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Unit 1: Finding, reframing and resolving design problems
In this unit students Students are introduced to the practices and processes used by designers to identify, reframe and resolve human-centred design problems. They learn how design can improve life and living for people, communities and societies, and how understandings of good design have changed over time.
Practical projects in Unit 1 focus on the design of messages and objects, specifically brand strategy and sustainable product development. Students participate in critiques, learn to apply phases of the VCD design process, and use methods, media (including the Adobe Illustrator) and materials. They also consider how design decisions are shaped by economic, technological, cultural, environmental and social factors, and the potential for design to instigate change.
Unit 2: Design contexts and connections
Practical tasks across the unit focus on the design of environments and interactive experiences. Students adopt the practices of design specialists working in fields such as architecture, landscape architecture and interior design, while discovering the role of the interactive designer in the realm of user-experience (UX). Methods, media and materials are explored together with the design elements and principles, as students develop spaces and interfaces that respond to both contextual factors and user needs.
Students also look to historical movements and cultural design traditions as sources of inspiration, and in doing so consider how design from other times and places might influence designing for the future. Design critiques continue to feature as an integral component of design processes, with students both giving and receiving constructive feedback. Students learn about protocols for the creation and commercial use of Indigenous knowledge in design, and consider how issues of ownership and intellectual property impact the work of designers.
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