Overview

The Foundry is the place to forge a new business idea or build on an existing one. Aspiring entrepreneurs will take a creative spark and transform it into a startup with proven value. They will use people-centred research, prototyping, and testing to uncover the best problems to solve and create solutions that make a tangible difference. This unit will equip them with the skills to take their venture forward and communicate why it’s important. They will become a part of a community motivated by curiosity and the desire to create a better world.

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
Term 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
13-April-2025
Last self-enrolment date
03-March-2025
Census date
14-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
28-March-2025
Results released date
13-May-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply coherent and advanced knowledge concepts, techniques and tools to identify and develop meaningful entrepreneurial opportunities
  • Critically analyse different models for startups and develop skills to choose and implement appropriate business/organisational models
  • Apply advanced knowledge of the key research principles and activities of evidence-based product, service and organisation design
  • Apply the fundamentals of entrepreneurship to plan and operationalise a venture or project
  • Communicate ideas and opportunities to professional, commercial or industry standards

Teaching methods

All applicable locations

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)

On Campus

Class

4.00 6 weeks 24

Online

(synchronous lecture)

2.00 6 weeks 12

Unspecified Learning Activities

(Various)

19.00 6 weeks 114
Total     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULOs
Project 1 Individual/Group Pass/Fail 1,2,3,4,5
Project 2 Individual/Group Pass/Fail 1,2,3,4,5
Project 3 Group Pass/Fail 1,2,3,4,5
Project 4 Individual Pass/Fail 1,2,3,4,5

Content

  • This unit may include:

  • Creative and critical thinking
  • Applying innovative and analytical approaches to opportunity development
  • Innovation frameworks including human-centred design, mission-oriented innovation and design thinking
  • Problem solving and ideation
  • Prototyping fundamentals and co-creation
  • Business model development, adaptation and validation including Lean start-up principles
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Pitching and storytelling

Study resources

Reading materials

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