Course coordinator
Dr Marie Boden
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Elec Engineering & Comp Science School
This course introduces students to the design process, working through the discovery, interpretation, ideation, experimentation and evolution of design solutions. Through short collaborative design projects, students develop essential design skills of seeing, creativity and communicating in order to generate, iterate, evolve and communicate design concepts. Subjects such as design processes, thinking methods, brainstorming and idea generation, user centred thinking and interactions are covered during the course.
This course introduces students to the design thinking process, working through each of the phases; Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. Through collaborative design projects, students develop essential design skills of researching background information, being creative and communication in order to generate, iterate and evolve design concepts. Subjects such as design processes, thinking methods, brainstorming & idea generation, user centred thinking, group management skills and ethical considerations are covered during the course.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course is intended for students in their first semester of undergraduate study.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
DECO7110 or IENV1000 or IENV1301 or IENV7911 or IENV7913
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- DECO7110
Shared lectures with Post-graduate course 7110.
Course contact
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course has a 1-hour lecture and 4 hours (2x2 hours) of timetabled studio per week, starting in week 1. The studio sessions are hosted each week on St Lucia campus.ﾠAs active learners, you areﾠexpected to attend and participate in all scheduledﾠclass activities across the semester.
There will be no scheduled classes on public holidays:
Week 8: 18 April - Good Friday: Studio 2 is cancelled this week
Week 10: Monday 5 May - Labour Day: No impact on this course
Other scheduled sessions will run as normal during the weeks of the above holidays.
This year the mid-semester break follows teaching Week 8 - running from Monday 21 April to 24 April.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide students with an introduction to theoretical and practical aspects of the design process, including research, discovery, interpretation, ideation, experimentation, evaluation and design resolution. The course gives students the opportunity to develop essential design skills such as exploring the design space, involving users and other participants in design processes, refining designs and communicating ideas in visually appropriate form through collaborative projects.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Apply specific thinking techniques and design methods to develop unique designs
LO2.
Conduct primary research, observation and analysis to identify and critique design opportunities
LO3.
Communicate design concepts effectively and aesthetically using visual and discursive media
LO4.
Understand and apply the basic elements of human-centred design: research, analysis, participation, generation, prototyping, evaluation and iteration
LO5.
Understand and apply ethical principles in the design of systems for people.
LO6.
Demonstrate the ability to plan, organise and carry out a design process collaboratively within a team
LO7.
Develop appropriate strategies for addressing potential conflicts and problems that can occur when working in groups
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research for design
|
20% |
28/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Product/ Design |
Ideation Portfolio
|
15% |
14/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Creative Production/ Exhibition, Reflection |
Design Project (group)
|
40% |
20/05/2025 4:00 pm |
| Notebook/ Logbook, Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection |
Reflective Design Workbook
|
25% |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Research for design
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
28/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L04, L05
Task description
This assessment task is aimed at students understanding and ability to effectively do primary background research with the aim to identify design issues, values, opportunities and potentials. Individually, you will investigate a problem through other people's experiences and perspectives. You will conduct observations, interviews, and analyse your data to identify design issues, values, opportunities and potentials. These will be written up in a report. A detailed brief will be released on Blackboard, and project report is submitted on Blackboard.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex and all primary data needs to be authentic (collected by the individual student). Whilst students may use Generative AI technologies, successful completion of the writing task will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
Generative AI Tools and techniques may be utilized as supportive elements. However, there are boundaries to your usage of Generative AI Tools. Going beyond those boundaries amounts to an academic integrity issue.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Hurdle requirements
In order to pass the course, students must achieve an average passing grade across the individually assessed items: 1. Research for Design, 2. Reflective Design Workbook and 3. Ideation Portfolio.Submission guidelines
Submission is online through Turn-it-in
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This course uses a progressive assessment approach where feedback and/or detailed solutions will be released to students within approximately14 days.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Ideation Portfolio
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Product/ Design
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
14/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04, L06
Task description
This assessment task is aimed at students demonstrating their individual contribution, creativity and application of a variety of methods in the ideation process. You will be exploring a variety of ideation in the course. In this assignment you will produce a vast variety of ideas that you can draw ideas from when it is time to work in a team on a design to prototype and user test. In the assignment you will produce individual ideas as well as demonstrate how your ideas have contributed to the group project.
