Co-design and Participatory Approaches
Overview
The unit introduces the principles of universal design and design standards in communications, products, environments and services. It will explain the various approaches and protocols of participatory design, co-design, user-centred design and inclusive design. It will examine how to include active engagement of all stakeholders and end users ensuring they are a critical part of the design process. It will introduce students to the principles, tools and techniques for inclusive and participatory design.
Requisites
Rule
Admission into either:
MA-DESG Master of Design; MA-ARC Master of Architecture; MA-UD Master of Urban Design
Anti-requisite DDD60001 Inclusive and Participatory Design v2
01-November-2026
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Critically analyse the theory and application of user-centred design, participatory design and co-design
- Appropriately select methodologies to gather and evaluate users’ ideas and context in order to answer a design question
- Develop inclusive activities to bridge designer and user skills and needs in unique contexts
- Develop strategies to include users’ perspectives into the design process
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Activity Type | Activity | Total Hours | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week | Venue Type and Activity Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus | Studio | 72 | 12 weeks | 6 | Tutorial in Lab |
| Unspecified Activities | Readings | 84 | 12 weeks | 7 | Reading and researching for projects from books texts and internet |
| Unspecified Activities | Independent Learning | 144 | 12 weeks | 12 | Independent study, Assignment preparation, Revision |
| Total Hours: | 300 | Total Hours (per week): | 25 | ||
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept Designs | Individual/Group | 70% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Design Report | Individual/Group | 30% | 1,2 |
Content
- Research-led design:
- Participatory design
- User-centred design
- Co-design
- Universal design
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processe
This unit involves project-based outcomes. Broad community-based projects will be used as contexts for students to engage with end-users to co-create outcomes.
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.