DE5030 - Design Insights

In this module, you will be introduced to the theoretical foundations and significance of design-led research, critical debate and its role in shaping innovative solutions and approaches. Additionally, an emphasis will be placed on the critical importance of ethics and in conducting design-led research ensuring integrity and responsibility. You will be taught how to apply a variety of methods commonly found in the front end of design through case-studies and a series of hands-on workshop activities. These methods will be creatively adopted within short briefs to generate insights that challenge how we commonly understand a contemporary topic, or context for design. These short project briefs will simulate real world front-end design projects and therefore require meaningful engagement with users/research participants and external organisations to gain a deep understanding of their needs and requirements for design.



Through project, experiential and enquiry-based learning you will be given a mixture of design briefs providing an opportunity to develop and generate creative responses to challenging briefs. Identify and define potential problems that matter to others or just creating well-crafted artefacts. Explore and generate design ideas through sketching, introducing and building on key tools for user-focused / observational design research, prototype building and testing, evaluation, user feedback and visualising / communicating your design intent, pitching to a relevant audience. These projects will allow a deeper understanding of the discipline, further developing and enhancing your skills necessary in becoming an aspiring product designer.



You will be encouraged to think and work independently, investigating design challenges and researching through both primary and secondary sources, putting yourself in the position of others and designing through experimentation, work on practical product design projects that reflect real-world challenges and your final designed outputs. By the end of the module, you’ll emerge with a greater understanding of the Product Design process that will prepare you for tackling some of the latest challenges in a rapidly evolving design landscape.

Each project will begin with a comprehensive briefing that will outline and clarify the design project along with the expected learning outcomes, the module and project requirements / deliverables and a detailed schedule. Where a collaborative or live project is involved, professionals from the external partner will work with your module tutors to agree a suitable project and any additional support they can offer. This may include in-person briefings, feedback and guidance throughout the project, site visits, access to proprietary research and specialist equipment.



You will have regular weekly sessions in a studio setting to structure your learning experience. In these sessions, you’ll participate in group discussions to receive guidance and feedback from your peers and tutors. Tutors are aligned to each module that relates closely to their own design expertise and experience providing specialist support, whether that is through prior professional experience, through ongoing industrial collaborations or through current research work undertaken within the University.



The module has a specific virtual learning environment (eLearning Portal) which acts as a resource where you can access all the relevant documentation including module briefs and guides, presentations and assessment requirements. The digital submission of work, both formative and summative assessments, allows for expedient communication and the effective review of work whilst also utilising industry standard practices. During core working hours for the Design School but outside your timetabled sessions and project dependent, you will have access to a wide range of technician-supported workshop environments. Project and solution driven, these will support all your making requirements including specialist model making materials, laser-cutting, 3D printing, creating sewn soft-products, sensors and electronics, photography and videography. CAD workstations and industry-standard digital modelling software are accessible on campus 24/7 in certain buildings.

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)

Knowledge & Understanding:

Demonstrate design understanding with the appropriate integrated selection and skilled use of applications, tools, methods and processes during design research and development.



Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

Appropriately select, articulate, justify and share design research and development using established methods and processes in the development of design concepts.



Create design concepts, proposals and solutions that appropriately respond to the brief, clearly identified needs or issues.



Personal Values Attributes

(Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

Experiment and develop product design skills through the creation of sketching, prototyping and communication of design concepts.

You will be regularly assessed formatively and informally, using verbal feedback during timetabled sessions and at key stages of the design development process. Students may be asked to present their work verbally to an audience of peers, tutors and stakeholders to receive feedback and guidance. 



Students will be summatively assessed against one or more product design assignments over the course of the module submitted at the end of block 2. For each assignment, students will be assessed against the module outcomes and criteria set out in the briefs. The combined marks for the projects will form 100% of the overall mark.

 

Feedback is written and delivered via tutorial review and via eLearning portal (eLP) after the submission at the end of each block (module).

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Before embarking on creating design solutions, designers must properly understand all the complex issues they are tackling. In the design process this is known as the ‘Front End’. In this module, you will learn about the phase of the design process where you are focused on developing an understanding, finding insights and identifying opportunities. You will learn a range of strategies and creative research methods commonly used during the front end of design projects empowering you to become a more confident and innovative product designer.