What will I learn on this module?
On this module, you will undertake a brief that will either tackle current challenges to designers or explore design’s role in near-future visions of society. The module will challenge, inspire, and propel you into the future as a visionary designer or ‘change maker’ equipped to address some of the pressing issues of our time.
Design challenges and our responses are increasingly complex. Technology has automated many of the simplest design tasks, leaving designers to focus on solving more complex problems. To help tackle them, most designers work in multi-disciplinary teams. Even more individual design specialists such as designer-makers work co-operatively with other craft specialists, manufacturers and business professionals to bring their work to market.
Therefore, this module led by design tutors and other subject specialists enables you to work with peers and collaborators to address contemporary challenges or future opportunities. The choice of briefs may be developed in partnership with professional design teams, set by design competitions or written by your tutors in response to important design research or practice challenges.
How will I learn on this module?
You will learn through a diverse range of activities and methods that immerse you in the dynamic world of design challenges and futures. At the outset, you will choose from a selection of carefully curated briefs addressing either contemporary challenges or visionary futures that align with your interests and aspirations.
Your learning will feature workshops, combining hands-on making and practical activities, short lectures, and group discussions. These
workshops provide you with practice-based skills and knowledge needed to tackle design challenges and futures. Collaborative work within small groups or teams is a core component, mirroring real-world design processes that thrive on multidisciplinary cooperation.
Active participation in critical debates and research will encourage deep thinking, questioning, exploration of innovative solutions and reflective practice. Design projects will play a significant part in most students' learning, allowing you to apply your creativity and skills to contemporary or future scenarios, serving as a tangible outcome of your work. However, for some briefs, a written or alternative media-based essay may be a preferred outcome.
Effective communication is a vital part of the design process, and so you will enhance your teamworking, leadership, management and presentation skills, articulating your ideas professionally. Your design outcomes will culminate in a presentation or exhibition.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
Your module tutors will provide extensive support in various forms, including lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials.
Each module kicks off with a comprehensive briefing that outlines the expected learning outcomes, module requirements, and a detailed schedule.
You will also have regular weekly sessions in a studio setting to structure your learning experience. In these sessions, you’ll participate in group discussions to receive feedback from your peers and tutors.
Furthermore, you’ll receive tailored feedback during tutorials before you submit your work, helping you polish and enhance your project work for successful module completion.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
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)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding: .
Engage in critical discourse to assess and discuss ideas and issues shaping present and future design methodologies and practices.
Propose and evaluate design outcomes that articulate your deep understanding of ethical and responsible design practice.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
Exhibit judgment and strategy in the selection and application of design approaches, research and development methods throughout all stages of the design process.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):.
Effectively communicate and present creative and complex design solutions to professional standards.
Work cooperatively or collaboratively to research, develop, test and communicate advanced design proposals or solutions
How will I be assessed?
You will be formatively assessed using verbal feedback during timetabled sessions at key stages of the design development process.
You will be summatively assessed at the end of the module through the submission or exhibition of a portfolio that may include development work, design artefacts and writing. More detailed submission requirements will be supplied in your individual design brief.
At this summative stage you will receive initial verbal feedback during your exhibition or presentation, followed up by additional written feedback on your portfolio submission.
Pre-requisite(s)
N/A
Co-requisite(s)
N/A
Module abstract
This module propels you into future thinking, confronting contemporary issues and envisaging the future of design's societal impact.
Choose from a range of briefs collaboratively developed with professionals or set by international competitions and tackle them alongside a multi-disciplinary team of your peers. Projects range from sustainable fashion to smart cities, wearable technology, and enhancing mental well-being through design.
Learn through a mix of workshops, group work, and critical debates, fostering skills in risk-taking, problem-solving, and ethical design. You will communicate your innovative solutions through presentations or exhibitions, preparing you as a designer for the future's challenges.
Course info
UCAS Code WP30
Credits 20
Level of Study Undergraduate
Mode of Study 3 years Full Time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department Northumbria School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries, Northumbria School of Design
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2025
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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