DESIGN 232 Smart Homes and Cities - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Introduces the main drivers, strategies, and technologies that make smart cities efficient and sustainable. Students will analyse case studies to understand how these cities work from a systems-level perspective to a human-scale, experiential level. They will propose concept solutions to identified problems and opportunities, demonstrating how future homes and cities may operate synergistically through a connected system of interfaces and services.

Course Overview

The way we interface and interact with our environment is rapidly evolving. Advances in technology enable us to analyse and make informed decisions in a way that has never been more accessible in human history. The rise of low-cost, ubiquitous computing, IoT (Internet of Things) infrastructure and manufacturing processes have enabled us to rapidly ideate and prototype concepts that can have immense social, environmental and economic benefits.

Our duty as designers and entrepreneurs is to understand the possibilities and lead this change through a critical lens defining the future reality of life within our homes and cities.

This course will help students develop skills required to deliver positive, valuable and ethical system focused solutions for our homes and cities. Students will undertake a concept development journey starting with a critical analysis of selected United Nations Social Development Goals. Subsequently, they will identify problems and opportunities for impact at a product or experience scale.

Operating as teams in a studio environment, the output for this course will be an innovative solution in response to an identified opportunity and presented in a real-world context.

Topics and activities include:

System analysis and identifying opportunities: Using a wicked challenge grounded in the UN Sustainable Development Goal No 12, the semester will begin with an in-depth analysis of an existing system within the context of Aotearoa. Students will subsequently identify opportunities for intervention and positive impact.
Scoping technologies: Operating in transdisciplinary teams, students will research relevant technologies and processes to achieve a baseline understanding of the possibilities and limitations.
Prototyping and testing: Students will take an iterative design approach to test rapidly and validate various design options in relation to self-derived criteria.
Feedback and critique: Students will share their work in progress for feedback and critique from their peers using a prescribed online platform. Alongside informal peer-reviews, students will also receive feedback from staff and field experts in a studio environment.
Design proposal: Operating in teams, students will ideate, prototype, document and pitch a design solution that is grounded in a real-world scenario.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: DESIGN 100, 101

Learning Outcomes

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

Demonstrate familiarity with theories and tools required to map interconnected systems and sophisticated networks that make up a city's infrastructure ecosystem. (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.3, 6.1 and 6.2)
Develop an understanding of design tools, methods and processes by conceptualising and proposing solutions for present or future contexts. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3)
Develop a traditional and/or digital skill-set to convincingly model and visualise one or more scenarios. (Capability 1.1, 2.3, 4.1 and 4.2)
Develop familiarity with presenting work and critiquing the work of others in a studio pedagogical context. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
Demonstrate ability to pitch or succinctly and compellingly present a project. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
System map and analysis	15%	Group & Individual Coursework
Concept design	30%	Group & Individual Coursework
Developed design & pitch	55%	Group & Individual Coursework
3 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4	5
System map and analysis
Concept design
Developed design & pitch

Teaching & Learning Methods

This course will be delivered over 12 weeks in the design studio. This course will include guest lectures by professional and academic thought leaders within the space.

Studios are typically comprised of lecture content, classwork, team assignments and guest talks. Students are expected to attend every week as each session has been designed to equip students with the necessary skills to complete the assessment activities. A thoughtful and active engagement in group work and feedback sessions will contribute to achieving a higher 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 3 hours of contact time in the format of lectures, tutorials, feedback sessions and collaborative classwork. The remainder, 9.5 hours will be spent on self-directed study which includes assignments, workshop training and collaborative tasks.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to receive credit for components of the course unless circumstances prevent it. In this scenario, students will be notified via Canvas of the next steps.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Guest lectures will be recorded and disseminated subject to the guest's approval. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.

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

Prototyping materials and collateral: Due to the hands-on and bespoke nature of the projects students will develop as part of this course, they may require additional resources and collateral. This may include specialised materials, tooling, hardware, software or access to cloud services. Where possible the programme will supply these items to students at cost price through the CAI shop, however, students also need to be prepared to source these items at their own expense.

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.

Next year, we will introduce the "prototyping experiences" concept and practice in week 3 instead of week 5, given the excellent results achieved by the students who developed the exercise in more depth.

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.

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.

Late submission

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 it is overdue. After a period of 10 days, the assignment will receive a DNC (Did Not Complete) allocation. In unforeseen circumstances, the student can apply for an extension. Please see details on how to apply for an extension below.

Extension

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?cq_ck=1657536880768

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. 

Contact

Students must use their official university email to submit extension applications and for any other communication with lecturers/tutors/course coordinators/HoS. Emails from personal accounts are filtered out and will not be responded to.

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.

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

DESIGN 232 : Smart Homes and Cities

Creative Arts and Industries

2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)