DESIGN 301 Advanced Design Methods Capstone - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Students will complete a major design project in collaboration with local stakeholders. Students will develop a design strategy in response to a real-world issue. They will engage in research and practical studio work, select appropriate methods, and use multiple tools and technologies to produce a prototype. Outcomes will be presented to and critiqued by design professionals.

Course Overview

DESIGN 301: Advanced Design Methods Capstone is a core and final studio-based course within the BDes programme before graduation. Students will draw upon their learnings to date to work through a real-world design challenge. Students are presented with multiple design challenges/briefs co-developed alongside local stakeholders presenting a “real-world” issue or opportunity.

Students elect one brief to pursue for the duration of the course. The course begins with developing a project plan which is then executed through a self-prescribed design strategy. Students document their weekly progress in the format of a digital journal and submit this alongside their final project. The course is comprised of key assessments that need to be completed to pass the course. Assignments are structured to assist students towards their final presentation.

The course concludes with a final presentation where students will present their design solutions in the format of printed boards, digital media and scale models/prototypes. A panel of academics, design professionals and relevant stakeholders (who have been part of the journey) will be invited to the final presentations to offer feedback and critique on the presented work.

DESIGN 301 represents the last milestone in the students' BDes journey before entering the industry or pursuing post-graduate studies. Consequently, students enrolled in this course must demonstrate the ability to critically engage with the project briefs, prescribe a plan of action, self-organise, self-direct and execute their design projects.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: DESIGN 200, 201, 300 and 90 points from DESIGN 210-243 Corequisite: DESIGN 302

Learning Outcomes

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

Activate and customise key methodologies and design tools, and develop new ones applicable to design research and capstone development. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 3.1, 3.2, 5.3 and 5.4)
Frame and reframe a research question based on observation, evidence and evolving insight and understanding. (Capability 1.2, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1 and 3.3)
Iteratively develop a capstone design project while documenting the process and its evolution through successive prototypes and reflections. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
Demonstrate ability to engage in and activate a local design context. (Capability 3.2, 3.3, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1 and 6.2)
Demonstrate ability to present a project to an advanced level and to provide contextual and critical review in response to peer projects. (Capability 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Plan and propose	20%	Group & Individual Coursework
Design solution	80%	Group & Individual Coursework
2 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4	5
Plan and propose
Design solution

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 course will be delivered over 12 weeks in a studio environment. Studio sessions will be led by a team of design experts who will provide lectures and lead activities. The final presentations will be scheduled to take place during the examination period. All students are expected to be present for their final presentations.

Each week there will be a "core" 3-hour studio session where all teaching team members will be present to deliver scheduled lectures or workshops, make announcements and provide feedback to students. All students are expected to attend this core studio session.

In addition, there will be 2 x 3-hour design studios each week to check in with the teaching team and receive feedback. During this time, students can also progress their project work in the studio or workshop. Students are expected to attend studio 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 a higher than a passing grade.

Periodically over the semester, training workshops will be available for students where technicians will provide training on a range of tools. Guest lectures will be scheduled during the semester and announced in advance to students via Canvas.

Workload Expectations

DES301 is a 45-point course, and students are expected to spend a total of 450 hours working on their projects.

For this course, you can expect 9 hours of studio contact hours per week in the format of 3 x 3-hour studio sessions. The remainder is broken down into :

~3 hours of workshop hours
~3 hours of preparatory reading
~15 hours of self-directed study related to your project

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at studio 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 guest's approval.

Other learning activities, including studios and 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

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.

The next iteration of DES300 (first semester) has been re-structured to enable greater scaffolding before students commence DES301 in the second semester.

As requested by the students, both Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 will be released simultaneously to allow for efficient semester planning. Mechanisms for motivation and specific indicators of progress will be integrated as part of Assignment 1.

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.

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 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

DESIGN 301 : Advanced Design Methods Capstone

Creative Arts and Industries

2023 Semester Two (1235) (45 POINTS)