Studio 5: Major Project
Duration
- One Semester or equivalent
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.
Prerequisites
DDD40001 Studio 1: Methods for Design ResearchAims and objectives
This is a research-literate and practice-based unit executed to a professional industry standard. This unit, attached to Studio 7: Major Project, is the culmination of the Masters’ course, generating research-informed design outcomes. The project will typically mature a previous design challenge or topic investigated in the course in substantially more depth. The topic of investigation will likely be connected to an emerging, current or prospective societal challenge. Students will conduct research under supervision, investigate creative design solutions via prototyping and testing, and will produce a professional quality design proposal. This proposal will be further developed to a design outcome in Studio 7: Major Project.
Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO)
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Investigate, assess and compare design-focused opportunities with a review of literature and artefacts.
2. Generate strategies for solving a well-defined problem by producing a self-directed design brief and project plan.
3. Investigate the relationship between design research and its effects on the wider community using relevant research principles and techniques.
4. Investigate the relationship between design research and its effects on the wider community using relevant research principles and techniques.
5. Critically evaluate a design proposition through testing and evaluation and provide recommendations for further development in a professional-level presentation.
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment and content.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
Tutorial | 6 | 12 | 72 |
Specified Learning Activities Discussion boards, Readings | 10 | 12 | 120 |
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 9 | 12 | 108 |
TOTAL | 300 hours |
Assessment
Types | Individual/Group Role | Weighting | Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) |
Project Report | Individual/Group | 40% | 5 |
Design Project | Individual/Group | 40% | 4 |
Project Proposal | Individual/Group | 20% | 1,2,3 |
Content
- Research and analysis of current trends and future scenarios
- Strategic and service design skills
- Interview and data recording techniques
- Innovation, creativity, visualisation, and/or construction of concepts
- Design research through iterative design exploration and experimentation
- Human-centred design and user needs
- Design research conducted through literature and artefact review to support a design proposal
- Report writing
- Use a range of analytical and research skills to facilitate the articulation of a design project
- Evaluation through consultation, mock-ups and practical testing
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required texts will be made available in the Unit Outline.