87500 VC Special Project A

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

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Description

This subject is designed to enable students to participate in independent learning opportunities relevant to visual communication research and/or practice. Such opportunities may include but are not limited to: visual-communication competitions, master-class projects run by leading industry professionals, and live external visual communication projects. Learning is largely independent and self-directed and framed by an individually designed learning contract. Students require approval from the visual communication course director to enrol in this subject.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

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

1.	Undertake research with a focus on users for content generation and /or testing.
2.	Demonstrate self-directed project management and operation as a professional member of a team.
3.	Originate diverse and imaginative ideas and refine them through critical reflection and evaluation.
4.	Pitch project solutions with impact, clarity and functionality in oral, visual and written forms to a professional standard.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

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

Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required, and constructively contribute to peer learning. (C.1)
Communicate an informed well-researched viewpoint. (C.2)
Create designs that respond to their context in formally or conceptually innovative ways. (I.1)
Advance ideas through an exploratory and iterative design process. (I.2)
Source, evaluate and utilise appropriate academic and professional references. (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 provides a unique opportunity to work with industry leaders in innovation on a professional project brief. You will develop skills necessary for an industry standard practise through immersion in professional methodologies and interaction with key industry experts.

Detailed information on the subject can be found in the Project Brief.

SUBJECT STRUCTURE

Prior to subject commencement, you will be advised of tasks to be undertaken in preparation for the subject briefing on the first day.
Extended briefing session run by the industry partner on the first day.
Two stages of presentations to industry.
- Stage 1 – Informal first stage pitch
- Stage 2 – Formal pitch

Studio sessions will give you the opportunity to discuss the daily topic/content with your peers and with an expert studio leader, to collaborate on activities directly relevant to key ideas and to develop your skills as a design practitioner with assistance from your studio leader. Studio sessions will provide you with the opportunity to take ownership of the ideas encountered in preparatory reading, research and the lectures. Your studio leader will facilitate discussion and offer expert insight and direction where needed, but as students you are primarily responsible for the mood of the studio session.

This subject incorporates a PBL (problem based learning) strategy. The focus is on allowing students to engage with practical, experiential models of visual communication design. The design methodology of developing creative responses to project briefs continues to underpin the learning experience. Peer learning groups and learning partnerships are encouraged at this stage for students, as individuals and collaboratively in groups to develop their ability to reflect upon and critically analyse their research and design work in order to experience perceptual change and enact their new understandings in progressive design iterations. Emphasis is placed on developing each student’s confidence in processing and refining ideas.

Where applicable, specific workshops and lectures will be delivered by industry experts.

As per professional practise you will be working in teams.

Feedback is provided in studio classes and during presentations.

Content (topics)

This subject requires students to submit completed design research and project work and to present the work developed, through the auspices of a project brief. The project brief will contain: a brief outlining the nature of the research and / or project being undertaken; where the project will be undertaken; the roles and responsibilities of the student in undertaking the project; the assessment requirements of the project; the assessment criteria for the project; and the deadline/s for submission/s. Students must demonstrate, through their project work and presentations, that they have fulfilled the objectives of this subject as reflected in the project brief.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Stage 1 Pitch

Intent:

Present and receive feedback on initial concepts.

Detailed information on the task can be found in the Project Brief.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 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.):

C.1, C.2, I.1, I.2 and R.1

Type:

Presentation

Groupwork:

Group, group and individually assessed

Weight:

50%

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Development of relevant insights and arguments from research.	15	1	R.1
Capacity to create designs that respond to their context in conceptually innovative ways	20	3	I.1
Advance ideas through an exploratory and iterative design process	20	2	I.2
Clarity, professionalism and engagement of support material for the pitch including slides or other props (group)	15	4	C.1
Clarity, professionalism and engagement of the spoken presentation (individual)	15	4	C.1
A capacity to collaborate effectively in a variety of group work contexts including professional interaction with client, studio leaders and group members.	15	2	C.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Stage 2 Pitch