Bachelor of Design

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Design is to provide a broad understanding of design, design history, theory and principles and design thinking as well as knowledge of and practice in a specialist field of Design. The qualification emphasises the integration of different forms of knowledge that are required to make decisions throughout the design process. The process of problem solving, including research, problem identification, conceptualising and craft skills in the iterative development of design solutions are central to the construction of the qualification. The qualification aims to equip learners with the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes required to make appropriate judgements to meet its requirements; and to prepare learners for postgraduate studies and the demands for learning in their future careers.

The qualification aligns with Design disciplines which require designers to integrate technical expertise, various forms of knowledge such as propositional, experiential and procedural, creative and critical thinking, as well as research and production processes. All of these forms of knowledge are necessary for learners to be able to evaluate good and bad design, and to make the relevant design decisions or judgements required at all stages of the design process to create designs within a variety of contexts.

As few learners have done art or design at school level and learners may not have had access to computers and technology, the fundamental design principles, rules, theories, techniques and thinking strategies are addressed in the first year. In the first-year, learners are able to explore the history, principles, technology (hand and computer) and design process. In addition, there are individual projects that create exposure to the Design specialisations. Learners can thus make informed decision regarding which specialist stream they wish to take in the second year.

In the second and third year learners will deepen their knowledge, skills and attributes. Additional theory and Business subjects enrich the learners' understanding of design in relation to economic, historical, political, commercial, social, cultural and environmental contexts. Industry relevant knowledge and experiential learning are integrated into the curriculum at various stages. Briefs are industry relevant and specific intense industry- oriented projects and competitions are incorporated throughout the qualification.

In the second-year learners will complete a compulsory Job Shadowing component and in the third-year an Experiential Training subject. This approach assists learners to become professional designers with the attributes that are valued in the industry. At the third-year level, learners' directed projects and research document allow for an in-depth investigation of a design project in the field of Design specialisation. Learners will work within selected frameworks including contextual design, sustainable design and design sub-cultures and through these projects need to demonstrate that they are independent, creative thinkers who can practice responsible design.

At the end of three years of study learners will be able to apply design thinking and design processes to integrate theory and practice in order to make the judgments required to identify and solve complex problems in real world contexts.

Learners with this qualification will have an understanding of the

• Knowledge, theories and practice of Design, the Design specialisation and supporting disciplines.
• Key terms, concepts, facts, principles, procedures, rules and theories of the field.
• Methods and procedures for investigation and enquiry in Design used to identify and resolve problems or introduce change in the practice.
• Research; systematic, critical and design thinking to identify, analyse, evaluate, reflect on and address complex design problems using evidence-based solutions and theory-driven arguments.
• Ethical, legal and professional challenges faced in the Design practice.

Learners would be able to apply

• Procedures to access, evaluate, validate, process and manage information from a variety of sources.
• Use appropriate processes of information gathering, documenting and analysis especially linked to Design theory and practice in a range of contexts.
• Use appropriate academic, professional and occupational discourses to develop, communicate and justify ideas and opinions.
• Manage design processes in unfamiliar and variable contexts, recognising that problem- solving is context and system informed and does not occur in isolation.
• Manage their own learning, by identifying, evaluating and addressing his or her learning needs in a self-directed manner, and to facilitate collaborative learning processes.
• Take ethical responsibility for their own learning, decision-making and use of resources, and accountability for the decisions and actions of others in varied or ill-defined contexts.

The qualification encompasses the traditional Design fields, whilst accommodating new technology and trends such as sustainability and ethical design. The qualification aims to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and attributes to work with a range of technologies, products and media in order to create meaningful, relevant and captivating products and systems for individuals, groups and the broader society.

Rationale

The Bachelor of Design qualification encompasses Audio-visual, Animation, Web Design, User Experience Design, Interaction Design, Ideation, Environmental Design, and Textile Design, the interdisciplinary fields such as Social Design and Strategic Design as well as design fields. This approach is shared with some of the international Design institutes including Parsons School of Design, in the United States of America and Auckland University of Technology. In New Zealand learners select majors from a range of design fields. As technology and contexts change the areas that the qualification encompasses will expand to accommodate these.

Subjects such as Design History, Visual Communication, Business Studies and Communication Studies contextualise design and assist learners to make connections between design and the future contexts that they will practice in. There is a strong emphasis throughout the qualification on learners developing communication skills and on being able to articulate and justify their decision making. This approach supports 'sustainable learning' that learners will be able to carry over into their careers and a variety of contexts. By including 'live briefs' for industry clients, job shadowing and an experiential learning, learners are well prepared as design practitioners.

The broad objectives of the qualification are to

• Provide learners with a well-rounded education in Design and a field of specialisation.
• Prepare learners for the workplace and Postgraduate studies.

