module specification

This Major Project module enables BA Design Studio Practice students to prepare for independent practice in the workplace or to progress onto higher studies. In this module, you will carry out the project conceived and developed in the parallel 3D Project Design and Development module (DN6013), fully realising it in appropriate physical form by the end of the module.

You will exercise and display your abilities in selecting, analysing and applying knowledge, skills and understanding to a negotiated and fully researched project in order to properly understand your strengths, interests and position in your field, and the potential for your future professional development.

You will show that you understand the complex and changing nature of problems in the professional disciplines of design studio practice and can devise and apply realistic strategies for constructing, applying and managing a process designed to provide effective and compelling outcomes.

A professional standard of realisation, contextualisation and presentation will be expected, providing the elements for a portfolio of practice with which you may enter the field of employment or self-employment or further studies.

This module seeks to enable you to:

• Realise the outcomes of a design research & development project through the construction of a coherent, timescaled and risk-assessed plan
• Achieve outcomes of a professional standard of realisation and presentation
• Contextualise and present your outcomes to a professional standard, showing that you have understood and managed complex and ambitious tasks
• Work independently, self-reflectively and with concern for the ethical issues and principles attached to your project showing your understanding of your particular strengths, interests and position in your field, and your potential for further development

Through a negotiated and agreed individual project, you will gain experience of:

• Planning, recording, managing and conducting a process for the production and completion of a researched proposal
• Aligning skills and knowledge in various areas of expertise and endeavour – technical, intellectual, creative, organisational, critical and interpersonal – to the successful conclusion of an integrated project
• Liaison with industry figures in the pursuit of the project
• Professional expectations of styles and quality of presentation
• Critically assessing your own work against standards expected in your field

Projects will seek to enable a range of learning opportunities such as;

• Formative feedback from industry specialist staff
• Professional mentoring
• Self-directed and managed study and practice
• Critique and creative feedback from peers
• Online fora to share progress and support
• Acquisition and deployment of higher level skills in practice

On completion of this module you will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding
Transform and realise the outcomes of a design research and development project through an integrated self-designed plan for the production of the practice intended

Cognitive Intellectual Skills
Work independently, managing complex problems and tasks, critically analysing your own work and defending it including in the context of ethical issues arising

Transferable Skills
Show your work in a fully contextualised way and to a professional standard, explaining or illustrating your position in your field, your strengths and interests and how you can continue to develop your professional capacity

Subject Specific Practical Skills
Carry out such a plan, achieving professional standards of project management and realisation/ visualisation as appropriate and expected in the area of studio design practice

At regular critiques or tutorials students are expected to produce a coherent account of their project progress, together with critical evaluation of successes and failures to date. Formative feedback will be given in response to the project plan. The final mark is given at the end of the module, following assessment of a comprehensive portfolio of all relevant developmental and presentation work and the final outcome itself.

All students are required to undertake formal interim presentations with evidence of continuous reflective journals responding to studio critique and tutorial guidance. Work presented will be subject to formal studio feedback from a panel of disciplinary specialists. This will inform final assessment marks and must be considered and acted upon by the student.

Work must be carefully organised and presented to indicate the development of work and the content must be clearly labeled.

Students are required to attend timetabled studio and workshop sessions.

Boyle, G. (2003) Design Project Management, Ashgate Publishing
Charny, D. (2011) Power of Making: The Case for Making and Skills, V&A Publishing
Cooper, R. and Press, M. (1994) The Design Agenda, Wiley
Milton, A. and Rodgers, P. (2013) Research Methods for Product Design, Laurence King
Norman, D. (2013) The Design of Everyday Things, MIT Press
Parsons, T. (2009) Thinking Objects, AVA Publishing
Thompson, R. (2007) Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals, Thames and Hudson
Thompson, R. and Thompson, P. (2017) The Materials Sourcebook for Design Professionals, Thames and Hudson

Additionally texts and other reference materials will be identified by studio tutors annually that support a specific studio theme.