Course coordinator
Dr Mehrnoosh Mirzaei
For questions or appointments, please contact Dr Mehrnoosh Mirzaei via email: m.mirzaei@uq.edu.au
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Architecture, Design and Planning School
This course explores the significance of design in shaping user experience. It focuses on the capacity of design to engage human behaviours that can imbue forms and spaces with new cultural meanings. Spatial and programmatic studies are undertaken of contemporary settings where design can be used to activate experience. Learning is undertaken in a collaborative studio setting where students will develop a sensibility for the visual and spatial in design.
The project theme for this semester revolves around “self-care and youth health” and emphasises the importance of addressing user needs to develop ideas and concepts that enhance the user experience. Students will explore various aspects of self-care, such as physical, mental, and emotional well-being, to create innovative solutions that cater to the diverse needs of users.
Course requirements
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
DSGN1100 or DSGN1500
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Mehrnoosh Mirzaei
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to introduce students to the significance of design in shaping user experience.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster |
Project Outline & Refined Proposition
|
40% |
3/09/2025 4:00 pm
Submission via Blackboard |
| Portfolio, Product/ Design |
Concept generation & Prototyping
|
20% |
24/09/2025 4:00 pm
Submission via Blackboard |
| Presentation, Portfolio, Poster, Product/ Design, Project |
Designed Solution & User feedback
|
40% |
Portfolio & digital poster submission 29/10/2025 4:00 pm Printed Poster & presentation in class 30/10/2025 12:00 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
Project Outline & Refined Proposition
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Poster
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
3/09/2025 4:00 pm
Submission via Blackboard
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
The first assessment is a research poster that will outline the project background, research and refined proposition, describing the individual project and progress to date, including:
Format: Digital (PDF)
1- the design context
2- problem analysis
3- personas, journey maps
4- a refined proposition
5- initial design ideas
Assessment tasks prohibiting use of AI or MT: This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged.
Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with a sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check the assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission.
To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines. Any physical models should be photographed and a minimum of two photographs describing the complete and full model must be included in the digital submission.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply online on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded. The maximum extension limit for assessment items in all design studio courses is 14 days.
Late submission
First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period, no penalty.
Second 1-hour block - A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted
Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)
Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved.
Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
Concept generation & Prototyping
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Portfolio, Product/ Design
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
24/09/2025 4:00 pm
Submission via Blackboard
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
For Assessment 2, students will select the three best concepts generated after Assessment 1 as a working progress portfolio and justify their selection with a short paragraph. They will then demonstrate that they have created a low-fidelity prototype for one of the concepts.
Format: Digital (PDF)
Complex / authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. 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 written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged.
Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission.
To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines. Any physical models should be photographed and a minimum of two photographs describing the complete and full model must be included in the digital submission.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply online on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete so that what has been done can be graded. The maximum extension limit for assessment items in all design studio courses is 14 days.
Late submission
First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period, no penalty.
Second 1-hour block - A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted
Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)
Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved.
Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
Designed Solution & User feedback
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation, Portfolio, Poster, Product/ Design, Project
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
Portfolio & digital poster submission 29/10/2025 4:00 pm
Printed Poster & presentation in class 30/10/2025 12:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
The final submission will comprise two components: a portfolio presenting the final designed solution and an oral presentation of a poster.
Component 1: Portfolio
Format: Digital (PDF)
A portfolio describes the project as a whole. The portfolio presents the process from Assignment 2 and includes the refined prepositions from Assessment 1, as well as new tasks specific to Assignment 3: final design solution. For the final portfolio, students will resubmit sections 1, 2, and 3, with the option to improve the concepts and justify their final selection. In this assignment, each section will be evaluated based on specific criteria, including the quality and originality of the ideas, as well as the rationale behind selecting the best concepts.
Note for section 4 of the portfolio: Students will collaboratively test their prototypes with their peers during studio sessions. They will collect feedback from their peers in a group and include the feedback sheet, along with an explanation of how they addressed that feedback, as part of the portfolio.
Component 2: Poster & Presentation
Poster format: Digital (PDF) and printed
Presentation format: In person
The poster should present the final designed solution in a context related to the user. The poster presentation will be held in person and is scheduled for class. Each presentation has a maximum duration of 5 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion.
Complex / authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. 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 written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Hurdle requirements
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied to receive a specific grade in the course. This assessment item is designated as a Hurdle in this course. This means a minimum achievement of 50% (a grade of 4) is required for this assessment item in order to pass the course. Meeting the hurdle requirement for a course does not guarantee a passing grade for the course and in order to pass this course, students also need to achieve a minimum grade of 4 overall.Submission guidelines
The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged.
Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission.
To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines. Any physical models should be photographed and a minimum of two photographs describing the complete and full model must be included in the digital submission.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply online on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded. The maximum extension limit for assessment items in all design studio courses is 14 days.
Critique panels cannot be reconvened for the presentation component of assessment when an extension has been approved. Students with granted extensions (or pending extension applications) are able to attend but are not permitted to participate in the design review.
Late submission
Digital and/or printed submissions
First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period, no penalty.
Second 1-hour block - A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted
Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)
Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved.
Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
Verbal Presentations
100% late penalty, no grace period.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Identity verified assessment (IVA) - Design Courses
Design courses require the cumulative integration of critical reflection and feedback on original creative ideas in an iterative process of project work developed over time in the studio context. To meet assessment validity and integrity obligations in Design courses, students must regularly present and discuss their work with staff over the course of scheduled studio learning activities including lectures, structured studio activities, workshops, individual and group consultations, presentations and critiques. Students are expected to participate in at least 80% of scheduled studio activities in which the progress of their work is intended to be monitored and reviewed. If participation in such activities falls below 80% students may be requested to submit process work (such as drawings, models and design exegesis). If a student is not able to provide evidence of authorship to the satisfaction of the course coordinator, or if their participation falls below 50%, a maximum grade of 3 will be awarded.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for this course.
Supplementary assessment will not be offered in Design courses to any student with a failing grade of 3 or less. Due to the need for the cumulative integration of critical reflection and feedback on original creative ideas in an iterative process of project work development over time.
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
Library resources are available 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop | It is highly recommended to use personal laptops. Students will be required to complete exercises and/or present their work in studio/tutorials/reviews using computers. The school recommends the use of laptop computers capable of software applications such as Adobe Creative Suite, Revit, ArchiCad, AutoCad, Rhino/Grasshopper, SketchUp or similar. Students must also consider backup storage solutions such as an external hard driveﾠor a cloudﾠservice. |
Recommended
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 x A3 Sketchpad – Unruled plain | ||
| Pen and Pencil |
Additional costs
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
Printing of A1 poster for week 13 (approx. $25+) |
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 |
Lecture |
Lecture Please refer to Blackboard for weekly lecture and studio information Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Studio |
Studio Please refer to Blackboard for weekly lecture and studio information Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
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 for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.