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Course profile

Design Computing Studio I - Interactive Technology (DECO1800)

Study period
Sem 2 2024
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
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 Computing studio stream. Students work in multidisciplinary teams to design, iterate and implement design computing projects. Students will move from concept and proposal through to the design and technical resolution of proposed designs. The projects will also enable students to develop important skills such as problem solving, reflection in action, communication and presentation.

This course introduces students to the design process in relation to Interaction Design and Information Technology. Through this course, students will further develop their understanding of the nature of design and theᅠdesign process. Students will work in teams, followingᅠan iterative and reflexiveᅠuser-centredᅠprocess,ᅠto design and developᅠelegant design computing solutions, responding to a given brief.ᅠYou will be introduced to methods and skills for the generation, refinement, and implementation of your solutions, including reflexive critical reflection and analysis. In the studio, students are expected to apply knowledge and skills from your studiesᅠandᅠexperiences to date, to your work in thisᅠcourse—both individual and team-based. Students will develop skills in the communication of design ideas, approaches, and outcomes through a variety of forms. Students will develop skills in the management of team-based projects, from a project and team perspective. Additionally, students will learn and apply front and back end web development skills to realise and present a technically functioning digital prototype at a final tradeshow .

In response to previous student feedback, we have improved content alignment with DECO1400/7140 and DECO1800/7180, which will ensure students doing both courses concurrently, will have time to learn and apply a very basic level of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in DECO1400/7140 in the first five weeks, before the requirement to apply this content for the Major Project (Team) in DECO1800/7180. 

A deeper focus on team management, design process, design software, dataset mapping, interaction planning and work breakdown schedule, and critical reflection in Journals will occur in the first five weeks of DECO1800/7180. From week six students will begin the Portfolio assessment, and are encouraged to update weekly, where students are further applying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills. Using interaction plans, students reveal a deeper understanding of the work breakdown schedule. This facilitates greater team collaboration to better assign workload. This expects to realise the need for all students to engage in learning the code, despite no previous experience with code for some students. From week seven onwards students will begin to code the digital component of their major project. This will again apply HTML and CSS skills while learning AJAX. From then students will learn APIs and PHP to begin their MVP by week 9 and fully implement final prototype by week 13.

In addition to the above, the lecture and studio is now one combined three-hour studio, consistent with other studios in the DECO stream of studios. This will facilitate consistency of messaging from course coordinator, to demonstrators and importantly to students.

Practicals will be improved with increased numbers of skilled demonstrators in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, PHP and APIs and querying and visualising datasets.

Course requirements

Assumed background

It is expected that students will have completed DECO1400/DECO7140 (Introduction to Web Design) prior or concurrently to enrolling in this course. Students will be utilising and extending on their knowledge gained in DECO1400 /DECO7140 in this course's project work.

Companion or co-requisite courses

You'll need to complete the following courses at the same time:

CSSE1001, DECO1400

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

DECO7180

Course contact

Course staff

Lecturer

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

This course has 5 scheduled contact hours per student, each week. Studio and Practical attendance are recorded. Students can expect to spend an additional 5 to 7 hours per week on assessment work.

Students are expected to participate fully in all class activities:

  • Studios (3 hours)—introduces theory and practical design-related content to be explored and applied, initially in the individual tasks, and then in the major project (team),ᅠsupport for project work, assessmentᅠand project-based presentations, and exercises related to project work
  • You are expected to have read the studio material BEFORE attending your studio session for the week
  • Studios commence in week 1
  • Practicals (2 hours)—intended to develop technical skills for use in the major project (team), and for technical project support
  • Practicals commence in week 1
  • Self-study (5 - 7 hours)—studentsᅠare expected to continue work outside scheduled studio and Practical times on course activities, major project (team) assessment items, and to pursueᅠself-directed learning related to the project and the individual portfolio and reflection assessment. This includes the required online course, required reading, and suggested further readings listed on your Library Course resources page.

End of Semester Tradeshow

Teams will demonstrate their final projects at an in-studio Tradeshow. Individual teams will all be required to be present for the entire 3 hours of the in-studio Tradeshow. Final projects will be graded at this event. This is an in-person tradeshow for all students in the DECO1800/7180 course. Please ensure this date is in your diary and you have cleared all other commitments.