Major Project
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DI303-30 Term 2 and 3 |
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Module Leader |
| Adela Glyn-Davies |
Third year only |
Term 2 and 3 |
30 CATS |
40 practical class hours and 40 fieldwork hours |
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All lectures and seminars will be face to face unless otherwise stated in Moodle |
| Please note this webpage refers to the module as planned for 2024-2025. For other versions, please refer to the module catalogue: Module information |
This module is the culmination of students' journeys into becoming designerly change agents. Their major project will be a brief that students will be developing themselves and throughout the process will acquire skills in how to research, define and present a full problem statement which will justify a multi perspective enquiry through the micro, meso and macro sphere of innovation but captured on a meta level, equivalent to industry standards and practice.
This problem definition will lead students into their full project process. This entails advanced design research and application of design and systems thinking to practice. The module will challenge the student's ability to undertake high quality research whilst working towards an innovative design intervention towards sustainable systems change.
This intensive learning journey will foster students' professional development and preparation for a chosen specialist path in industry of further study.
Principal Aims
This end of year project challenges the students to bring all that learning together, and to apply it to a significant design challenge requiring descriptive, analytical, critical and creative responses.
This project is facing global challenges, focussing on systemic challenges relating to sustainable innovation goals, whilst using established and inventive methods. This gives the students opportunities to apply and reflect on their acquired knowledge and methods. They will do this iteratively, so that they have plenty of opportunities to identify gaps in capability and areas for improvement.
Outline Syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
First 15 CATS:
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
- Introduction to major project - positionally of concerns.
- Ontology and epistemology of system mismatches.
- CRIT groups and tutorials on research design.
- Choosing appropriate research methods and considering ethics.
- Engaging multi-stakeholder creative sessions - warm data.
- Problem statement definition and review of micro/meso/macro level understanding.
- Process stages towards concept prototype and testing.
- Finalisation of major project.
- Final presentation and showcase.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Participate in and contribute to design challenges, from formulation through to implementation, with a focus on enhancing global environments and systems.
- Choose and apply creative methods to meet the needs of design challenges and diverse stakeholders, informed by an understanding of the nature of creativity.
- Report and reflect on design work to diverse stakeholders, in suitable forms.
- Reflect on personal development, needs, interests, and systematically plan future work.
- Professionally present visual outcomes and deliverables as part of a pitch.
Research element
Students will be undertaking research for their major projects which will require an ethics procedure, which will be rolled out in the introductory part of the module.
Interdisciplinary
Major project deliverables are not tied to a specific set of artefacts or prescribed frameworks, students are encouraged to practice on a in interdisciplinary level and engage multiple methods and deliverables found across multiple systemic endeavours.
International
Contributions, authors and case studies presented on this module will be international in order to be reflective of the programmes EDIAB ethos and to support the enquiry into a global paradigm of design for change.
Subject specific skills
- Accessing, evaluating, synthesising and applying knowledge for specific design challenges.
- Participating in group discussions, design activities, reflections.
- Facilitating and leading group group discussions, design activities, reflections.
- Doing design studies (descriptive, analytical, creative).
- Communicating design studies in a range of formats, synchronously and asynchronously, to a wide range of audiences.
- Creating and using a personal portfolio of studies, notes and reflections.
- Navigating and synthesising complex systemic data and relaying it in engaging narratives for concept development.
- Developing high fidelity visual and tangible outputs (prototypes) in support of major project realisation.
- Delivering engaging design pitch to a professional/ industry level.
Transferable skills
- Accessing, evaluating, synthesising and applying knowledge for specific design challenges.
- Participating in group discussions, design activities, reflections.
- Facilitating and leading group group discussions, design activities, reflections.
- Doing design studies (descriptive, analytical, creative).
- Communicating design studies in a range of formats, synchronously and asynchronously, to a wide range of audiences.
- Creating and using a personal portfolio of studies, notes and reflections.
- Navigating and synthesising complex systemic data and relaying it in engaging narratives for concept development.
- Developing high fidelity visual and tangible outputs (prototypes) in support of major project realisation.
- Delivering engaging design pitch to a professional/ industry level.
Indicative reading list
View reading list on Talis AspireLink opens in a new window
Please note: Module availability and staffing may change year on year depending on availability and other operational factors. The School for Cross-faculty Studies makes no guarantee that any modules will be offered in a particular year, or that they will necessarily be taught by the staff listed on this page.