University of Technology Sydney

89029 Interaction Studio: Creative Futures

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 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Design
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

The subject focuses on interaction and service design in the context of project-based learning. It adheres to an expanded and interconnected understanding of interaction and service design that includes user experience, screen-based interactions, physical prototyping, service systems design, systems thinking and ethnographic inspired research. Students in each studio need to be highly motivated and self-directed. Depending upon studio focus, the skills developed involve a practical and speculative understanding of digital and physical touchpoints, combined with conceptual, strategic, entrepreneurial, system-focused approaches.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

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

1. Develop a holistic understanding of interaction design including micro interactions, the relationship between interactions and different devices and the relationship between interaction, multiple touch-points, service and value
2. Develop an understanding of human centred design principles and their application to generate meaningful and applicable insights, relevant to a range of stakeholders
3. Demonstrate an understanding of user needs and experiences across a range of interaction contexts
4. Use design skills to exhibit a range of challenging communications contexts to ensure maximum impact
5. Effectively use different kinds of prototyping techniques and provide a rationale for their role in the research process
6. Meaningfully express personal abilities, experience and concerns as a designer in relation broader vocational questions.
7. Demonstrate the understanding of design in the context of broader societal, political and environmental concerns

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

Interaction Studio: Creative Futures encourages student learning directed to develop graduate attributes. The course content, learning strategies and assessment structure is explicitly designed with these attributes in mind.

Teaching and learning strategies

The aim of this studio is to give students an experience in thinking at a strategic level and position work within a wider social, economic and cultural context. Students will learn to adjust to design problems that continually morph as projects develop, negotiate how design can work collaboratively with other disciplines, engage with committed external stakeholders and have confidence in managing projects.

This design studio involves working closely with experienced academics and/or industry professionals. Assessment is typically project focused group work, with continual creative direction from peers and studio leader. You are expected to participate in class design crits as presenters and audience. Your role in providing feedback to your peers, and in opening yourself to feedback on your own project, will help you to develop good judgment in relation to design development, as well as prepare you to work effectively in design teams in professional practice. During the week, between classes, you will need to significantly develop your project for further presentation, drawing upon ongoing research as well as on the feedback provided in class. There is an expectation of approx. 10 hrs of self-directed project development outside class hours each week.

The nature of the assessment tasks and the expectations set by the studio culture mean that it is essential for students to work extensively outside class: organising interviews with relevant stakeholders, undertaking field trips and various group meetings and workshops.

Feedback

Students will have several opportunities to receive feedback during the subject. The feedback provided will vary in form, purpose and in its degree of formality:

Formative feedback will be provided during the learning process, typically provided verbally by the subject's teaching staff. It will address the content of work and a student's approach to learning, both in general and more specific ‘assessment orientated’ terms. It is designed to help students improve their performance in time for the submission of an assessment item. For this to occur students need to respond constructively to the feedback provided. This involves critically reflecting on advice given and in response altering the approach taken to a given assessment. Formative feedback may also, on occasion, be provided by other students. It is delivered informally, either in conversation during a tutorial or in the course of discussion at the scale of the whole class. It is the student’s responsibility to record any feedback given during meetings or studio sessions.

Summative feedback is provided in written form with all assessed work. It is published along with indicative grades online at UTS REVIEW. Summative feedback focuses on assessment outcomes. It is used to indicate how successfully a student has performed in terms of specific assessment criteria.

it is the student’s responsibility to record any feedback given during meetings. This will assist in how iterative development can be accessed and ultimately assessed.

Content (topics)

The studio is structured according to the following principles:

  • design briefs present wicked problems with conflicting considerations;
  • briefs have many points of entry, allowing students to propose their own approach;
  • external briefs and stakeholders make the projects real and provide specialised knowledge;
  • project length, group size and discipline mix defined according to project briefs;
  • educators and external stakeholders provide regular, targeted guidance rather than students following a set methodology.

The nature of the assessment tasks and the expectations set by the studio culture mean that it is essential for students to work extensively outside class: organising interviews with relevant stakeholders, undertaking field trips and various group meetings and workshops.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Context Research Report

Intent:

Depending on the studio focus, you will undertake a specific design brief that either works towards strengthening your portfolio or building skills that are relevant to design practice and industry. Assessment criteria and a detailed explanation of the rationale by which they are informed is also included in the brief.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 3, 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.):

A.3, I.3, P.1 and R.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Undertake independent, exploratory research relevant to a brief, with particular emphasis on the identification of key research findings 30 7 P.1
Demonstrated understanding of user needs and experiences across a range of interaction contexts 30 3 I.3
Demonstrated understanding of Human-Centred Design methodology 20 2 A.3
Evidence of ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively 20 6 R.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Design Project Presentation

Intent:

Depending on the studio focus, you will undertake a specific design brief that either works towards strengthening your portfolio or building skills that are relevant to design practice and industry. Assessment criteria and a detailed explanation of the rationale by which they are informed is also included in the brief.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 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.):

A.1, C.1, I.1, I.2 and P.3

Type: Project
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 60%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Demonstrated understanding of user needs and experiences 20 3 I.1
Demonstrated understanding of Micro Interactions and the role they play in complimenting touchpoints and overall experience 20 1 A.1
Demonstrated ability to perform and receive Design critique 20 6 I.2
Demonstrated understanding of prototyping for problem definition and solution refinement 20 5 P.3
Evidence of skills to rationalise, communicate and persuade for maximum impact 20 4 C.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes