This unit of study provides an overview of a human-centred approach to the design of products and systems. It introduces students to design thinking and how it can be productively applied to different design situations. The theoretical concepts, methods and tools for the key stages of interaction design are covered including user research, ideation, prototyping and user evaluation. It provides students with the principles, processes and tools for working collaboratively on design projects in studio. Students learn to build empathy with users, identify and reframe the problem space, develop value-driven design concepts and persuasively communicate design proposals with an emphasis on the user experience through visual storytelling. This unit is a foundational core unit in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts program.

This unit introduces students to the context, complexities and methods of utilising design within a business context. Students will learn how to use design to link business, technology and people as a way to develop competitive economic, socio-cultural and environmental advantage in an increasingly complex world. The unit will cover design thinking, design innovation and design integration methods for driving this process and creating effectively-designed products, services and environments. In this unit, the aims and objectives of design management will be explored and students will learn to identify its relationship to the leadership and strategic aspects of organisations. This unit will cover approaches for conducting design-based research and contrast them to other methodologies within the design and business landscape.

This unit focuses on how the emergence of new technologies has revolutionised the way companies interact and build relationships with customers. In this unit, students explore the concept of 'the channel'. Traditionally, customer relationships have been managed via a push approach in communication, mainly 'what can we sell customers?', with the hope of cultivating customer loyalty. The unit explores the emotional understanding of customers and the impact this has on how they feel about a product, service or business. Students learn how exploring and analysing customers' emotional understanding can drastically alter their engagement, behaviour and purchasing preferences. The unit therefore aims to extend students' understanding of how this rapidly-evolving landscape has changed the way digital channels are designed, monitored and managed. In this unit, digital channel strategies and relationships are examined, and useful concepts for designing digital engagements are detailed. The unit encompasses customer-centric design approaches as well as techniques such as scenario building, forecasting and backcasting to explore possible futures.

In this unit, students examine design leadership and learn various approaches that can be applied to elevate the value of design in an organisation. Students learn about what it means to be a design leader and how to tap into their design skills to be a better leader. The unit demonstrates how to use design as a method for navigating an organisation and use people-centred strategies to map the internal context and external factors which influence strategic design and leadership. Students will learn how to grow their influence by design and create an enabling environment for design in their organisation. In this unit, students will learn about the potential and pitfalls of leadership in organisations, challenging each one to consider their future as a design leader. The aim of this unit is to provide students with tools, methods and models that can be applied within organisations to enable growth in strategic design and leadership.

This unit requires the application of design strategy methods and theory to address a real-world problem. Students will have the opportunity to advance their design strategy skills by exploring a complex problem and designing and implementing a design-led strategy in response. The unit will explore design principles, tools and methods that can be implemented to influence strategic decision and direction. Students will learn how to initiate, lead and manage design strategies in their own organisations and gain a deeper understanding of design strategy in a practical organisational setting. Each week, students will be challenged through evaluation and critique by the teaching staff and student cohort to help progress their project. The unit will culminate in a final presentation where students will present their final strategy design.

In this unit students will learn how to engage stakeholders through design interventions: a core component of being a Design Innovation Catalyst. Through a multi-staged approach, students will learn about possible approaches for such design interventions (e.g. workshops and design sprints). Students will explore how to structure a design intervention, and discover some effective methods for delivering and facilitating interventions. Students will build knowledge and skills for visually and verbally communicating content to an audience. In addition, students will develop their ability to identify key methods to facilitate a group's discussion with the objective of sharing knowledge, building concepts and reaching common outcomes. The unit will detail the why, who, when, and how of design interventions. Students will be expected to facilitate a design intervention (such as a workshop) as part of the unit of study.

In this unit students will work on an individual research project exploring key components of design innovation or strategic design from a theoretical or practical perspective. The focus of the project should align to the student's specialisation and be related to an area of interest. Students will produce an illustrated research report (between 7, 500 and 10, 000 words) exploring aspects of design innovation or strategic design in depth, to develop advanced knowledge, understanding and skills and begin to build an area of speciality for the student. This unit of work can be taken alone for students wishing to build their knowledge and skills of design research, or in conjunction with DESN9204 Design Dissertation for students who wish to pursue postgraduate research study upon the completion of the Master of Design.

This unit introduces students to design research methodologies and practices, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, data collection and analysis, and research protocols and procedures. If students are considering undertaking further postgraduate research study, this unit provides an opportunity to develop higher order research and analytic skills by undertaking an in-depth investigation into an issue or topic of the students' choosing. Students will produce a research proposal including the research aims, objectives, and questions of the project, a literature review of the topic being examined, the project's research methodology and methods and a project timeline. The project will be written up into a research dissertation (between 10, 000 and 15, 000 words) including, if relevant, a design component. The purpose of this unit is to develop students' research knowledge and understanding, academic writing skills and ability to present findings in a logical, structured and coherent manner.

In this subject, students gain a holistic understanding of design-led innovation approaches, practices and tools. Students explore and examine in detail a design-based innovation methodology developed for addressing complex problems. This subject explores different modes of inquiry and encourages students to develop a diverse range of research practices. Knowledge and understanding of design thinking gained from other units will be applied to topical socio-economic challenges. Students learn how to identify, design and review design innovation practices, and become familiar with the process by applying the methodology. Students will leave this course with a comprehensive understanding of design innovation principles and practices drawing on design thinking processes explored in other units.

