84812 Product Design Major Studio
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 84811 Smart Design
Description
The subject focus is on understanding the role of the product designer and design-driven innovation. The connection between design and business of varying scale and capability is explored through a design project supported by research, on-line content and active studio engagement. The terms of innovation as a differentiating factor in a competitive market requires strategic, knowledge-directed design practice that is visionary and culturally compatible rather than entirely standardised by conventional manufacturing technologies. The subject considers issues relating to ethics, intellectual property, innovation, design thinking, design expertise and design-led research in new product development, preparing students for either graduation or further advanced study in design.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Understand how to innovate for socio-cultural and technological change. |
|---|---|
| 2. | Understand knowledge-directed design practice. |
| 3. | Use research methods and data analysis to improve design performance. |
| 4. | Use design methods and techniques to explore, reflect, improve and refine concepts. |
| 5. | Understand academic writing relevant to product design. |
| 6. | Communicate and present product designs to a high standard. |
| 7. | Create prototypes and three-dimensional representations to a high standard. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Effective written and oral communication skills (C.1)
- Effective visual communication skills (C.2)
- Effective tangible 3D representation (C.3)
- Demonstration of versatility, curiosity and imagination (I.2)
- 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)
- Analyse complex contexts for design (R.2)
- Develop reasoned arguments supported by research (R.3)
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
The subject combines a design studio (Wednesday) and research studio (Thursday) to support students in the design and development of a self-initiated product design project that must be completed individually to an appropriately high level of resolution. The subject is focused on innovation in product design and meaningful change strategy. Students are required to demonstrate competency in developing an innovative design that represents meaningful change for a product category, informed by socio-cultural research and expressed through a combination of design representations, physical models and prototypes, and a scholarly research report that articulates the case for the design proposal.
This subject uses an enquiry-based learning strategy that involves students in researching and developing their own solutions to complex design challenges. The subject invites design and academic professionals as studio leaders to ensure that all content and tasks are relevant to current professional practice. This subject includes active learning experiences where ongoing feedback is provided weekly. It is therefore imperative that students attend all engagements. The knowledge provided in studio and through online content includes information on the principles of design-driven innovation, practice-oriented design research and professional practice as they apply to product design.
Prior to studios, students will be required to prepare questions or complete tasks for the studio leader relating to their design projects and the weekly progress as per the Program included in this Subject Outline. Students will work on relevant activities in studio and direct their research and design projects with the studio leader. The studio leader will guide students through the challenges they are facing with their projects supported by activities and peer reviews. The studio leader will be reviewing and assessing individual projects on an ongoing basis and will provide formative feedback verbally.
It is the students' responsibility to record any feedback provided in studio. During studio 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 in the construction of presentation models and or prototypes. Grades, marks, and any extra feedback on final design submissions will be made available on Canvas.
Content (topics)
- Design-driven innovation
- Commercialisation factors
- Socio-cultural factors
- Research methods
- Development of product designs
- Academic research and scholarly writing
- Practice-oriented research and prototyping
- Speculative design
- Iterative design process
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Product Design: Concept
| Intent: | Aim To develop a product design concept that represents an innovative step beyond known existing products in response to an important issue. The concept should be based on research conducted with the support of Research Studio. Parameters Design Studio and Research Studio operate concurrently. These may be thought about as two perspectives on the same project that inform each other. Knowledge-directed, design-driven innovation is fuelled by the creative expression of ideas (generative) that are critically reflected upon as research data becomes available through structured methods of enquiry (evaluative) in-turn inspiring a fresh set of ideas, and refinement of others (generative). The generative and evaluative iteration of ideas is cyclical (see Stappers, 2007). Design Studio is set-up to support the creative development of your product design through to a resolved, tangible outcome. Assessment Task 1 develops a concept that forms the basis for design refinement in Assessment Task 2. Additional information Please refer to the Program of this Subject Outline for sumbission details and formatting requirements. | ||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 4 and 6 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.2 and I.2 | ||||||||||||
| Type: | Project | ||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 20% | ||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Product Design: Final
| Intent: | Aim To develop your product design concept into a (single) resolved and well-presented product design outcome conveyed through visually stimulating and informative images, presentation and prototypes / models. Parameters The final design is to be presented in studio as a refined and sophisticated product, resolved to a high level of detail. This is the capstone project for your Degree and the major installment of your portfolio. The work should demonstrate a combined set of design skills and your reeadiness for work in the product design industry or further design study in Honours (or other advanced level design programs). Your design should not only be an impressive presentation of skill and attention to detail, but also an expression of your values as a developing designer. Additional information Please refer to the Program of this Subject Outline for submission details and formatting requirements. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2, 6 and 7 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.2, C.3 and I.4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Project | ||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Research Report
| Intent: | Aim To prepare a Research Report to accompany your Product Design Process and to effectively make a case for your design proposal supported by good, researched arguments. Parameters The Research Report should demonstrate your ability to conduct academic and design research on a topic that is simultaneously of interest to you and has meaningful implications for society. The topic of your research enquiry must be considered thoughtfully and adopt an appropriate focus such that it relates to products and product design. The process of developing a topic will be supported by your studio leaders and must be approved by them. The Report is a designed artefact and a critical accompaniment to the Final Product Design outcome. Organisations do not invest in design innovation lightly. It can be expensive and risky. As the leader of such projects, you must be able to articulate, clearly and confidently, a case for the project to exist and to proceed. Your Research Report must essentially make this case in relation to your product design proposal and demonstrate your ability to effectively present evidence and advocate for design-innovation. This Assessment is divided into two parts, providing a check-point mid-semester. Additional information Please refer to the Program of this Subject Outline for submission details and formatting requirements. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 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, P.3, R.1, R.2 and R.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Students are required to attend all sessions and demonstrate progress each week. 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.
Required texts
Required reading will be either supplied or referred to through Canvas.
Recommended texts
Bloomberg, L. D. & Volpe, M. (2016). Completing your qualitative dissertation: A roadmap from beginning to end (3rd ed.). Sage.
Michel, R. (Ed.). (2012). Design Research Now. Birkhäuser. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8472-2
References
Brown, T. (2009). Change by design: How design thinking transforms organisations and inspires innovation. HarperCollins Publishers.
Cross, N. (2007). Designerly ways of knowing. Birkhäuser.
Dorst, K. (2011). The core of design thinking and its application. Design Studies, 32(6), 521-532.
Dorst, K. (2003). Understanding design: 150 reflections on being a designer. BIS.
Glanville, R. (2015). The sometimes uncomfortable marriages of design and research. In The routledge companion to design research (pp. 9-22). Routledge.
Lie, S., Pandolfo, B., & Walden, R. (2020). The Imperfect Aesthetic. In Provocative Plastics (pp. 109-124). Palgrave Macmillan.
Martin, B. & Hanington, B. (2012). Universal methods of design: 100 ways to research complex problems, develop innovative ideas, and design effective solutions. Rockport.
Milton, A. & Rodgers, P. (2013). Research methods for product design. Laurence King.
Nemme, A. & Walden, R. (2017). Advancing the iteration deficit reduction model. In TENZ ICTE Conference - Technology: An holistic approach to education. (pp. 232 - 243 (12)). Technology Environmental Mathematics and Science (TEMS) Eductaion Research Centre.
Norman, D. & Verganti, R. (2014). Incremental and radical Innovation: Design research vs. technology and meaning change. Design Issues, 30(1), 78-96.
Overbeeke, C. J., Wensveen, S. A., & Hummels, C. C. M. (2006). Design research-generating knowledge through doing. In Drawing new territories - Swiss design network (pp. 51-69). Swiss Design Network.
Parsons, T. (2009). Thinking, Objects: Contemporary approaches to product design. Lausanne: AVA Academia
Rodgers, P. A. & Yee, J. (Eds.). (2015). The routledge companion to design research. Routledge.
Stappers, P. J. (2012). Doing design as a part of doing research. In Design research now (pp. 81-91). Birkhäuser.
Verganti, R. (2009). Design-Driven Innovation: Changing the rules of competition by radically innovating what things mean. Harvard Business Press.
Walden, R., & Lie, S. (2020). University–industry collaboration in frugal innovation through prototyping: the case of a firefighter cooling vest. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 68(3), 725-738.
Walden, R., Lie, S., Pandolfo, B., & Nemme, A. (2018). Research Prototyping, University-Industry Collaboration and the value of Annotated Portfolios. In Cumulus Paris 2018: To get there together, designing together. (pp. 1198-1213). Cumulus the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media
Walden, R. & Koskinen, I. K. (2019). Academic design: Towards a definition in a product design context. In Fostering design-led innovation capabilities. (pp. 107-114). APO