This unit of study allows students to develop an understanding of the foundation of human factors upon which much successful design is based. Students learn about the basic physical and cognitive principles (ergonomics, heuristics, human-centredness) incorporated in successful designs across a wide variety of different sectors. Students are provided with the tools to evaluate existing designs according to widely accepted design principles. They learn to apply these principles in practice in order to improve the usability, clarity and overall quality of their own designs. Through a series of academically researched case studies they reflect upon how these principles are applied in existing designs. To further develop their understanding of the design principles, they then complete a small re-design exercise. The case studies are chosen to cover a range of different domains, including products, systems, organisations, and services.

This unit of study helps students develop a theoretically grounded understanding of what design is, and the full spectrum of different disciplines that this term entails (product, graphic, urban planning, graphic, fashion, interaction, etc.). Using academic sources, they will investigate dominant historical and contemporary models of the design process, and learn about the cognitive basis of design thinking and how this differs from key skills in other disciplines. Students will research major design movements and schools of thought that have influenced the design sector over the last century (e.g. Bauhaus, eco-design, ergonomics, mass consumerism and built-in obsolescence). The unit teaches students about current foci in design (such as service design and experience design) and provides an outlook of upcoming trends and futures. Students will be able to develop these skills through studying a design movement, analysing case studies of designs, and applying design movements to specific design tasks.

This unit of study introduces students to design strategies and techniques for developing alternative points of view and exploring multiple solutions iteratively. Through the analysis of real-world case studies students will develop an understanding for how to use design-thinking methods to tackle complex problems. The unit will discuss how design can be used as a method and as a way of thinking to drive innovation for products, services and processes. In the tutorial component, students will apply design strategies and techniques through small group exercises and develop a deeper understanding of them through the assessment items, which capture theory, analytical reflection and the practical application of methods.

This unit of study provides an introduction to design methods and their application in a human-centred design process. The unit structure follows the stages of a typical design process, which are: define, understand, ideate, prototype, evaluate and reflect. A series of lectures and tutorial sessions are dedicated to each of these stages, allowing students to gain a deep understanding of and experience with design thinking methods. Students will learn how to balance convergent and divergent thinking at various stages throughout the design process, and how to use these methods to respond to a design brief requiring both analysis and synthesis. Students will learn to build empathy with users, identify 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 of study introduces students to the principles of visual design, including graphic design, colour theory and typography. Students will develop an understanding of how to successfully combine visual elements to effectively communicate an idea or concept, to describe a product, and to represent visual user interface elements in an interactive product. Using digital image manipulation tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, students will learn how to develop design concepts and how to turn concepts into visual communication materials in the form of digital images.

This unit introduces students to web design and modern web technologies for the purpose of designing and prototyping web-based user interface solutions. Students will learn about design principles and patterns for the web and apply them in practical exercises that involve designing and creating interactive user interfaces. The unit will introduce interface sketching and wire-framing tools and techniques. A variety of media and platforms, such as desktop computers and mobile devices, will be discussed, with a focus on interaction design. Students will develop an understanding of web technologies and their role in user experience and interaction design, including the use of web technologies for prototyping user interfaces. Prototyping techniques covered in this unit include interface sketching and wire-framing to develop dynamic content and interactive designs.