This task has been designed to include a variety of manual ideation methods and a couple of Generative AI methods. When students use Generative AI technologies, successful completion of the ideation task will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
Generative AI Tools and techniques may be utilized as supportive elements. However, there are boundaries to your usage of Generative AI Tools. Going beyond those boundaries amounts to an academic integrity issue.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Hurdle requirements
In order to pass the course, students must achieve an average passing grade across the individually assessed items: 1. Research for Design, 2. Reflective Design Workbook and 3. Ideation Portfolio.Submission guidelines
Submission is online through Turn-it-in
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This course uses a progressive assessment approach where feedback and/or detailed solutions will be released to students within approximately 14 days.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Design Project (group)
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Creative Production/ Exhibition, Reflection
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
20/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
For this project you will devise and build design concepts. In teams you will undertake a human centred design process, including critiquing and responding to critique, to develop and physically prototype a system. This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex and all primary data needs to be authentic (collected by the students in the group). The project is submitted as a final major deliverable, accumulating work from Studio classes in the second part of the Semester. This project submission is a team assessment. A detailed brief will be posted on blackboard.
This assessment task is aimed at students demonstrating their understanding of the full Design Thinking Process when working as a group.
Whilst students may use Generative AI technologies, successful completion of the writing or video tasks, will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
Generative AI Tools and techniques may be utilized as supportive elements. However, there are boundaries to your usage of Generative AI Tools. Going beyond those boundaries amounts to an academic integrity issue.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Submission is online through Echo360.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
This assessment is developed and iterated on with students needing to act on regular formative feedback over the semester. This is to support the development of genuine reflective practice in the assessment and enable students to learn skills required in standard industry design practice. If there are exceptional circumstances, an exemption may be approved and may involve submitting/discussing your work as it stands. Exemptions must be requested as an extension with a note specifying exemption via my.UQ
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Reflective Design Workbook
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook, Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
This assessment task is aimed at students demonstrating their individual learning and critical thinking through a reflective practice. The workbook is also a reflection of the student's individual and group work in the course.
This task requires students authentic and personal input. Much of the content will be produced while work in studio classes but students may wish to seek support for their reflective writing tasks. Whilst students may use Generative AI technologies, successful completion of the writing task will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
Generative AI Tools and techniques may be utilized as supportive elements. However, there are boundaries to your usage of Generative AI Tools. Going beyond those boundaries amounts to an academic integrity issue.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their submission independent of AI and MT tools. All students must actively participate in the timetabled contact sessions to gain the full training in how to work through a design process involving group work. The Reflective Design Workbook is made up of weekly in-studio activities that you will be asked to finish after attending studio (contact sessions). The activities are based on group activities but designed to support your individual learning and a reflective practice. The workbook activities for each week are given in the weekly lecture and/or studio (contact) sessions. Each student needs to have their workbook activities viewed and signed off before they leave the last contact session each week.
Students are expected to interact and discuss in feedback sessions with staff, in contact sessions and when working on group projects. If you are unable to attend any session, contact teaching staff before the session about your absence, and to learn about what content you need to catch up on.
Hurdle requirements
In order to pass the course, students must achieve an average passing grade across the individually assessed items: 1. Research for Design, 2. Reflective Design Workbook and 3. Ideation Portfolio.Submission guidelines
The work will need to be signed off by one of the teaching staff after each contact (studio) session. The complete workbook is to be handed in to one of the teaching staff by the end of Semester. More detailed information on how to submit will be given on the course BlackBoard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This assessment is developed and iterated on with students needing to act on regular formative feedback over the semester. This is to support the development of genuine reflective practice in the assessment and enable students to learn skills required in standard industry design practice. If there are exceptional circumstances, an exemption may be approved and may involve submitting/discussing your work as it stands. Exemptions must be requested as an extension with a note specifying exemption via my.UQ.
Students who miss more than 6 reflective workbook activities will fail the assessment with a maximum grade of 3. In special cases, permission may be granted for students to attend fewer sessions. Such permission will not be granted unless exceptional personal circumstances prevent attendance (e.g. documented medical reason or family emergency).
Late submission
100% Late Penalty after 1 hour grace period. The one-hour grace period is recorded from the time the submission is due.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: No demonstrated evidence of understanding of the concepts in the field of study.ﾠGrossly inadequate scholarship and grossly inadequate creativity. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Deficiencies in understanding the fundamental concepts in the field of study. Very inadequate scholarship and very inadequate creativity. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Superficial understanding of the fundamental concepts of the field of study. Inadequate scholarship and inadequate creativity. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Adequate knowledge of fundamental concepts of the field of study. Only just adequate scholarship and adequate creativity. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Good knowledge of fundamental concepts of the field of study. Competent scholarship and competent creativity. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Substantial knowledge of fundamental concepts of the field of study. Very good scholarship and very good creativity. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Mastery of content, outstanding scholarship andﾠoutstanding creativity. |
Additional course grading information
A qualitative grading scheme is used in this course. This means that you will receive qualitative feedback on your work, and a grade for each assessment that falls within a meaningful UQ grade band, e.g.ﾠFail, Pass, Credit, Distinction and High Distinction.
