87632 VC Design Studio: The Ethics of Image and Text

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: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 87631 VC Design Studio: The Politics of Image and Text
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

In today’s complex information rich environment, image and text are persuasive in shaping the critical tools for democracy. This subject examines the ethical dilemmas emerging from the power and proliferation of images and text in the world. Through a series of studio-based briefs students develop ethical approaches to design practice. This is undertaken from two key perspectives: how do designers address ethical issues? And, how do designers approach design from an ethical standpoint? Students learn how the aesthetic formation of image and text function as ethical tools. Students continue to develop skills in using image and text as a form of visual communication by building on the formal and technical skills acquired.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

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

1.	Create designs that respond to their context in formally or conceptually innovative ways.
2.	Develop an iterative design process.
3.	Understand the value of participation and professionalism in studio practice.
4.	Develop a research practice that begins to position you within a wider field of design.
5.	Develop and maintain high level craft skills for the production, presentation and documentation of work.
6.	Understand professional as well as academic ethics and copyright issues.
7.	Develop a critical awareness of the political, social, environmental and ethical considerations of working as a visual communicator

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)
Independent development of high level technical and craft skills for the production, presentation and documentation of work. (I.3)
Understanding of academic and professional ethics, copyright and appropriate acknowledgement of intellectual property. (P.3)
Students will have knowledge of Indigenous Australian contexts to apply professional capabilities when working with and for Indigenous peoples across Design in Visual Communication projects and industry. (P.5)

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

Activities for this subject are structured according to the following:

Lectures (Tuesdays) act as point of contact for the whole cohort. The lectures will clarify the current topic area, the project you are working on and position both in the broader context of your learning in the subject and in the design curriculumn.

Practice-oriented learning in Studio Sessions (Tuesdays and Fridays) will give you the opportunity to discuss questions about the weekly topic/content with your peers and with an expert studio leader, to collaborate on practical 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.
Studio sessions will take a number of forms, including workshops, discussion groups and feedback sessions.

Content (topics)

Introduction to visual communication for social change.
Introduction to the visual elements of design.
Introduction to image making and image direction.
Introduction to typography.
Introduction to layout design.
Theoretical readings that contextualise and advance studio and practice-based outcomes.
?Introduction to peer-review and collaborative critique through verbal communication.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Studio Projects Portfolio

Intent:

Present design outcomes in a studio pinup session and collate and curate process, iterations, research and documentation of design outcomes into a well-organised portfolio produced in InDesign. Use the portfolio to document the continuous development of your studio work. This documentation should include self-directed research and experimentation alongside the process work from the workshops and studio activities. The intention is to demonstrate how you have continually built on learning to develop your studio outcomes.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 3, 4, 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, I.1, I.2, I.3 and P.3

Type:

Portfolio

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

50%

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Concept: Develop original concepts in response to briefs, which are informed by quality research, including relevant precedents and design context.	20	4	I.1
Process: Develop and document an iterative design process informed by a critical reflective practice.	20	2	I.2
Participation and professionalism: Demonstrate high levels of participation and professionalism in studio sessions, assessment presentations, and portfolio design.	20	3	C.1
Technical/ Craft: Display appropriate levels of technical skills in the production of design outcomes for individual briefs.	20	5	I.3
Ethical Considerations: Apply and reflect on ethical considerations in responding to design briefs and correctly reference and attribute ideas of others by applying the APA referencing system.	20	6	P.3

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Studio Projects Web Portfolio

Intent:

This assessment task will allow you to consolidate and extend the skills you have learned in your first year while also challenging you to develop your understanding and application of ethical design principles through more independent studio work. The final design outcome will be a new web portfolio documenting design responses for two new project briefs and documentation of at least two previous projects from this year.