DE6023 - Collaborative / Competition

You will engage in experiential learning through studio-based and workshop activities, which work towards the completion of a design brief(s). Your timetabled sessions, which simulate real-world design studios, allow you to apply product design skills advancing a deeper understanding of the discipline while also providing opportunities for critical debate and feedback in a supportive and respectful environment.



Through both project 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 you to further develop and enhance 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, prototypes, artefacts will be presented or exhibited to share your process with others. 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 studio sessions to structure your learning experience. In these, 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 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, allow 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:

Acquire in-depth knowledge of a complex issue based on critical engagement with relevant theories and debates.



Demonstrate the relevance of your design propositions in relation to aesthetic, technical, cultural, and commercial contexts.



Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

Use creative research methods to identify and redefine problems and issues in order to underpin design proposals.



Personal Values Attributes

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

Show curiosity to navigate complex and ambiguous issues to arrive at considered insights and propositions.



Justify your opinions and the decision-making that informs the framing and development of a design project.

Tutorials and interim reviews will be timetabled at regular intervals during the project to provide a framework for progression and to support reflection and the development of propositions.

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

be tailored to the stage of the project, e.g., initial feedback will focus on the understanding of the problem space and broader context. As the project develops feedback will be more concerned with the definition of a design direction and refinement of potential solutions as concepts are developed and iterated.

Summative assessment through completing a design project(s) at the end of block 1. Exact deliverables will be clearly defined in the brief and will form 100% of the overall mark. Deliverables may include a range of media including physical artefacts (e.g. models, prototypes, mock-ups) as well as presentation materials (e.g. printed presentation boards; digital presentations; video and animations). Work will be assessed holistically against the learning outcomes with consideration of the brief and how well the student has understood the context, gathered and considered research material, developed creative solutions and communicated the proposal to an audience. 

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In this module, you'll engage with design challenges chosen from competitions or industry partners, honing your skills in a competitive context. These carefully curated briefs are designed to enhance your learning experience and achieve module objectives. Addressing multi-faceted issues, encompassing social, economic, environmental, and cultural aspects, these challenges push you to research thoroughly, gain insights, and identify design opportunities. You will refine your ability to communicate design solutions effectively through various media, both physical and digital. This prepares you for future projects by strengthening your grasp of design contexts, research methods, and your capacity to develop and present innovative ideas. Additionally, participating in these challenges offers opportunities for recognition through potential prizes or shortlisting.