DESIGN 101 Why We Design - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Investigates design as a driver and responder to social needs in contemporary and historic contexts. Students will understand relevant technologies and their contexts. The course explicitly considers planetary limits and sustainability, as well as design and business considered in a social-technological, tikanga Māori, financial, cultural-ethical and environmental context.

Course Overview

This course is a required foundation course for all Design and Design Conjoint students. By completing this course, students will be familiar with the modes and mediums of design and the theories and concepts associated with contemporary design practice.

The main focus of this course is Why We Design making it the perfect companion course for Design 100 which concentrates on the methods and processes that determine How We Design.

Design involves listening hard, analysing forensically, committing early, prototyping rapidly, testing authentically and planning strategically. Most importantly design results in an artefact that has an intended impact on the context around it. This course concentrates on the increasing complexities involved with adopting and adapting different design mediums and practices and the theories that help designers to analyse the effectiveness and potential impact design interventions can and do have on people, places, interfaces, systems, cultures and economies.

Students will respond to the weekly lecture topics and workshop activities through:

Exploration and experimentation: Using a range of techniques, students will design and present a series of visualisations that demonstrate a critical understanding of the design theories, technologies and contexts discussed in class and researched independently.
Analysis and Inspiration: Using the theoretical models and evaluation techniques introduced in class, students will select, analyse, and articulate the ideas and effectiveness of existing designs. By engaging in case study analysis students learn how to recognise best and worse practice and this in turn informs their own practice.
Reflection and Intention: Students will reflect on the complexities, contingencies and responsibilities of design practice by examining their own intentions and drafting a future design profile that they can build upon during their experience at university and guide decisions in the future. This is an opportunity for students to identify the many theories, methods, technologies, impacts and contexts they will value most and those that need further exploration and development.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate familiarity with a range of design contexts and fields of application for design (Capability 1.2, 2.1, 4.1 and 5.2)
Demonstrate familiarity with key historical drivers of the design discourse and the literature and influential ideas associated with that discourse (Capability 1.3, 2.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.3)
Demonstrate a familiarity with design as a socio-technical phenomenon and begin to develop a position in relation to this (Capability 1.2, 2.3, 5.4 and 6.2)
Demonstrate a familiarity with ethical and sustainable practices in relation to local culture and practices and to the historical antecedents of design (Capability 3.3, 4.3, 5.5, 6.1 and 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Visualisations	30%	Individual Coursework
Case Studies	40%	Individual Coursework
Final Exam	30%	Individual Examination
3 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4
Visualisations
Case Studies
Final Exam

A total grade of 50% or higher is required to pass this course.

All assignment submission items requested by the lecturer must be uploaded to Canvas, unless specified on the assignment brief. No email submission will be accepted. Assignments must be accompanied by a cover sheet available on Canvas.

Multiple submissions are possible. Students can submit multiple versions of the assignment and all the submitted versions are kept. Marking is based on the latest version submitted before the deadline.

Late assignments are NOT generally accepted. Any work submitted after the due date and without an extension form will be treated as overdue and will automatically be graded D-/0 (zero). In extreme circumstances, the student can apply for an extension. For example, when a student faces unavoidable personal circumstances (e.g. illness or a death in the family) that mean the student is unable to submit a component of coursework, they may apply for an extension.

Applications for extensions require that students complete a formal application form (available on Canvas). The request is assessed by the Group Services Administrator or Course coordinator and must be supported by written evidence from a doctor or counsellor. Extension forms and supporting evidence to be sent to design-admin@auckland.ac.nz. The student must apply no later than five days before the due date of the assignment. In case of an extreme difficulty being experienced closer to the assignment deadline, students can contact the course coordinator directly.

No extensions will be granted for problems such as accidentally erased computer files, which should always be prevented by keeping backup copies. When an extension is granted, students are expected to submit evidence of work in progress on the original assignment due date to demonstrate what has been completed up to that date.

Teaching & Learning Methods

This course will be delivered over 12 weeks. A team of design academics, researchers and practitioners will provide lectures, lead workshop activities and review assessment progress relating to design theories, histories, intentions and interventions.

Each week there will be a 1 hour design lecture and a 2 hour workshop in a design studio. Occasionally, lectures may be scheduled for a full 2 hours when and if a special guest presenter requires it. Any changes to the timing of classes will be communicated via Canvas.

Studio workshops are planned to include activities such as group discussions, visualisation exercises, industry demonstrations, and feedback sessions.

A number of online resources will be available to students to prepare for participation in weekly lectures and workshops. These will take the form of videos, readings and podcasts to expand on the topics covered. Students will be invited to contribute online resources to share and discuss with their peers.

In response to the course materials presented, class discussions and workshop activities, students will demonstrate the ability to research, analyse, experiment and reflect through a series of exercises and submissions for assessment. To do so, students will adopt a range of reflective, creative and strategic design practices including a range of visualisation techniques and writing formats.

At the end of the semester, there will be an exam that will give students the opportunity to synthesise and evidence their new learnings.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect each week and over 12 weeks to dedicate to at least 1 hour of lectures, a 2-hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or exam preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including lectures and tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course might include live online events including lectures. The delivery mode for lectures will be communicated via Canvas.

Attendance on campus is not required for the final exam.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

BYOD - All new students enrolled in a Bachelor of Design or Design conjoint degree should come to class with their own laptop. This is so students will have the core learning tools available in and outside of class. It also means students can increase their independence and have better control of a professional device to stimulate creativity and simplify their design process. Working with ya personal laptop during the Design degree will prepare students for the realities of working as a designer after graduation. The highly recommended, recommended and minimum specifications for a laptop are listed here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/creative/current-students/courses/design/courses-design-bring-your-own-device.html

Sketch pad and drawing materials: It is good practice to be able to quickly record ideas through writing and sketching as well as collecting and pasting items found that are relevant or inspiring.

Students will maintain an online folio of design reviews. Students will be guided in class to prepare and submit posts using appropriate materials, clear descriptions and thoughtful analysis.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

In the event of unexpected disruption

We undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions, the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. In the event of a disruption, the University and your course coordinators will make every effort to provide you with up to date information via Canvas and the University website.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

DESIGN 101 : Why We Design

Creative Arts and Industries

2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)