Qualitative Grading
Grades on formative assessment items during the semester will be used to calculate the initial overall grade for each student (see below).
The final grade will be initially constructed from the separate assessment item grades according to assessment weightings following a GPA-style approach to calculating an average (see table for examples).
Qualitative Grading System
· High Distinction (7)
· Distinction (6)
· Credit (5)
· Pass (4)
· Fail (3)
The final grade will be initially constructed from the separate assessment item grades according to assessment weightings following a GPA-style approach to calculating an average (see table for examples).
Example 1
· Research for Design (20%): Distinction (6)
· Ideation (15%): High Distinction (7)
· Design Project (40%): Credit (5)
· Workbook (25%): Distinction (6)
· Grade Calculation: ((6*.2)+(7*.15)+(5*.4)+(6*.25)) = 5.75
· Final Course Grade: Distinction (6)
Example 2
· Research for Design (20%): Distinction (6)
· Ideation (15%): Credit (5)
· Design Project (40%): Pass (4)
· Workbook (25%): Credit (5)
· Grade Calculation: ((6*.2)+(5*.15)+(4*.4)+(5*.25)) = 4.8
· Final Course Grade: Credit (5
Example 3
· Research for Design (20%): Fail (3)
· Ideation (15%): Pass (4)
· Design Project (40%): Pass (4)
· Workbook (25%): Pass (4)
· Grade Calculation: ((3*.2)+(4*.15)+(4*.4)+(4*.25)) = 3.8
· Final Course Grade: Pass (4)
The final grade for the course will be constructed from the individual grades according to assessment weightings. The course coordinator will assign your final grade in accordance with those grade descriptions. At the discretion of the course coordinator, final grades may be moderated.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.
This course is partially exempt for supplementary assessment. Due to the need for the cumulative integration of critical reflection and feedback on original creative ideas in an iterative process of team-based project work over time, supplementary assessment willﾠonly be considered for students who receive a final grade of 3 as a direct result of failing the Research for Design report.
Supplementary assessment in this course will be in the form of a short project or essay - depending on the learning outcomes that need to be demonstrated.
Students who have been approved for supplementary assessment will receive the assessment brief, criteria and grading rubric directly from the course coordinator.
Additional assessment information
The course coordinator reserves the right to vary group marks for each group member in the event of varied contributions to the team effort. A peer assessment process may also be used to moderate individual marks.
Individual Pass Hurdle
In order to pass the course, students must achieve an average passing grade across the individually assessed items: 1. Research for Design, 2. Reflective Design Workbook and 3. Ideation Portfolio.
Identity Verified Assessment (IVA)
The Reflective DesignﾠWorkbook is the Identity Verified Assessment in this course. The workbook entries will be checked on regular occasions during the contact sessions, students should always keep their UQ ID-card so they can verify their identity in classes.
Having Troubles?
If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course material, you should seek help. Speak to one of your teaching team members.
If external circumstances are affecting your ability to work on the course, you should seek help as soon as possible. The University and UQ Union have organisations and staff who are able to help, for example, UQ Student Services are able to help with study and exam skills, tertiary learning skills, writing skills, financial assistance, personal issues, and disability services (among other things).
Complaints and criticisms should be directed in the first instance to the course coordinator. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may bring the matter to the attention of the EECS Director of Coursework Studies.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Fine tip black felt pen | 1 x Fine tip black felt pen | own item needed |
| Visual Diary/Workbook | 1 x A4 visual diary (blank pages, no lines, 50 pages to be used as your workbook) | own item needed |
| Digital camera (phone camera) | own item needed |
Recommended
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Coloured pens | Coloured pens/pencils/markers | |
| Post-it notes | Lots of post-it notes - used for ideation and communication in Studio classes | |
| White board markers | For use on white boards in the studio classroom |
Additional learning resources information
Additional readings may be prescribed in the lectures and in practical sessions.ﾠ Details will be provided in those sessions and links will be added to blackboard.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Studio |
Contact sessions Weekly Contact sessions (Studio): Practical activities will run throughout the semester to support the student learning and projects. Students will work with individual and group projects, while staff team is available as support. Full participation is expected in the contact sessions to manage the course assignments. The contact sessions will also be used for consultation with your teaching staff member, team presentations and critique sessions. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 12 |
Lecture |
Lecture Lecture (Lecture Series): Throughout the course, a series of lectures, introducing Design Thinking is offered. The lecture series will show examples of designs and methods, which will be used for discussions to inform and complement the student projects. Lectures will also introduce and clarify assessment requirements and criteria. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: