DE4026 - Design Factors

You will participate in short practical activities, case studies, seminars or creative tasks. Assignments will provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your learning on the module researching topics and presenting back to peers. Directed learning and reading will encourage independent research and critical reflection through design and practice. During each timetabled session, you will progress through a structured product design process, practical workshops, group tutorials and /or peer group discussions to help you develop and deliver your design output and / or other design deliverables.  

 

The studio-based learning environment provides a lively, creative and collaborative environment with the opportunity to gauge your own progress, learn from each-others’ strengths and build friendship groups. Tutors will both guide your design progress and encourage you to interact with your peers in sessions – sometimes to work in teams and always to support each other and give positive and helpful feedback. You will be encouraged to think critically, experiment with new ideas throughout the module and collaborate with peers to develop innovative proposals to your brief. 

 

Formative assessments based on project work will provide the basis for feedback and development throughout the module. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own development, helping you to become aware of how the skills and knowledge you have gained can be further refined and applied to subsequent product design projects. 

Each project will begin with a comprehensive briefing that will outline and clarify the design project along with the expected learning outcomes, the module and project requirements / deliverables and a detailed schedule. Where a collaborative or live project is involved, professionals from the external partner will work with your module tutors to agree a suitable project and any additional support they can offer. This may include in-person briefings, feedback and guidance throughout the project, site visits, access to proprietary research and specialist equipment.



You will have regular weekly studio sessions to structure your learning experience. In these, you might participate in group discussions to receive guidance and feedback from your peers and tutors. Tutors are aligned to each module that relates closely to their own design expertise and experience providing specialist support, whether that is through prior professional experience, through ongoing industrial collaborations or through current research work undertaken within the University.



The module has a specific virtual learning environment (eLearning Portal) which acts as resource where you can access all the relevant documentation including module briefs and guides, presentations and assessment requirements. The digital submission of work, both formative and summative assessments, allow for expedient communication and the effective review of work whilst also utilising industry standard practices. During core working hours for the Design School but outside your timetabled sessions and project dependent, you will have access to a wide range of technician-supported workshop environments. Project and solution driven, these will support all your making requirements including specialist model making materials, laser-cutting, 3D printing, creating sewn soft-products, sensors and electronics, photography and videography. CAD workstations and industry-standard digital modelling software are accessible on campus 24/7 in certain buildings.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

Demonstrate knowledge and apply critical thinking of design methods and processes through their appropriate application during design research and development.



Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

Record and annotate design research and development through sketchbooks or other prescribed documentation formats.



Independently generate concepts, proposals, solutions or arguments.



Personal Values Attributes

(Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

Demonstrate, experiment and develop product design skills through the creation of sketching, prototyping and communication of design concepts.

You will be regularly assessed formatively and informally, using verbal feedback during timetabled sessions and at key stages of the design development process. Students may be asked to present their work verbally to an audience of peers, tutors and stakeholders to receive feedback and guidance. 

 

Summative assessment for the module will be against one or more product design assignments over the course of the module submitted at the end of block 2. For each assignment, students will be assessed against the module outcomes and criteria set out in the brief. The combined marks for the project(s) will form 100% of the overall mark.

 

Feedback is written and delivered via tutorial review and via eLearning portal (eLP) after the submission at the end of each block (module).

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This module will introduce you to the critical thinking needed when designing products, touching on themes such as: aesthetics, materials, manufacturing, functionality and usability. You will be able to make both creative and responsible decisions when designing, through an increased awareness of the interrelating factors that design processes demand. Through practical activities and guided project work, this exploration of themes will invite decision making and reflection on design processes, help you to develop tools and methods to employ in other project work beyond this module.