Overview

This unit provides students with the opportunity to collaborate across fundamentally different disciplines to apply a range of innovation methodologies, as they work on a real-world industry project. Students will engage in a series of creative, collaborative and practice-based studios. In teams, students will apply various innovation tools, research methods, prototyping activities and creative approaches to problem solving to unpack challenges, identify opportunities, and generate and develop solutions. They will propose innovative solutions to a complex challenge that considers technical, human, and economic implications.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Winter
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
23-June-2025
03-August-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-June-2025
Census date
04-July-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
18-July-2025
Results released date
19-August-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Justify research methods relevant to understand, re-frame and inform a complex innovation challenge.
  • Use creative problem-solving to explore ideas that address a real-world problem.
  • Apply prototyping techniques to develop design solutions that balance technical, human and economic considerations.
  • Use storytelling to articulate project outcomes using verbal and visual communication processes.
  • Collaborate in diverse teams through engaging open mind-set, relevant communication tools and inclusive decision making.
  • Discuss the challenges of managing innovation and creative processes in action.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Studio
3.00 12 weeks 36
Specified Activities
Various
4.00 12 weeks 48
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
5.50 12 weeks 66
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Applied ProjectIndividual/Group 50% 1,2,3,4,5 
PresentationIndividual/Group 20% 
Reflective JournalIndividual 30% 1,2,3,5,6 

Content

This unit may include:

  • Tools and methods for innovation practice
  • Creative problem solving, user-centered design and empathy
  • Prototyping techniques and user testing
  • Co-creation
  • Evaluation of innovation opportunities and outcomes
  • Approaches to interdisciplinary collaboration and project management
  • Managing innovation
  • Communication and presentation techniques
  • Narrative and storytelling
  • Emotional intelligence and team dynamics

Study resources

Reading materials

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