Course Title: Independent Professional Practice for Furniture Designers
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Independent Professional Practice for Furniture Designers
Credit Points: 12.00
Important Information:
Please note that this course may have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities.
To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption.
Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209.
Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus
Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance.
Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
GRAP2387 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
320T Architecture & Urban Design |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2010, Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2013, Sem 2 2014, Sem 2 2015, Sem 2 2017, Sem 2 2018, Sem 2 2019 |
GRAP2387 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
375T Vocational Design and Social Context |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2020, Sem 2 2021 |
GRAP2387 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
515T Creative Industries |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2022, Sem 2 2023 |
Course Coordinator: Julian Pratt
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 4820
Course Coordinator Email: julian.pratt@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: 71.02.02
Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
Prerequisites GRAP 2382 and GRAP 2383
Co-requisites: GRAP 2385
Note it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisites and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course.
For your information the RMIT Course Requisites policy can be found at: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=twx09y07zi1c
You should be able to document work in visual formats, produce 3D models and prototypes.
Course Description
Independent Professional Practice for Furniture Designers is focused on the skills and knowledge necessary to work as an independent or contract furniture designer in both local and international contexts.
The course involves knowledge and understanding of international markets and global trends, marketing techniques, branding, promotion and presentation, work opportunities, legal and business compliance, intellectual property, contractual arrangements and networks.
The course will involve personal research, interviews with leading furniture industry figures, reflection on industry partnership experiences and lectures on specific aspects of professional practice.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
You will be assessed on your development of the following program learning outcomes in this course:
• Identify and combine principles and concepts in art and design, the craft of making, the technologies of creation and manufacturing together.
• Evaluate your own work, ideas and concepts, including self, peer and industry critique.
• Apply initiative and judgment in exploration in, planning of, problem solving and decision making in your work
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
• Identify and analyse furniture market opportunities either locally or internationally.
• Identify major stakeholders.
• Develop strategies to promote yourself as a furniture designer.
• Understand the fundamental rules of legal and business requirements necessary to operate as a designer.
• Develop a Career Action Plan, portfolio and marketing material.
• Organise, prepare and execute an exhibition to promote work to public and industry.
Overview of Learning Activities
You will be engaged in learning that involves a range of activities such as: personal Career Action Plan investigation, concept design of own port folio and marketing material investigation and designing to suit own set market.
You will engage in career planning activities, portfolio development and presentation and the planning and staging of the graduation exhibition at the close of the academic year. The exact format and nature of the activites will be negotiated with individuals and the group as a collective where appropriate, at the commencement of the semester.
Overview of Learning Resources
In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:
Most of the study and its assessable outcomes will be learner directed and as such the you will be largely responsible for your own learning resources. Some resources will be supplied for certain learning activities (specific readings etc) as the course unfolds. It is seen as essential that you develops a level of confidence in gathering learning resources that are appropriate in a rigorous and well-managed manner.
More detailed briefs for the course will be distributed in class and be avalible online. As most of the work will be learner centered you will be guided in developing your semester work plan by the teaching staff in the first weeks of the course.
Guest speakers and guest workshops will be supported with notes and handouts, whilst these will be provided, you are expected to support your learning with own note taking in sessions. You will need to seek external resources to support own work and interests as they develop in the course, the teaching staff will provide references and can direct you to more specialist resources on request.
The University Library has extensive resources for Furniture Design students. The Library has produced a subject guide that includes quality online and print resources for your studies http://rmit.libguides.com/furnituredesign
The Library provides guides on academic referencing http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/referencing and subject specialist help via your Liaison Librarian: https://www.rmit.edu.au/library/help/ask-the-library
Overview of Assessment
You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program capabilities.
Your career path will be individual therefore the assessment of outcomes from the course will be contextualised to the students’ individual needs. As such, the student’s portfolio and Career Action Plan will be negotiated in consultation with your teacher.
Feedback will be given throughout the course.
If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.
A student charter http://www.rmit.edu.au/about/studentcharter summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.
Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions which are available for review online: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment