DESIGN 222 : Business Tools for Designers

Creative Arts and Industries

2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Examines tools that assist designers with project management and business development, including services and technologies for strategic planning, content management, scheduling, communicating, collaborating, costing, client relations, and product and market research.

Course Overview

In this course, students will learn and use several tools and services that are used by designers for planning, scheduling, and delivering products or services. Students will form groups and will follow a typical production process used for planning, managing, and promoting a product or service. This course will be taught in a studio environment and students will first be shown how to use these tools and then be expected to use and apply them to a prototype digital, physical, or hybrid product. Students will use online project management tools like GitHub, Trello,  Discord, and others. Students will use spreadsheets for budgeting and profit and loss calculations.   Social media tools like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, WeChat and others will be explored for undertaking market research and promoting a product.  

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: DESIGN 100, 101

Capabilities Developed in this Course

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
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Design

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of topics through the identification and evaluation of related best practice (Capability 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1)
  2. Apply technical competency with a range of tools and techniques used in the design and production process. (Capability 1.1 and 3.1)
  3. Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing (Capability 1.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.3 and 6.2)
  4. Be able to work as an effective member of a team and develop interpersonal skills to resolve a complex design brief. (Capability 4.3, 5.3 and 6.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Concept pitch 10% Individual Coursework
Design Brief 20% Group & Individual Coursework
Prototype 30% Group & Individual Coursework
Individual Reflection 20% Individual Coursework
Project report 20% Group Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Concept pitch
Design Brief
Prototype
Individual Reflection
Project report

Teaching & Learning Methods

This course will be delivered over 12 weeks in a Studio environment.
Studio sessions will be led by a team of design, research, and technical experts who will provide presentations and lead workshop activities on design methods, processes, and techniques.
Each week there will be a 3-hour design studio scheduled to include activities such as project workshops, project demonstrations, and feedback sessions. Students are expected to attend 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.
Studio time will be spent each week in various combinations of the following :
Presentations: by academic and industry experts as well as student presentations of work in progress (WIP)

Demonstrations: examples of completed projects and technical experiments. Students will have access to various technologies to experience and learn from existing projects

Discussions: presenters and students will discuss weekly topics and apply principles and analysis frameworks that will improve practice and support project progress

Workshops: presenters will run technical workshops to introduce students to the hardware and software relating to the design and development of MR projects. These workshops will include introductions to tools and techniques for both content (visual, audio) and systems (engines, programming, testing) prototyping.

Later in the semester, there will be studio sessions dedicated to student project progress.

Project Support: working on the skills and methods required to complete various stages of individual and group assignment submissions with the support of teaching and technical staff.

Self-guided activities: some studio sessions will be scheduled for students to have the time and access to equipment and technical support for various project WIP activities and project teamwork.

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, students can expect each week and over 12 weeks to dedicate to at least 1 hour of engagement with topics and/or materials published online between each class, attend the 3-hour studio session on-site (or on-line, if scheduled and announced on Canvas), 2 hours of preparatory and reflective reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on workshop tasks and assignments.

Please note that evidence of student participation may be expected on a variety of online platforms and in environments beyond the Studio and Lab spaces. Such as Canvas, Discord, Zoom, and others.

Students must regularly check on the Canvas site for specific instructions and updates.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs, tutorials, or studios to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including seminars may be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events including tutorials.

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

Learning Resources

BYOD:
All 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 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
Software:
Students will be informed of any recommended software on the course Canvas website.
Materials:
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 maintain an online folio (blog) documenting studio progress and evidence of process through curated photographs, images and descriptions.

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.

Other Information

Students will be contacted via their student email addresses. You are welcome to redirect these to a private email, but it is the responsibility of students to check these messages. Please note all communications from Canvas are automatically sent to student's university emails.
Students must check Canvas regularly for updated information.

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.

Published on 09/12/2020 01:55 p.m.