83922 Research: Professional Practice Identity

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Design
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Recommended studies:

Students are required to have completed the UTS recognised bachelor's degree in Fashion and Textiles Design, including all required subjects.

Description

This subject develops students' understanding of professional practice in the fashion and textile design industries. The focus for the subject is on contemporary fashion design as an interdisciplinary practice engaged in technology, creativity and innovation. Students develop an understanding of the current fashion industry as an engagement with global systems of culture and technology, and develop an individual visual language for their practice as fashion designers. Students engage with other design disciplines including graphic and visual documentation for fashion design and consider the role of the fashion designer as both professional and product. Students endeavour to develop a system of articulation of their creativity within the product and the systems of fashion design development as an adaptive system of creativity.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1.	Understand the role of the designer as a global citizen.
2.	Present work appropriate to the situated professional context.
3.	Demonstrate a capacity to work conceptually.
4.	Appraise, develop or redirect design ideas.
5.	Independently develop new skills and areas of knowledge.
6.	Cultivate an autonomous aesthetic sensibility.
7.	Develop skill in professional craft.
8.	Develop well-supported arguments in support of professional identity and practice.
9.	Analyse complex ideas related to professional context.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

Understanding and support of sustainable and ethical practices (A.1)
Ability to work collaboratively with other professions and disciplines (C.3)
Advanced aesthetic sensibility (I.1)
Innovative approaches to materials, textiles and technology (I.2)
Advanced fashion industry specific technology skills, digital skills and craft skills (P.1)
Advanced engagement with professional and global fashion industry practices (P.2)
Ability to develop sophisticated arguments and rationales (R.1)
Ability to analyse and synthesise complex ideas (R.2)

Teaching and learning strategies

1 hour Lecture weeks 1-5, followed by a 2 hour studio weeks 1-11.

This subject is delivered in a combination of lectures and studio-based learning per week. This subject is offered face-to-face and incorporates a range of teaching and learning strategies within a collaborative workspace which includes-lectures, discussions, demonstrations, studio activities, design thinking, writing and presentations. Each class is complemented by prior reading, individual research and reflection, collaborative and individual tasks. The activities for this subject are centred on self-initiated learning, reinforcing the independent approach to building knowledge and skills. Students are expected to conduct independent research, attend all classes and follow up on design development required for the following week for each of their individual projects. Students must refer to the subject program for clarification of required assessment and weekly tasks.

LECTURES
Students will attend lectures by industry professionals in which professional practices will be discussed.

STUDIO WORKSHOPS
The two hours of weekly studio contact operates as guided studio-based workshops. Studio sessions with Tutors will elaborate on the lectures, require students to undertake particular studio tasks and individual work on the Assessment Tasks. Tutors will often work with students individually to develop individual work and provide feedback. Emphasising creative exploration, learning in all facets of studio workshops is crucial to ensuring students deploy the design thinking and professional technical expertise required in this subject and the field. All students are expected to attend studio sessions, and follow suggested learning patterns and activities. Students are also encouraged to participate actively in the group discussions that occur during the studio sessions. Students are required to keep a journal of studio tasks and activities as well as individual development of work for Assessment Tasks.

RESEARCH
Students are expected to conduct independent research supported by recommended texts accessible via UTS Online. Readings assist students to develop essential content knowledge related to both fashion and textile design principles, textile trends and technical systems. Independent research increases student capacity to experiment and develop confidence in testing, justifying and evaluating new and traditional methods of practice.

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY (WHS)
An emphasis throughout the subject is placed on a professional and sustainable workshop/studio practice. Students are expected to demonstrate professional workshop practice and knowledge of WHS requirements in at all times.

ONLINE COURSEWORK
Resources for this subject are located on UTS Online. These are used to support the learning objectives of this subject. A detailed overview of the pedagogy and associated tasks and assessment items are included in the subject documents. In addition, a comprehensive reading list comprising recommended texts is accessible from UTS Online.

FIELD TRIPS / SITE VISITS
From time to time, students may be required to visit industry specialists or related exhibitions to support their learning. Students will be advised in advance and/or exhibitions will be recommended for students to visit for their research.

FEEDBACK
Students will have several opportunities to receive feedback during the subject. The feedback provided will vary in form, purpose and in its degree of formality. Typically, the format of feedback is verbal and /or written. All feedback on assignments will be cross-reference to the briefing/assessment documents

Formative feedback will be provided during the learning process, typically provided verbally by the subject's teaching staff during studio sessions. It will address the content of work and a student's approach to learning, both in general and more specific ‘assessment orientated’ terms. It is designed to help students improve their performance in time for the submission of an assessment item. For this to occur students need to respond constructively to the feedback provided. This involves critically reflecting on advice given and in response altering the approach taken to a given assessment. Formative feedback may also, on occasion, be provided by other students. It is delivered informally, either in conversation during a tutorial or in the course of discussion at the scale of the whole class. It is the student’s responsibility to record any feedback given during meetings or studio sessions.

Summative feedback is provided in written form with all assessed work. It is published along with indicative grades online at UTS REVIEW. Summative feedback focuses on assessment outcomes. It is used to indicate how successfully a student has performed in terms of specific assessment criteria. Feedback, grades and assessment criteria will also be available to students via the REVIEW assessment system 2-3 weeks after the submission date.