In terms of graduate attributes, the qualification aims for learners to become ethical practitioners who can function effectively as individuals and collaboratively in complex and unpredictable environments. The institution also aims to prepare learners for employment, to contribute to transforming the industry and to adapt to working on ill-defined problems in complex contexts, there is a high degree of integration in the curriculum. In other words, concepts, themes and projects may run across multiple subjects and disciplines. As careers in Design continue to evolve and adapt to changes in technology, society, industry and contexts, design graduates are expected to be versatile and able to adapt to uncertainty and new contexts. Learners will therefore need to be equipped to continue learning as they progress in their careers. In order to achieve this type of learning, the structure and content of the institution's qualification provides curricula, teaching and assessments that emphasise the integration of knowledge, skills and attributes in a creative and authentic environment.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

In RPL processes designed to grant access, an RPL application is evaluated against the entry requirements of the qualification in question. Applicants seeking access to the Bachelor of Design who do not hold an appropriate entrance qualification may be considered for the RPL route but will only be admitted at the institution's discretion in accordance with the institution's RPL policy. An RPL assessment process is used to evaluate the knowledge and skills of such applicants.

Individuals wishing to apply for RPL in order to access this qualification must complete the RPL application form. Examples of supporting documents that learners may submit to evidence their knowledge, skills and values include but are not limited to a curriculum vitae with detailed work history, portfolios of completed design or artwork, workplace training schedules and examples, certificates for appropriate non-accredited software training and reference letters from workplace supervisors.

Generally, the RPL process does not lead to credits in the qualification, however credits can be awarded for subjects such as Computer Application. This would be appropriate if the applicant had completed software training or had worked extensively with the software in a work environment. The software that the learner is proficient in should align with the software taught in the first-year Computer Application subjects.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National Senior Certificate (NSC), granting access to Bachelor's studies and with an appropriate combination of subjects and levels of achievement.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Levels 5, 6 and 7 totalling 370 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 80 Credits

• Image Making (common), 16 Credits.
• Communication Studies (common), 14 Credits.
• Design Constructs (common), 7 Credits.
• Computer Application 1 (common), 12 Credits.
• Fabrication (common), 8 Credits.
• Photography (common), 13 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 156 Credits

• Visual Communication 1 (common), 15 Credits.
• Design Thinking (common), 14 Credits.
• Design History (common), 8 Credits.
• Exposure (common), 7 Credits.
• Leadership Management (common), 6 Credits.
• Applied Design 2 (specialist), 24 Credits.
• Applied Technology 2 (specialist), 34 Credits.
• Business (specialist), 6 Credits.
• Design Praxis (common), 6 Credits.
• Computer Application 2 (specialist), 24 Credits.
• Job Shadowing (specialist), 4 Credits.
• Portfolio (specialist), 8 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 7, 134 Credits

• Visual Communication 2 (common), 14 Credits.
• Applied Design 3 (specialist), 17 Credits.
• Applied Technology 3 (specialist), 15 Credits.
• Computer Application 3 (specialist), 7 Credits.
• Visual Communication 3 (common), 9 Credits.
• Business Management (common), 11 Credits.
• Final Project Research and Integration (specialist), 7 Credits.
• Final Project Application (specialist), 19 Credits.
• Portfolio (specialist), 11 Credits.
• Experiential Training (specialist), 24 Credits.

1. Apply the knowledge, theories, methodologies, skills and professional practices at the forefront of design and specialist design field and practice to design innovative solutions for defined problems.
2. Identify and define design problems using design theories and principles.
3. Research, plan, conceptualise, produce, communicate and substantiate innovative design solutions aimed to address complex problems in defined contexts.
4. Use basic design relevant research methodologies and approaches.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be applied in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes.

• Outline the theories and methodologies of Design and the Design specialisation.
• Identify and define design problems using design theories and principles.
• Design innovative design solutions based on research and practice of the specialist field of Design.
• Use appropriate language to define and substantiate design decisions.
• Evaluate design solutions in relation to historical, environmental, social and economic parameters.
• Conduct research that supports design solutions and interpretations.
• Discuss and use ethical practices in conducting research and creating design solutions that answer to legal, environmental, social and economic parameters.
• Evaluate design case studies.
• Make use of technology to create and represent design solutions, processes and products.
• Communicate concepts and solutions effectively.

Integrated Assessment

Integration across subjects and types of knowledge is a key element of the qualification structure. This approach lends itself to making use of authentic, Integrated Assessment in which a range of knowledge types and learning outcomes are assessed. As part of the assessment structure, learners have the opportunity to receive feedback from formative assessments and can improve on their work based on this feedback.

Summative assessments include a number of components to make up portfolios or capstone projects that require learners to integrate disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge with design skills and competencies. These are accompanied by presentations in which learners make use of research, theory, case studies, and historical, environmental, economic and social parameters to substantiate their design decisions. There is an expectation of learners to apply and integrate knowledge, theory and skills in assignments appropriate to learning in the creative disciplines. Assessment components consist of presentations, written essays and rationales, drawings, constructed models, visual and digital artefacts, portfolios and other materials. The institutional Assessment Policy includes the assessment parameters and requirements including moderation and appeals.