DE6004 - Professional Design Practice

This module, the subject matter of which is determined by the specific project brief, places an emphasis on the honing of your professional skills. Staged interim presentations of project direction not only provide opportunities for formative tutor feedback but also invaluable peer review. Live projects provide real world input both via the project briefs themselves and through the ‘live’ engagement of industry/ user group during the design process.

You will learn about the professional responsibilities of the designer by your engagement with externally set criteria. Academic-facilitated studio time and tutorials throughout the course of the module will prompt you to hone existing and develop new employability skills of enterprise, flexibility and resourcefulness and reflect on the requirements of the project. You will learn by evaluating your actions and articulating thoughtful responses to the feedback you get along the way.

This module is supported by tutor-led studio critiques, peer review sessions and one to one tutorials with academic staff. You will be supported with timetabled academic support both in the studio and workshop environment. Indeed the nature of a 3D design project requires the workshop to be not just a place for a mechanical realisation of concepts but a venue for robust discussion with direct reference to work in progress.

The module is supported by a specific virtual learning environment (eLearning Portal) where you will find all the relevant documentation (briefs, module guides, assessment requirements etc.) The digital submission of interim works for tutorial guidance and formative assessment allows for expedient communication and the effective review of work whilst also utilising industry standard practices.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:

? Display evidence of your critical and innovative thinking by conceiving solutions which have relevance in cultural, aesthetic, technical and commercial contexts.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

? Demonstrate your ability to analyse problems and opportunities, and to formulate and propose solutions.
? Effectively present creative and complex design solutions to professional standards as evidenced through a portfolio of work.

Personal Values Attributes:

? Demonstrate highly effective and professional organisational skills as evidenced through a coherent body of developmental project work.

Assessment will be conducted through;

Interim critiques and individual tutorials provide regular formative feedback as part of the module’s teaching and learning strategy.

The module is summatively assessed via the submission of a project portfolio which addresses all4 MLOs. Summative feedback is written and via 1:1 tutorials.

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This semester 1 module is composed of an advanced project brief selected from appropriate national/international design competition(s) or suitable live briefs. The studio-based module engages you with the criteria and requirements of an external body/client and by doing so necessitates the honing of professional standard communication and presentation skills.