Design Capstone Project

Overview

This unit allows students to consolidate and apply the diverse skills and knowledge gained in their degree in preparation for entry into professional practice. Working on an industry or applied academic project affords students the opportunity to extend their design, collaboration and project management skills to produce a professional-level body of work. In addition to exposing students to the rigor of the design processes, technologies and methods used in industry, the unit challenges students to bridge the research/theory/practice nexus to deliver innovative, implementable designs showing a high level of resolution.

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

1. Apply creative problem solving, critical thinking and research skills to answer a complex design brief.
2. Synthesise appropriate design methods, processes, techniques, technologies and tools to create a design outcome to a professional standard.
3. Demonstrate professional competencies in communication, collaboration and time management.
4. Communicate the design process and outcomes through concise, coherent and well-structured documentation and presentations
5. Critically reflect on individual design strengths, professional skills and attributes, and formative feedback to deliver a design project that exhibits innovative thinking and a high standard of creative practice.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Assessment

Content

• Principles and techniques for disciplinary and interdisciplinary design
• Design processes, including concept generation, visual development, technical development and presenting final design outcomes
• Human-centred design
• Framing research-informed design strategies
• Presenting design proposals to clients and other project stakeholders
• Project management
• Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
• Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
• Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes
• Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy