84907 Product Design Honours Project Research and Development B
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Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 84905 Product Design Honours Project Conceptualisation AND 84908 Product Design Honours Project Research and Development A
Description
This subject constitutes part two of the design research stage where students address an issue that aligns to a particular field of the product design discipline, following the formative research that produced a design concept in 84908 Product Design Honours Project Research and Development A. The subject is project-driven and combines design research methods, strategies and techniques to support the realisation of the product design project. Students continue to gather, record and analyse information through primary research as they rationalise and formalise their concept into a physical artifact, while refining and finalising the record of their design process – a practice-based research methodology. A key focus of the subject is to support and strengthen the progression and communication of the research conducted in the honours course with sophistication, professionalism and academic competency.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Challenge product design convention and speculate future human-product interactions. |
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| 2. | Transition knowledge directives and theoretical frameworks and adopt a practice-oriented research methodology. |
| 3. | Understand the use of prototyping as a central research device in knowledge-intensive design. |
| 4. | Develop an understanding of ethical practices and value for sustainable human cultures and environmental ecologies. |
| 5. | Produce professional and accurate written (and visual) communication of a knowledge-intensive product design project. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrated understanding of the contribution of particular designs to maintaining richly diverse and sustainable human cultures and environmental ecologies (A.4)
- Ability to communicate in, and draw understanding from, multidisciplinary contexts (C.4)
- Ability to critically appraise, develop and/or redirect ideas (I.4)
- Ability to produce outcomes that actively contribute to and/or advance the discipline (P.4)
- Development of academically informed and well-reasoned arguments (R.3)
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject includes active learning experiences where ongoing feedback is provided weekly in on-campus studio engagements supported by the lectures delivered via UTS Online. It is therefore imperative that students attend all on-campus engagements. This subject uses an enquiry-based learning strategy that involves students researching and developing their own solutions to complex design challenges. The subject is designed to ensure that all content and tasks are relevant to current professional practice in an evolving global context.
Due to Covid-19 social distancing restrictions, lectures are to be recorded and uploaded to UTS Online for viewing. However, studio sessions will be conducted on campus. The subject combines one online lecture session with a 4.5-hour studio per week (breaks are incorporated). The lectures will provide knowledge relevant to the subject that will enable students to work on their design projects. The knowledge provided is information on two primary aspects. Firstly, the application of theory and methods in the conduct of practice-based research to be applied in the final-phase development of a design concept and hypothesis. Secondly, strategies, methods and techniques to support the communication of a practice-based research methodology and design outcome. Prior to each lecture, students are required to prepare material based on set readings and exercises, to be critically analysed in connection with their design project and in relation to the weekly lecture content. Students will be able to do this by referring to reference material relevant to each lecture session. In the studios, students will work on their design projects with a studio leader. The studio leader will discuss with the group the challenges they are facing with their projects and will facilitate individual discussions. The studio leader will be reviewing the work weekly and will provide feedback verbally.
It is the student's responsibility to record any feedback provided in studio and from assessment panels. 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 prototypes. Grades, marks and additional (written) feedback on final design submissions will be provided through Re.View.
Content (topics)
- Analysis and synthesis of sociocultural research for responsible design interventions.
- Development and appropriate resolution of designs that challenge existing design conventions.
- Adapting theory to frame a practice-oriented research methodology.
- Prototyping as a key method of critically and collaboratively analysing concepts.
- Record and prepare clear written and visual communication of process.
- Meetings and presentations that demonstrate week-by-week progress.
- Refinement of a design language that fosters debate.
- Build on communication skills for the conduct of research and the explanation of outcomes.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Communication of Design Research: Findings
| Intent: | Based on feedback from last semester, students are required to apply the necessary updates to their project and produce a draft of the opening section of Chapter 5: Analysis and Interpretation of Findings (colour). This section should demonstrates the use of research prototyping in combination with other methods, as appropriate, to clarify design objectives for the final design. This assessment fundamentally evaluates your transition from knowledge-directed research (roughly speaking, basic research) to design (or applied) research. A key aspect of this submission is the creation of a Design Brief and completion of the first section of Chapter 5. | ||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2 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.4 and R.3 | ||||||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 25% | ||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Analysis and Interpretation of Findings: Resolved Product Design
| Intent: | Complete Chapter 5: Analysis and Interpretation of Findings demonstrating the development of the technical details that are translated and embodied in your product design. The document should now adopt firm formatting guidelines. The chapter should include the combination of images and text to guide the reader through design decision making and research. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 3, 4 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.): A.4, I.4 and P.4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Resolution of Research & Development Dissertation
| Intent: | The completion phase of the R&D Book brings together all chapters into a single volume. Although most of the content should now be produced and ready for incorporation into the completed document, bringing all of the elements together should not be dismissed as a simple task. Along with the issues associated with large and complex file management, editing of text, diagrams, images, contents lists, referencing and appendices is a delicate job. Additionally, it is important to ensure that as a complete volume, the book communicates the entire process in an easy to understand, justifiable and stylish manner. It therefore must include the final chapter - Chapter 6: Conclusions and Design Proposal. The complete dissertation is to be submitted both as a digital .pdf and professionally bound printed copy. A second copy must be produced for the Program to retain. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2 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.4, I.4, P.4 and R.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 45% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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.