Overview

This unit provides students with opportunities to identify and explore individual design interest areas that link design research and practice. The unit is structured to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of the link between design research, creative innovation and practice-based application. Studio classes provide opportunities for students to initiate, explore and expand individual areas of design interest into project opportunities. The projects will give students the scope to blend contemporary design research and advance their practice techniques. Students will be expected to demonstrate a sophisticated knowledge of type and image as well as typesetting and conventions.

Requisites

Prerequisites
DCO40001 Communication Design Studio

Rule

Prerequistie

300 credit points in the Design (Communication Design)

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024
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

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Produce an innovative concept in response to a practice-based project brief
  • Apply a range of visual solutions to a concept including the integration of a design process narrative
  • Apply sophisticated type and image as well as typesetting and conventions to the visual solutions
  • Justify the visual resolution reflecting on the strategy, research process, design experimentation, and iteration

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class
6.00 12 weeks 72
Specified Activities
Various
16.00 12 weeks 192
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
3.00 12 weeks 36
TOTAL300

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Design PrototypeIndividual 40% 2,3 
Design Tasks and ResearchIndividual 30% 
Workbook and Prototype PresentationIndividual 30% 

Content

This unit teaches students to ground their design work in sound research and innovation processes. Topics for discussion will include:

  • Communication through form, considering the traditions and 'isms' of graphic design
  • The shifting nature of Communication Design in a complex media landscape
  • The designer as mediating the reception of information and contemporary social experience
  • Design authorship
  • Design detail and refinement.

Study resources

Reading materials

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