84124 Digital Systems for Sustainable Production
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRecommended studies:
This subject is available to all School of Design and School of Architecture students who have completed Year 1 of their bachelor degree and have mastered the basics of CAD applications such as Rhino CAD.
Description
In the framework of the Material Ecologies Design Lab, the School of Design is offering an elective on digital systems for sustainable production to design and architecture students.
The elective challenges students to speculate on the future of localised manufacturing using sustainable materials in combination with digital production methods. Students do this through researching and experimenting with new 100% sustainable and/or 100% recycled materials and apply them to digital manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and CNC milling. Students then develop the results of their experiments into new production frameworks through which they can design and make products.
Students work both individually and in groups for the duration of the session and create artefacts for exhibition and publication.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Identify opportunities within socio-cultural and technological contexts through research. |
|---|---|
| 2. | Apply design research methods and translate them into a Product Design outcome. |
| 3. | Understand appropriate application of CAD to enable digital fabrication. |
| 4. | Develop design proposals iteratively through exploratory and experimental design development methods relevant to Product Design. |
| 5. | Manage complex design projects through commitment to studio and design iteration. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Commitment to ethical practices (A.2)
- Effective written and oral communication skills (C.1)
- Effective tangible 3D representation (C.3)
- Ability to work in teams and in multi-disciplinary contexts (C.4)
- Ability to propose, develop and rethink ideas (I.4)
- Ability to self-manage, including task initiation, allocation of time and realisation of outcomes (P.3)
- Identify and execute research methods appropriate to the project (R.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and groupwork
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity.
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject includes active and collaborative learning experiences where ongoing feedback is provided weekly in all on-campus engagements. It is therefore imperative that students prepare for and attend all on campus engagements according to the Program.
The subject consists of weekly 3hr design studios during some of which presentations and demonstrations will take place. The presentations will provide information around current recycling methods and their shortfalls, how citizen-based recycling may be possible and how involving people in the making process can create meaningful product attachment. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge gained from the demonstrations by applying that knowledge in the context of the design challenges worked through in the design studio sessions.
This subject uses an enquiry-based learning strategy that involves students researching and developing their own solutions to complex design challenges. The subject uses design professionals as studio leaders to ensure that all content and tasks are relevant to current professional practice in a global context.
Learning resources will be provided in forms such as videos, book chapters and academic papers. Prior to each design studio students will be required to review the learning material and reflect on how the material will be applied to their project, and discuss it with their studio leaders each week. The knowledge provided is information relevant to topics such as recycling methods, digital manufacturing and product attachment. Where to find or how to access resource materials is listed in the Program. In studio students will work collaboratively with their peers and studio leaders on their design projects. At the beginning of each studio the studio leader and the group will discuss the challenges they are facing with their projects in connection to the weekly studio topic. The studio leaders will be reviewing the work weekly and will provide feedback verbally. It is the students responsibility to record any feedback provided both in studio and after presentations. Students will be expected to actively participate in collaborative peer review feedback exercises. Students will also be supported by the level 2, Faculty Workshop and Advanced Fabrication Lab in the construction of models, tools and prototypes.
Grades, marks and feedback on final design submissions will be provided through Review.
Content (topics)
- Design led research (aka research through design)
- Research methods for design
- Iterative design
- Recycling of plastics
- Digital manufacturing (3D Printing, CNC machining, laser cutting)
- Tool making for low volume production
- Communication of design process
- Presenting through exhibition
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Research to Concept
| Intent: | Present your research findings and how they led to your concept. Your presentation should contain both written and visual material in the form of digital slides, supported by 3D sketch models. Your presetnation should be no longer than 5min and should contain no more than 4 sildes. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1 and 2 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.): C.1 and R.1 | ||||||||||||
| Type: | Presentation | ||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Finalised Design (print ready)
| Intent: | Present your finalised concept. Demonstrate how much you iterated your concept through sketches, models and prototypes and clearly articulate your planned path forward. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 3 and 4 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.2 and C.4 | ||||||||||||
| Type: | Design/drawing/plan/sketch | ||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Printed Design
| Intent: | Presentation and exhibition of your final Prototype(s). In addition, compile a document containing both written and visual material, in which you critically reflect on your project and the work you conducted during semester. You can re-use components you created for Task 1. | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2, 3 and 5 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.): C.3, I.4 and P.3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Project | ||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.
References
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Australia. Environment Australia. 2001, Are we sustaining Australia? : a report against headline sustainability indicators for Australia, Environment Australia, [Canberra].
Birkeland, J. 2002, Design for sustainability : a sourcebook of integrated, eco-logical solutions, Earthscan Publications Ltd, Sterling, VA.
Boylston, S. 2009, Designing sustainable packaging, Laurence King, London.
Brower, C., Mallory, R. & Ohlman, Z. 2009, Experimental eco - design : architecture, fashion, product, Rotovision, Mies, Switerland.
Christie, I., Warburton, D. & Real World Coalition. 2001, From here to sustainability : politics in the real world, Earthscan, London.
Ciambrone, D.F. 1997, Environmental life cycle analysis, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton.
Dale, A. & Hill, S.B. 2001, At the edge : sustainable development in the 21st century, UBC Press, Vancouver., British Columbia.
Datschefski, E. 2001, The total beauty of sustainable products, Rotovision, Crans-Pres-Celigny, Switzerland.
Fry, T. & Eco-Design Foundation. 1992, Green desires : ecology, design, products, Eco-Design Foundation : Tower Books [distributor], Sydney.
Fuad-Luke, A. 2004, The eco-design handbook : a complete sourcebook for the home and office, New edition. edn, Thames & Hudson, New York.
Goedkoop, M., Effting, S. & Collignon, M. 2000, The eco-indicator 99 : a damage oriented method for life-cycle impact assessment : manual for designers, 2nd edn, PRé Consultants, Amersfoot, Netherlands.
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Hinte, E.v. 2004, Eternally yours : time in design : product value sustenance, 010 Publishers, Rotterdam.
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Papanek, V.J. 1985, Design for the real world : human ecology and social change, 2nd edn, Thames and Hudson, London, England.
Papanek, V.J. 1995, The green imperative : ecology and ethics in design and architecture, Thames and Hudson, London.
Parsons, T. 2008, Thinking, objects : contemporary approaches to product design, AVA Academia, Lausanne ; Worthing.
Proctor, R. 2009, 1000 new eco designs and where to find them, Laurence King, London.
Ryan, C., Lewis, H., Gertsakis, J., Kestrel Film & Video (Australia) & Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Centre for Design. 1997, The
Slade, G. 2006, Made to break : technology and obsolescence in America, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Thorpe, A. 2007, The designer's atlas of sustainability, Island Press, Washington, DC.
Tischner, U. & Charter, M. 2001, Sustainable solutions : developing products and services for the future, Greenleaf, Sheffield.
Tischner, U., Masselter, S., Hirschl, B. & Germany. Umweltbundesamt. 2000, How to do EcoDesign? : a guide for environmentally and economically sound design, Verlag form, Frankfurt am Main.
Tukker, A. 2008, Perspectives on radical changes to sustainable consumption and production, Greenleaf, Sheffield.
Yencken, D.G.D. & Wilkinson, D. 2001, Resetting the compass : Australia's journey towards sustainability, Updated edn, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Vic.