Overview

This unit of study introduces students to the fundamentals of design exploration: visual and tactile conceptualisation and basic design representation appropriate to different design disciplines in the context of creative problem solutions.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Identify the key elements and principles of design
  • Interpret the mark as a medium of ideation, visual problem solving and design representation
  • Prepare a workbook/folio to document methods of exploration and ideas
  • Examine sequential design and the communication of idea, information and narrative
  • Develop concepts and ideas, using experimentation for creative and sustainable solutions
  • Reflect on and evaluate visual and tactile research documentation, mapping, model-making and visualisation techniques

Teaching methods

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		6.00 12 weeks 72
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning		4.00 12 weeks 48
Unspecified Activities
Various		2.00 12 weeks 24
TOTAL144

All Applicable Locations

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Studio		3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Various		3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		6.00 12 weeks 72
TOTAL144

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Project 1Individual 0% 1,3,5 
Project 2Individual 0% 1,3,4,5,6 
Project 3Individual 0% 1,2,3,4,5,6 

Content

  • Mark-making as analysis, representation, communication
  • Imaging as idea, gesture, information
  • Basic model making techniques
  • 2d and 3d design representation techniques
  • Compilation of Workbook/folio as a way of documenting design process and ideas
  • Formatting for text and image
  • Sequential design and narrative exploration

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.