Course Title: Design Futures Masterclass

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Design Futures Masterclass

Credit Points: 24.00


Course Coordinator: Dr Marius Foley

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1252

Course Coordinator Email: marius.foley@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 09.05.22

Course Coordinator Availability: Please make an appointment via email.


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

This is an advanced course. It is expected that you will have prior knowledge of the particular field of expertise the masterclass offers.


Course Description

Human-centred design is an extensive field that operates within various and diverse sectors from corporates, government, and health through to not-for-profits. As such, there is a requirement to provide a breadth of design approaches that accommodate a wide range of service needs and organisational cultures.  

In this advanced course, we invite industry experts to deliver a masterclass on human-centred design practices within distinct fields such as: transition design, speculative design, health focussed design, government service design, narrative design, technology and design, as well as emerging areas of focus. You will undertake high-level engagement with an expert and immerse yourself in a network of motivated participants from whom you will learn on a peer-to-peer basis. 

You will engage in online activities and in intensive face-to-face experiences, with direct access to the skills and experiences of noteworthy professionals. The particular content of each masterclass will differ as it is driven by the distinct perspective of the industry expert. All students will gain unique insight into the challenges and opportunities of contemporary human-centred design practice in the real world.  


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

You will be assessed on your development against the following Program Learning Outcomes:  

  • Apply advanced design skills to engage stakeholders, frame ill-defined problems, and create innovative solutions. 
  • Determine and apply the specialist knowledge and technical skills required to creatively solve problems, demonstrating expert judgment and ethical responsibility relating to your professional practice and discipline. 
  • Professionally communicate propositions, processes and outcomes to address specialist and non-specialist audiences. 
  • Provide leadership within your discipline as well as collaborate with others. 
  • Master a body of knowledge and specific technical skills to progress your professional career within the contemporary media and communication arena. 


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:  

  1. Critically discuss how design creates increased value and human capital in contemporary economies.
  2. Investigate and apply human-centred methodologies to create competitive and sustainable design strategies for a global market.
  3. Conduct research relevant to the field in question, using theories, methods and practices that address the needs of specific audiences. 
  4. Critically reflect on your personal and professional learning and develop strategies to implement this learning in professional practice.
  5. Creatively respond to issues and situations using the principles of human-centred design. 


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in learning that involves a range of online and face-to-face activities such as studios, project work, lectures, tutorials, discussions, individual and group activities. The course may include a number of intensive face-to-face engagements at which your presence is required. You will be expected to document and reflect on all aspects of the course.   


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment may include presentations, projects, journals, written essays and reports, and may be done individually or in teams. 

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks. 


Assessment Task 1 (30%) 
Research Portfolio 
Linked learning outcomes: 1, 3. 

Assessment Task 2 (40%) 
Studio Workshop Outcomes 
Linked learning outcomes: 2, 3, 5. 

Assessment Task 3 (30%) 
Studio Knowledge Object 
Linked learning outcomes: 1, 4.

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 Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.