DESIGN 101 : Design Theory and Fundamentals

Creative Arts and Industries

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Introduces historical and contemporary drivers of design as a maker of socio-cultural meaning. Students will learn fundamental design principles used for communication and sense-making, applied across a variety of mediums and technologies. Students will be introduced to tikanga Māori and to the main ethical, socio-cultural, economic and environmental propellants of design.

Course Overview

Design 101 is a foundational course for all Design and Design Conjoint students. In this course, students will become familiar with the historical drivers of design from different perspectives and time periods. Through critical thinking, students will make sense of the connections between design and the social, environmental, economic, political and technological contexts driving the evolution of design fields. Looking at design through the lenses of diversity, equity and inclusion will also be fundamental for understanding the various approaches to design. As students become familiar with design histories and fields, they will develop a position, and a values-based, Tiriti o Waitangi-informed approach to design in relation to the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Design

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate familiarity with a range of design contexts and fields of application for design. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2 and 8.1)
  2. Demonstrate familiarity with key historical drivers of the design discourse and the literature and influential ideas associated with that discourse. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2 and 8.1)
  3. Demonstrate familiarity with design as a socio-technical phenomenon and begin to develop a position in relation to this. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.3)
  4. Demonstrate familiarity with ethical and sustainable practices in design in relation to local culture and practices, and to the historical antecedents of design. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2 and 8.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Critical commentary 20% Group & Individual Coursework
Annotated bibliography 20% Group & Individual Coursework
Essay 30% Group & Individual Coursework
Final Exam 30% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Critical commentary
Annotated bibliography
Essay
Final Exam
A total grade of 50% or higher is required to pass this course.

Where 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, he/she may apply for an extension. 

Applications for extensions require that students complete the Design Programme Extension of Time Application Form https://www.forms.auckland.ac.nz/en/student/creative-arts-and-industries/design-programme-extension-of-time-application-form.html

The request is assessed by the Group Services Administrator and Course coordinator and must be supported by written evidence from a doctor or counsellor. The student must apply no later than five days before the due date of the assignment. In case of extreme difficulty closer to the assignment deadline contact your 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 12 weeks course is conformed by weekly one-hour lecture and two-hour tutorial encompassing group discussions, design critiques, short exercises among other activities.
A flipped classroom methodology is employed to allow students to engage in deep discussion with tutors and classmates during the tutorial time while they work with tools and concepts introduced in earlier sessions.
Students are expected to attend studio & tutorial sessions every week as each session has been designed to equip students with the necessary skills to complete all assessment activities to receive a passing grade. Any further engagement in workshops and feedback sessions will contribute to achieving higher than a passing grade.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 12.5 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 1 hour of lectures, a 2-hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 7.5 hours of work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at lecture and tutorial sessions to complete components of the course. Lectures will be scheduled in advance and announced to students via Canvas. Guest lectures will be recorded and disseminated subject to the guests' approval.

Other learning activities, including tutorials, will not be available as recordings. The course will require students to participate in online forums involving group discussions and share studio outputs.

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

Learning 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.

BYOD - students enrolled in a Bachelor of Design or Design conjoint degree should come to class with their own laptop and software. 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 a 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. 

Online folio: Students will continue to develop their online folios and maintain them throughout their course.

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.

Lectures will be shorter and more interactive. With the second iteration of this new course design there will be student examples to accompany templates and teacher-generated exemplars. Word counts for bibliography and essay will be reduced. Face-to-face engagement will be assessed along with online forum tool.

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 for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

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.

Requests for extensions of time must be submitted and approved before the due date unless there are exceptional circumstances. Students applying for an extension of time must use the online Extension of Time Application form available on Canvas. The request must be supported by written evidence from a doctor or counsellor (or other relevant evidence). Any work submitted after the due date and without an approved extension form will be treated as overdue and will incur an automatic reduction of 10% per day. After ten days, the assignment will receive a DNS (Did Not Submit) allocation.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an 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. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

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 students may be asked to submit 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. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 24/10/2023 12:09 p.m.