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
- Architecture, Design and Planning School
This course addresses the important role of design in the making of public infrastructure. Emphasis is on developing innovative opportunities for design to effect outcomes in relating people with public infrastructure projects. Learning is undertaken in a collaborative studio setting focused on advancing leadership and team building skills relevant to engaging multi-disciplinary working groups and community stakeholders involved in the delivery of public infrastructure.
DSGN3100 provides the necessary knowledge and skills to manage large-scale design projects involving a diverse range of multi-disciplinary working groups and community stakeholders. This design studio explores the critical role design holds in improving the quality of public infrastructure projects. In the 2025 iteration of DSGN3100, the designer's role as mediator is explored within the timely context of aged care. Following the findings of the 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care, the exceptional inadequacies of current levels of care and operational inefficiencies are challenged through a project involving an aged care community located in Queensland. Co-design brings together stakeholders in the design process to combine professional expertise and lived experience. Through this project, you will work in an interdisciplinary context using co-design methods to develop design solutions that consider the broad and often divergent needs of the project stakeholders. This studio course will enable you to develop project management skills, refine your collaboration and facilitation skills, and further develop they ability to apply design methods to produce quality recommendations and outcomes.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
6 DSGN units at level 1 and 2 DSGN units at level 2
Restrictions
Enrolment restricted to BDes program and students taking a Design minor only. Study abroad students must seek Head of School's permission to enrol.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Charlotte Kessler
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to develop project management skills of a large-scale design project requiring the engagement of multi-disciplinary working groups and community stakeholders.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Ability to coordinate and manage a design project involving several stakeholders
LO2.
Understand how to develop and facilitate design workshops in a professional manner
LO3.
Demonstrate ability to appropriately utilise design methodologies to co-design recommendations and outcomes
LO4.
Exhibit advanced collaboration skills and meaningful participation in planning and development of decision making
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Design Project: Research & Proposition
|
40% Group |
Weekly outputs, due day before the next class (Tuesday), Weeks 1-7, by 4:00pm. 25/02/2025 - 15/04/2025 Design Report & Peer Evaluation due Thursday, Week 8, by 4:00pm. 17/04/2025 |
| Presentation, Portfolio, Poster |
Assignment 2: Design Project: Developed Design
|
60% Individual |
Weekly outputs, due day before next class (Tuesday), Weeks 8 - 11, 4:00pm. 15/04/2025 - 13/05/2025 Digital Presentation slides due day before class (Tuesday), 4:00pm. Digital Poster & Feedback Sheet due day before class (Tuesday), 4:00pm. |
Assessment details
Design Project: Research & Proposition
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40% Group
- Due date
Weekly outputs, due day before the next class (Tuesday), Weeks 1-7, by 4:00pm. 25/02/2025 - 15/04/2025
Design Report & Peer Evaluation due Thursday, Week 8, by 4:00pm. 17/04/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
In this first part of the Design Project Co-Designing Aged Care Communities, students will work in groups to investigate a design theme related to a local aged care community. Students will organise themselves as a team to manage this initial phase of the project successfully. They will start by exploring existing resources on the given theme to develop an understanding of context and identify specific design problem(s). Each group will plan, lead, and document a co-design workshop involving key stakeholders to deepen their understanding of the problem(s) and propose a series of possible design interventions aiming to improve upon the current situation.
In order to ensure progress throughout the semester, students are required to submit outputs weekly via a shared digital document. The final submission compiles all weekly outputs into a comprehensive PDF design report titled Co-Designing Aged Care Communities: Research & Proposition submitted via Turnitin on Blackboard. The report is mostly visual and should include a concise commentary throughout to document early stages of the design process. That is; the evolution of ideas, from research to ideation, based on studio activities and feedback. Each activity should be briefly introduced. Key learnings, outcomes, and implications of activities for the project should be clearly outlined.
Group work - This assignment is group-based. Students will assess each other using a Peer-Evaluation digital form available via Blackboard. The results of this evaluation will be taken into account in calculating each students' mark for this assignment.
If, for whatever reason, you find that your group is not functioning effectively, please contact your Course Coordinator for support.
Complex / authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use 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. Uploaded files must contain readable text and not be rasterised. 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.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Applying 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.
Weekly Outputs
In the case students do not submit a weekly submission(s), the percentage allocated will be re-distributed towards their final submission.
Group Work
Group requests must fill out the group member acknowledgement form: https://my.uq.edu.au/files/35533/extension-to-group-assessment.pdf with at least 50% in agreeance.
If one student has an extension then this student will receive the same mark as their other group members (with agreement from at least 50% of the members of the group, and recognition of potential impacts on the other group members). If 50% of group members do not agree, the extension will not be approved.
Late submission
Weekly submissions
100% Late penalty, no grace period.
Final Submission
The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows:
- 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.
Assignment 2: Design Project: Developed Design
- Identity Verified
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation, Portfolio, Poster
- Weight
- 60% Individual
- Due date
Weekly outputs, due day before next class (Tuesday), Weeks 8 - 11, 4:00pm. 15/04/2025 - 13/05/2025
Digital Presentation slides due day before class (Tuesday), 4:00pm.
Verbal Presentation due in class, Week 12. 20/05/2025 - 21/05/2025Digital Poster & Feedback Sheet due day before class (Tuesday), 4:00pm.
Hardcopy Poster & Round Table Discussions in class, Week 13. 27/05/2025 - 28/05/2025- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
In this second part of the Design Project Co-Designing Aged Care Communities, students will work individually to develop a design solution, based on assignment 1’s outcomes, to improve upon the design problem identified. The Developed Design assignment is a comprehensive evaluation of your ability to apply your design knowledge and skills to develop a comprehensive and refined design solution. This assignment focuses on assessing your capability to translate conceptual ideas into a tangible and well-executed design outputs, showcasing your ability to apply design methods, use creativity in problem-solving, and effectively communicate design ideas. While the outputs are not prescribed as these will vary depending on the design problem addressed, it is expected that the students produce good quality design visuals and prototypes to communicate their ideas effectively.
Concept development will involve iterative design processes using sketching, visualisations, prototyping, and user scenarios. Process work will be submitted via Weekly Outputs in a shared digital document. Once developed, the design solution will be articulated through a presentation to stakeholders. Students will submit their presentation slides as a PDF document via Blackboard and present their work in class. Based on feedback, students will make final modifications and produce a poster summarising key aspects of the design solution (digital PDF submission via Blackboard, printed hard-copy submission due in class). Weekly outputs will be documented and submitted to demonstrate evidence of process work.
Complex / authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use 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. Uploaded files must contain readable text and not be rasterised. 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.
The maximum extension allowed is 21 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Applying 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.
Applying for an extension:
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.
Weekly Outputs:
In the case students do not submit a weekly submission(s), the percentage allocated will be re-distributed towards their final submission.
Late submission
Weekly submissions
100% Late penalty, no grace period.
Presentation Slides, Digital Poster & Feedback Sheet
The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows:
- 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 Architectural 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
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
Recommended
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop | It is highly recommended to make use of 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 drive or a cloud service. |
Additional costs
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
Printing of A1 poster for week 13 (approx. $25+) |
|
Procurement of AFP police check (approx. $50) |
Required for excursions. |
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 |
Studio See Blackboard for 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.