User Centered Design
36 hours
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn
Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
Overview
This unit develops practical design skills in a user-Centered product design context. It will apply an understanding of usability considerations to the design of a product or range of products that respond directly to user needs. This studio aims to introduce user-centred design, ergonomics and anthropometrics through the exploration of human-machine/artefact interactions, and explore the social, cultural and psychological implications of product design.
Requisites
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
04-August-2025
02-November-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:
- Apply user-centred design approaches to project developments and outcomes
- Consider and integrate ergonomic and anthropometric information into design projects
- Apply a practical design methodology and process to design projects
- Create a design outcome(s) in a succinct manner using hand sketches, perspective drawing, physical prototypes and computer-generated images
- Evaluate project outcomes in relation to the specified context of user(s)
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Studio | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Specified Activities Group Meetings | 5.00 | 12 weeks | 60 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 4.50 | 12 weeks | 54 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Project 1 | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Design Project 2 | Individual | 60% | 2,3,4,5 |
Content
- Investigation, concept development, and the application of design methodologies in context of the human-machine/
- artefact interaction
- Analysis of existing products, functions, performance, and construction
- Understanding your user(s) and the context in which they operate
- Undertaking forms of empathetic investigation
- Application of anthropometric data, ergonomic principles and product design processes
- Prototyping production techniques and use of workshop facilities and equipment
- Presentation of design outcomes.
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.