Andalusia PAU Design study plan

Define and correctly apply at least 30 core perceptual and aesthetic terms (figure-ground, closure, contrast, balance, rhythm, hierarchy) in your own written notes, testing yourself until you can do it without prompts.

Produce a one-page visual glossary in which each term is paired with an original hand-drawn or digital example you made yourself, not a copied image.

Analyse three real posters or packaging items by labelling which perceptual principles they exploit and explaining the effect on the viewer in 60-80 words each.

Build a personal error log of terms you confused during self-testing and review it at the end of the week.

Construct a 12-step subtractive and additive colour wheel by hand, then mix five tints, shades and desaturated variants of three primaries and record the ratios used.

Compose four thumbnail studies (10x10 cm) that each demonstrate one principle in isolation: symmetry, asymmetry, radial balance and rhythm, using only black shapes on white.

Practise three graphic techniques (ink wash, marker rendering, and digital flat vector) on the same simple object and write 100 words comparing their expressive limits.

Photograph all physical work under even lighting so it scans cleanly for the portfolio.

Render a single household object three times (pencil with construction lines, ink with hatching, and digital vector) at A4 size, keeping consistent proportion across all three.

Demonstrate one- and two-point perspective correctly on a box and a cylinder, with vanishing points marked and checked against a ruler.

Apply a limited palette of four colours to one of the object renders and justify each choice in 50 words.

Self-critique all three renders against a checklist of line quality, value range, proportion and edge control, scoring each criterion out of 5.

Write a full design brief for a self-chosen everyday object (for example a desk lamp or a reusable bottle), specifying user, context, constraints, success criteria and at least three measurable requirements.

Run a structured ideation session producing 20 distinct thumbnails, then cluster and rank them using a written decision matrix with weighted criteria.

Measure and document real ergonomic data (grip circumference, reach, viewing distance) for your chosen object and translate it into at least three dimensional constraints.

Build a low-fidelity cardboard or foam-core mock-up and record three usability problems found by testing it on one other person.

Refine the week-4 concept into a resolved proposal with annotated orthographic views (front, side, top) drawn to a stated scale.

Iterate the mock-up at least twice in response to the recorded usability problems and log what changed and why.

Calculate and state the anthropometric percentile range your dimensions target, and justify the choice in 80 words.

Present the proposal to one person unfamiliar with the project and capture their questions as a list of remaining weaknesses.

Identify and correctly name the anatomical parts of at least six typefaces (serif, sans-serif, slab, script) and label x-height, ascender, descender, bowl and counter on your own annotated specimen sheet.

Set the same short paragraph in four typographic treatments and evaluate legibility, hierarchy and tone in 100 words.

Design a three-sign wayfinding set for a fictional building, applying consistent pictograms, arrow logic and contrast ratios you can state numerically.

Check and record the contrast ratio of your signage colours against WCAG thresholds.

Build a timeline of eight design movements or figures with dates, one key characteristic and one original sketched example each, drawn from your own reading rather than copied plates.

Explain in 120 words how one historical movement's constraints (materials, technology, politics) shaped its visual language.

Compare two movements from different periods on a written table of five criteria such as geometry, ornament, function and audience.

Link each movement to one principle from domain 1 and note the connection explicitly.

Audit your week-5 proposal against sustainability and accessibility criteria: material sourcing, disassembly, repairability, colour contrast and tactile or non-visual cues, scoring each out of 5 with written justification.

Redesign at least two weak points identified in the audit and photograph or draw the revised solution.

Assemble a portfolio of your strongest week 1-8 deliverables with a 150-word reflective statement on your remaining gaps.

Complete one timed mock exam under exam conditions and mark it against the official Andalusia PAU criteria, listing every lost mark and its cause.