87773 Visualising Research
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2023 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 12 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 87555 VC Project: Design Practice AND 87665 VC Project: Socially Responsive Design AND 87551 VC Studies: Concepts of Professionalism
Description
This studio encourages students to challenge the conventional positioning of visual communication and to re-imagine it as a site for provocation, speculation and experimentation. Central to this is an engagement with practice-led research, enabling students to investigate complex issues through visual communication design processes.
Students develop their visual and conceptual abilities through self-directed projects. Students work in small supervisory groups, developing a culture of critique and experimentation necessary to facilitate meaningful design artefacts, experiences and environments.
Students are expected to produce a substantial project that evidences advanced practical and theoretical design expertise. Studio participants also have the opportunity to challenge the material boundaries associated with visual communication practice by working with emerging digital technologies and new materials alongside more established methods of production. Outcomes can be static or interactive, print or digital, objects or installations, and could incorporate sound or moving image.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Undertake an advanced level of research utilising relevant primary and secondary techniques; |
|---|---|
| 2. | Undertake practice-based research methods; |
| 3. | Devise creative and/or innovative design responses as evidenced in project work; |
| 4. | Experiment and critically analyse, refine, synthesise and process ideas to a stage of realisation and presentation, evidenced through iterative process work; |
| 5. | Demonstrate sensitivity, originality or appropriateness of design responses in communicating the identified project objectives; |
| 6. | Indicate with confidence, clarity and quality in the written, oral and visual presentation of your research and project; |
| 7. | Reveal a level of self-sufficiency to time management and project development. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Establish and develop a sustainable, informed and ethical position towards social and cultural issues. (A.1)
- Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required, and constructively contribute to peer learning. (C.1)
- Advance ideas through an exploratory and iterative design process. (I.2)
- Awareness of and/or engagement with the local and global design community. (P.2)
- Understanding of academic and professional ethics, copyright and appropriate acknowledgement of intellectual property. (P.3)
- Source, evaluate and utilise appropriate academic and professional references. (R.1)
- Employ a range of qualitative research approaches including practice-led visual and material exploration and social and participatory methods. (R.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
Weeks 1-6 twice-weekly: 1 hr lecture, 2 hr tutorial, 3 hour workshop
Weeks 7-14 weekly. 3 hour tutorial.
Face-to-face supervision sessions in small groups. Field trips. Presentations. Exhibition of final works.
Content (topics)
The lectures, studio and workshops will discuss the following topics
1. Practice-based research - approaches to contextual and creative/generative engagement in a design context.2. Identification of a research question and methods appropriate to the question (inquiry).3. Generation of designs that communicate coherent and imaginative connections between the contextual and the generative findings.4. Strategies to develop visual languages through visual experimentation;5. Critical engagement through reflection on research process, research findings, designed response and project management informed by self review, peer review and literature review.Workshops will support the research, design and communication process.Assessment
Assessment task 1: Contextual Review.
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 5, 6 and 7 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): .4, .6, .7, C.1, P.2 and R.2 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Criteria: | Communication C-1 Capacity to demonstrate how a specific design strategy (critical, material, poetic, speculative) can be applied to contemporary design examples Practical and Professional P-2 Rigour and care demonstrated in documentation of contextual review Research and Critical Thinking R-2 Formal analysis of visual texts relevant to the research approach specified R-4 Creative approaches to research methods including design-led research R-7 Clear grammar, sentence structure, correct spelling and punctuation that includes the use of correct referencing of text and images (Harvard UTS Style) Innovation and Creativity I-6 Capacity to develop original insights from the readings |
Assessment task 2: Research Collection.
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 5 and 6 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): .4, .5, .6, .7, C.1, P.2, R.1 and R.2 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Exercises |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Criteria: | Communication and Interpersonal Skills C-1 Capacity to clearly build a relevant argument or set of ideas Practical and Professional Skills P-2 Rigour and care deonstrated in documentation of research (typographic detailing, image and layout) Research and Critical Thinking R-1 Depth and/or breadth of research undertaken R-2 Capacity to use research to support an argument or set of ideas R-4 Creative approaches to research methods including design-led research R-5 Capacity to extract meaningful and relevant information from research sources R-7 Clear grammar, sentence structure, correct spelling and punctuation that includes the use of correct referencing of text and images (Harvard UTS Style) Innovation and Creativity I-6 Capacity to develop interesting and original insights from research |
Assessment task 3: Design Outcome and Research Narrative.
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): .3, .4, .7, A.1, C.1, I.2, P.3 and R.1 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Project |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Criteria: |
For Design Outcome Practical and Professional Skills P-3 Sensitivity to relevant craft evidenced in Design Outcome Research and Critical Thinking R-1 Evidence of complex understandings and ideas expressed in Design Outcome Innovation and creativity I-4 Ability to transform research process into Design Outcome For Research Narrative Communication and Interpersonal Skills C-1 Capacity to create a cohesive research narrative through writing C-3 Effective use of visuals to explain project in Research Narrative Attitudes and Values A-1 Understanding the social and cultural dimensions of design expressed in explanation of research narrative. That is, a demonstrated understanding of how your project is an example of either (choose one): critical, poetic, speculative, or material/formal experimentation. Research and Critical Thinking R-7 Clear grammar, sentence structure, correct spelling and punctuation that includes the use of correct referencing of text and images (Harvard UTS Style) Practical and Professional P-3 Sensitivity to craft in Research Narrative (including technical implementation) Innovation and Creativity I-2 Ability to make design choices that appropriately convey the form and meaning of your Design Outcome |
Required texts
See additional handout.
Recommended texts
See additional handout.
References
See additional handout.
Other resources
Other resources will be made available during the studios and workshops.