48240 Design and Innovation Fundamentals
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 33130 Mathematics 1 AND 48230 Introduction to Engineering Projects
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
Design and innovation are explored as fundamental engineering activities through a contextualised, authentic project. Students work on solving a student selected problem in a complex environment where there are a range of possible solutions. Students work to define and understand a problem, develop a prototype solution and articulate why it meets the stakeholder's needs. By the end of this semester, students are able to do this with an engineering mindset having used design thinking and an iterative learning approach with feedback along the way.
The project promotes learning in the following areas:
- design context and requirements: approaches to design, stakeholder engagement, problem framing and creativity; requirements analysis involving legal, regulatory, technical and business requirements
- design analysis: concepts of risks and uncertainties in engineering; use of engineering and system modelling approaches for assessing engineering design trade-offs, engineering decision-making in the presence of risks, uncertainties and optimisation
- new process, product and service development: role of engineers in evaluation and delivering new processes, products and services; designing for manufacture, sustainability, safety, innovation and business driven outcomes; risk management and design communication, documentation and review.
Students develop an understanding of the models of design and innovation processes and the responsibilities and authentic practice of engineers through application of these concepts (as well as scientific principles learnt in their field of practice subjects) to their project.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Select and apply a variety of thinking and problem-solving approaches within the engineering design process from problem definition and concept generation through to prototype development with a focus on innovative solutions. (B.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Identify and apply the appropriate system-wide requirements (e.g. risk assessment, safety, business requirements etc.) for engineering design, demonstrating and justifying the application of trade-offs in the design process. (C.1) |
| 3. | Apply professional communication skills to document the full design process. (E.1) |
| 4. | Plan and monitor group work, including managing group dynamics and self and peer evaluation. (F.1) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, interpret and analyse stakeholder needs and cultural perspectives, establish priorities and goals, and identify constraints, uncertainties and risks (social, ethical, cultural, legislative, environmental, economics etc.) to define the system requirements. (B.1)
- Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design and decision-making methodologies to develop components, systems and processes to meet specified requirements. (C.1)
- Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)
- Reflective: FEIT graduates critically self-review their performance to improve themselves, their teams, and the broader community and society. (F.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies
This subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies:
- 1.5. Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.
- 2.3. Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.
- 3.2. Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
- 3.3. Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour.
- 3.5. Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.
- 3.6. Effective team membership and team leadership.
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject aims to develop students’ understanding of the engineering design process and to provide them with the skills to develop an engineering project from initial concept to the production of a prototype. A combination of workshops and tutorials are used to examine each stage of the design process. Special attention is given to balancing trade-offs in the design process. Workshops and tutorials review and practice the important skills of written and oral communication.
The ability to work in project teams is an important attribute for any engineer – particularly related to design teams. Students will be required to work in teams during on activities which guide their project work and on their project deliverables to finally produce a prototype product, reports, and make an oral presentation. Teams of four students are selected by tutors (with input from students) in the tutorial session in Week 2 and finalised in Week 3. It is critical to students’ success in this subject that they engage with team work from team formation stage.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete milestone assessment tasks
that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess the level of your academic and professional language.
To promote the development of professional skills including teamwork, critical evaluation, feedback and communication skills as well as academic honesty, a process of self and peer assessment will be used in this subject. This will be used both to provide constructive feedback to students on their engineering and teamwork skills including how they are contributing to their teams, as well as to determine individual assignment marks by appropriate adjustments to the group marks.
Content (topics)
The subject covers the following content areas:
- Engineers as designers and innovators
- Design and engineering thinking: Approaches for thinking and problem-solving in an engineering context
- The design process including problem definition, concept generation, requirements analysis, system design and detailed design.
- New process and product development; lifecycles, research, technology, development and innovation
- Design considerations and trade-offs: including safe design, methods of managing risk and uncertainty, regulations and professionalism, sustainability, design for manufacture and business decisions involved in design and innovation
- Team dynamics and techniques to facilitate successfully working in engineering teams.
- Review of written and oral communication skills.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: DISCOVERY: Project Context Report
| Intent: | This assignment ensures that each student individually demonstrates an understanding of the project context and prepares each student to join their group with a sound grounding in the project scenario |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | 500 words (excluding any coversheets, title page, references or appendices) and a video |
Assessment task 2: SCOPING: Group Interim Report
| Intent: | This interim report allows students to demonstrate that they have understood the context of the project, have identified a suitable problem to be solved and a high level solution that is likely to be successful. Feedback on this assessment will be used for future iterations. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 3000 words (excluding any coversheets, title page, table of contents, references or appendices) |
Assessment task 3: PITCHING: Prototype Demonstration Pitch and Feedback
| Intent: | This assessment is focused on developing presentation skills, collaboration and design communication. An important skill for professional practice and particularly for design is the solicitation, delivery and use of feedback. In this assessment, students are required to give feedback to peer groups on their pitches. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | On campus: 5-min in person presentation including a 2 minute prototype demonstration; 3-5 sentences per video for feedback. Online: Maximum 5-min video which includes a prototype demonstration. 3-5 sentences per video for feedback |
Assessment task 4: REPORTING: Group Design
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1 and E.1 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | Report 5000 words (excluding any coversheets, title page, table of contents, references or appendices) |
Assessment task 5: Individual Project Review
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): F.1 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | 1000 words (excluding any coversheets, title page, table of contents, references or appendices) |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Students are required to participate in the team forming activities in the Week 2 and Week 3 tutorial. Students who are not in a team by Wednesday of week 4 may be refused permission to attempt assessment tasks 4, 5 and 6, and a fail will be recorded for the subject. Please refer to UTS Student Rule 3.8.
English language proficiency: It is a requirement of this subject that you complete Assessment tasks 1 and 6. Should you receive an unsatisfactory English language level, you may be required to complete further language support after the completion of this subject.
It is a requirement of this subject that students enrolled in the Masters of Professional Engineering ONLY complete OPELA. Students enrolled in the Masters of Professional Engineering who receive a Basic grade in the OPELA are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students enrolled in the Masters of Professional Engineering who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials if required, will be referred to the Responsible Academic Officer in accordance with Student Rule 3.8.2, and a Fail X grade will be recorded for this subject.
Required texts
The Making of an Expert Engineer - James P Trevelyan, Boca Raton CRC Press, 2014. Available as an electronic copy through the UTS Library
Recommended texts
The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design, IDEO Organisation, 2015. Available online from IDEO.org
48240: Design and Innovation Fundamentals – Gerard Volland and Paul Trott, Pearson Custom Text for UTS - ISBN 9781486007103, 2013.
References
The Making of an Expert Engineer - James P Trevelyan, Boca Raton CRC Press, 2014. Available as an electronic copy through the UTS Library
Is It Real? Can We Win? Is It Worth Doing? Managing Risk and Reward in an Innovation Portfolio, by George S. Day, Harvard Business Review, December 2007
Other resources
See Canvas and the lecture notes for additional references on each lecture topic.