Studio Practice: Independent Project module (DJ52031)

In this module, you will have the opportunity to self-manage your own learning. You will also design and develop highly resolved prototypes. These will explore and harness socially relevant design responses.

It will help you consolidate everything you've learned so far. This will prepare you for a successful professional career in business, creative and high-tech industries, as well as management and leadership roles.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• craft a design brief about a subject that matters to you
• gather and illustrate insights from participatory design research. You will develop these into thoughtful and original ideas
• apply a range of design-led methods. These will link research and analysis through to a creative output
• create a highly resolved final output, complete with a range of prototypes. This will be at the intersection of product design, technology, and business

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• plan, execute and communicate outputs about business, society and technology. You will be able to do this through self-reflection and public facing engagement
• manage the iterative design process, from discovery through to implementation
• enter the world of work, with a strong centrepiece for your portfolio and the essential skills to succeed in your chosen career

Assignments / assessment

• Creative output (40%)
  • You will submit a creative output that explores and harnesses socially relevant design responses. Your creative output will be accompanied by a diversified portfolio of low to high fidelity prototypes. These could include empathy maps, stakeholder mapping, sketching, drawings, model making, blueprints, material samples, and 3D CAD/Renders
• Development boards (30%)
  • You will create 4 x A3 development boards that promote your design work and sell your final creative output
• Film and/or storyboard (10%)
  • You will bring your project and final concept to life through a short film and/or storyboard
• Viva presentation (20%)
  • You will prepare and deliver a formal oral presentation (with slides). This will detail and reflect on the different stages of your project, from research through to final concept

Much of the module will take the form of self-directed learning. You will meet regularly throughout the semester with module tutors. You will update on progress and receive formative feedback.

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

You will contextualise, develop, evaluate, and promote your design work through a self-generated design project.

Projects may reflect your individual interest experienced throughout the programmes.

You will produce your own brief, generate your own research and development programme. You will utilise internal and industry-based sources, where possible.

To help kick-start your project, the module will begin with presentations and workshop activities. These will be closely aligned to the DJCAD research community.