordinator.

If external circumstances are affecting your ability to work on the course, you should seek help as soon as possible. The University and UQ Union have organisations and staff who are able to help; for example, UQ Student Services are able to help with study and exam skills, tertiary learning skills, writing skills, financial assistance, personal issues, and disability services (among other things).

Complaints and criticisms should be directed in the first instance to the course coordinator. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may bring the matter to the attention of the School of EECS Director of Teaching and Learning.

When Submitting Assessments to Blackboard:

Please allow plenty of time for submission to Blackboard as many students are attempting the same task at the same time. Be sure to allow enough time for uploading of assessment files. It is YOUR responsibility to check that submissions have been uploaded correctly.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Other course materials

Additional learning resources information

All announcements, assessment briefs & learning resources will be delivered via the course Blackboard site.

Weekly readings are available through the course reading list at UQ Library.

All students are expected to check their student email account regularly (preferably daily) and the course Blackboard Announcements prior to any major activities.

This course will use EdDiscussion for questions and discussion; and a Padlet for the Redesign & Review cycle outcomes.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
• AI for Assessment Guide

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

School guidelines

Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course:

• EECS School Guidelines for Students