Content (topics)

Contemporary Context for Emerging Fashion Design Professionals: The current cultural context for emerging fashion designers.
Production of Cohesive Self Branding Across Digital and Print Platforms: Creation of a visual language in fashion design.
Fashion Design Industry Processes and Systems.
Professional Network of Creatives: Collaboration and working with other creatives to develop Fashion specific outcomes.
Fashion Publication.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Digital Portfolio

Intent:

Fashion Designers work in multi-disciplinary ways engaging with evolving techniques for production and technologies as well as design disciplines. They are required to be visually savvy across many different mediums including print and digital interfaces. It is important that students develop a way of working creatively and cohesively across multiple media and strengthen their articulation of ideas through well-executed and developed visualization and written/verbal communication strategies.

This Assessment Task will develop a body of work that will sit alongside your final collection and provide you with a way to communicate your designs to the public, to stakeholders and to other professionals. This task will also develop your ability to position your individual practice within a specific emerging fashion designer context.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 3, 4, 7 and 8

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

A.1, I.1, I.2, P.2 and R.1

Type:

Portfolio

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

50%

Criteria:

Project shows an understanding of contemporary fashion practices, clearly positioned within an emerging designer context.
Design process work demonstrates a strong aesthetic integration combining hand-generated and digitally-generated imagery.
Photographic work is visually engaging, demonstrating an ability to reappraise and present a cohesive aesthetic across multi-media.
Visual elements including colours, textures, layouts and typeface is cohesive and contemporary and demonstrates flexibility across applications.
Writing clearly explains the key aims of the individual practice and is closely aligned to visual development.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Project shows and understanding of contemporary fashion practices, clearly positioned within an emerging designer context.	20	1	A.1
Design process work demonstrates a strong aesthetic integration comgining hand-generated and digitally-generated imagery.	20	7	I.1
Photographic work is visually engaging, demonstrating an ability to reappraise and present a cohesive aesthetic across multi-media.	20	4	I.2
Visual elements including colours, textures, layouts and typeface is cohesive and contemporary and demonstrates flexibility across applications.	20	3	P.2
Writing clearly explains the key aims of the individual practice and is closely aligned to visual development.	20	8	R.1

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Emerging Designer Profile

Intent:

Fashion Designers need to position their work in relation to the global context. How a designer presents and communicates their own work needs to be carefully developed and positioned in a clear way. This assessment task builds upon the last assessment, deepening the enquiry into the development of an individual aesthetic and communication strategies for discussing and presenting the various components of a creative practice in a confident and successful way.
In this task students will continue to develop their designer profiles, together with producing a visual communication strategy for their Concept Look Garments developed in Fashion Concept Lab. This assessment aims to support and enhance each student’s visual and written communication strategies relevant to the emerging designer context. This task requires that students continue to interrogate their ability to communicate various aspects of their practice to other stakeholders, including concept, intention, methods and aesthetic choices, in both visual and written forms.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 5, 6, 8 and 9

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

A.1, C.3, I.1, P.1, R.1 and R.2

Type:

Portfolio

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

50%

Criteria:

Documentation is well presented and shows consideration of the emerging designer context.
Documentation demonstrates successful collaboration with other creatives and professional acknowledgement.
Documentation shows a cohesive individual response to the concept, intention, aesthetic and methods of the practice.
Writing is professionally edited to explain concepts for a general audience.
Writing explains the key aims of the individual practice with a clear alignment to design concept, intention, aesthetic and methods.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Documentation is well presented and shows consideration of the emerging designer context.	17	2	A.1
Documentation demonstrates successful collaboration with other creatives and professional acknowledgement	17	2	C.3
Documentation shows contemporary styling which supports and enhances the individual designer point of view.	17	5	I.1
Documentation shows a cohesive individual response to the concept, intention, aesthetic and methods of the practice.	17	6	P.1
Writing is professionally edited to explain concepts for a general audience.	15	8	R.1
Writing explains the key aims of the individual practice with a clear alignment to design concept, intention, aesthetic and methods.	17	9	R.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

Students are required to attend all lectures and studios scheduled. The Faculty of DAB expects students to attend 80% of all classes for all enrolled subjects as achievement of the subject's aims and successful completion of assessment tasks is considerably difficult if classes are not attended. Where assessment tasks are to be presented personally in class, attendance is mandatory.

Recommended texts

Readings and resources are available on Canvas for students.

Barrett, J. C. (2016). Designing your fashion portfolio. Fairchild Books Library.

Berlendi, C. (2011). The role of social media within the fashion and luxury industries. LAP Lambert Academic
Publishing.

Bickle, M. (2011). Fashion marketing: theory, principles & practice. Fairchild.

Brown, C. (2010). Fashion and textiles: the essential careers guide. Laurence King.

Brookes, A. (2014). Popular culture: global intercultural perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan.

Bubonia-Clarke, J. (2007). Developing and branding the fashion merchandising portfolio. Fairchild Publications.

Granger, M. (2015). The fashion industry and its careers. Bloomsbury.

Griffiths, I & White, N. (2000). The fashion business: theory, practice and image. Berg Publishers.

Lea-Greenwood, G. (2013). Fashion marketing communications. Wiley & Sons.

Moore, G. (2012). Fashion promotion: building a brand through marketing and communications. AVA Academia.

Mitterfellner, O. (2019). Fashion marketing and communication: theory and practice across the industry. Routledge.

Zaccagnini, F. (2009). Research methods for the fashion industry. Fairchild Books.

Other resources

The Business of Fashion https://www.businessoffashion.com/
Access available through the UTS Library or online.