The aims of the internship are to provide a direct link between the academic core of the course and the disciplines and methods of practice; to enable candidates to experience aspects of practice and provide the opportunity for them to work in areas of the field outside their specific expertise; to enable candidates to observe, analyse and comment on the interaction between theoretical and practical issues of their Program as it is practiced, and to establish connections between practice and the development of relevant research programs. The internship is intended to provide the opportunity for students to work in various situations in their Program's area. A secondary intention is that students use the opportunities of placement to broaden their own experience beyond the limitations of their chosen discipline. Candidates must find a suitable professional placement. Permission to enrol is given after the proposed placement has been approved by the Program Director. The host organisation will nominate a supervisor for the student for the internship. The student must complete at least 120 hours of full or part-time experience, supervised by a practicing designer (or other professional depending upon the field). A log-book of each day's work, signed by the supervisor must be submitted on completion. A 2000-word report on the benefits of the internship must also be produced. At the end of the internship the student will: demonstrate that they have completed a program of work (through a log-book); present a report; analyse their experiences and compare these to the theoretical content of the units they have completed, and suggest appropriate research directions so as to improve the complementarity of theory to practice.

This unit of study consolidates students' knowledge of advanced concepts in digital modelling, visualisation media and digital fabrication techniques available for architectural design. The unit develops conceptual understanding of generative geometric logic through a case study analysis followed by a small design project. Students will explore the practical applications of the digital geometry they create using commercial modelling and rendering packages in conjunction with the digital fabrication equipment available in DMaF. It will help students: generate sophisticated digital geometry through pre-packaged techniques and scripting processes, assign colour and texture information, generate sophisticated images for visualization purposes and fabricate prototypes. At the conclusion of this unit students should be conversant with 3D modelling, photo-rendering and digital fabrication terminology and be able to generate complex 3D models. Class preparation: 3 hours/week, assessment preparation 8 hours/semester.

In this unit students produce light objects exploring diverse materials and fabrication techniques in the DMaF workshops. Emphasis is placed on developing and inter-relating manufacturing and artisan skills with research, analysis and design development. The course aims to develop a critical awareness of the nature of objects that surround us, exploring cultural, contextual and symbolic aspects of object design as well as functional and aesthetic qualities working with light. Sustainability and social issues relating to their manufacture, use and disposal are also discussed; the unit aims to increase appreciation of the materiality of objects focusing on timber as an example paying attention to associated environmental and ethical issues, and emerging alternative materials. Through a series of exercises, experiments and production of their major project, students develop knowledge of construction techniques and skills in using wood/plastics tools and machinery and in so doing, build an awareness of industrial and craft practices and how they impact on the design process and outcome. Students will be expected to produce a research process journal and report on how a particular designer/s or movement has informed or influenced their final project/s

This studio-based unit introduces a variety of traditional and experimental techniques that will enable students to design and print a series of 2D works both within and around the context of design and Architecture. It will provide students with the knowledge and skills to design and print on a variety of substrates including paper, wood, and perspex through a range of techniques and creative exercises that can be developed into an edition or a series of experimental printed works. Students will also explore the historical roots of print and print as an element in design and architecture. Techniques covered include: digital photography and vector illustration, typography, hand and laser-cut paper stencils, ink mixing, registration and print set-up for multi-coloured prints. Through studio practice, set exercises, illustrated talks, gallery visits and library research, students will develop an understanding of their creative process and ability to interpret ideas through the medium of printing and with particular focus on design and architecture applications.

The aim of this unit of study is to equip you with a conceptual understanding and technical expertise in the use of digital editing for film and video projects. You will be introduced to the use of software programs such as Final Cut Pro HD to explain how edit moving images in to a project and how moving images can be transformed over time in combination with text, masks, filters, effects and sound. You will learn how to edit and master in Final Cut Pro HD through an intensive series of tutorials film/video screenings and practical studio workshops. This will culminate in the production of a studio project. The project is to be developed in consultation with an academic adviser.

The aim of this unit of study is to equip you with a conceptual understanding and technical expertise in the use of digital effects for film and video projects. You will be introduced to the use of software programs such as Adobe After Effects to explain how moving images can be transformed over time in combination with text, masks, animation, filters, effects and sound. You will learn how to author in After Effects through an intensive series of tutorials film/video screenings and practical studio workshops. This will culminate in the production of a studio project. The project is to be developed in consultation with an academic adviser.

An essential skill for an IT manager is the ability to keep up-to-date with emerging technologies, and be able to evaluate the significance of these technologies to their organisation's business activities. This unit of study is based around a study of current technologies and the influence of these technologies on business strategies.
Important trends in innovation in IT are identified and their implications for innovation management explored. Major topics include: drivers of innovation; the trend to open information ("open source") rather than protected intellectual property; and distribution of innovation over many independent but collaborating actors.
On completion of this unit, students will be able to identify and analyse an emerging technology and write a detailed evaluation of the impact of this technology on existing business practices.