Product Design Engineering 1: Design and Culture

This unit aims to build upon innovative idea generation and visualisation skills with the practical implementation of engineering studies of Materials and Processes into design projects. The unit contains a digital visualisation module to enable skills in the areas of photographic manipulation, digital page layout and presentation. The unit will also explore design and engineering history, the relationship between design and cultural change and the societal impact of design and engineering innovations through the unit theme of “Design and Culture”.

At the completion of this unit students should be able to:

Learning and Teaching Method
The teaching approach includes project-based learning, lectures and tutorials, and industry visits as required.
Research materials and supporting project materials will be provided online in the Unit’s Blackboard site.

 

Note: Percentage weightings are indicative. See Unit Briefs for full assessment details.

Assessment information for this unit
Breakdown of overall unit weighting
Design studio – 60%
Design and culture – 20%
Digital Visualisation – 20%

Swinburne University works to produce higher education graduates who are capable in their chosen profession.  Learners bring to Swinburne a diverse wealth of experiences and graduate with individual understandings, abilities and attitudes.

Within this context, HDPD214 aims to provide students with the following attributes:

This unit is comprised of three delivery modes that will explore the studio theme, Design and Culture.

1. Design and Culture
Introduces students to the history of design in the 19th and 20th Centuries. It explores the historical development of design as a way of informing new product development. The lecture series may cover a range of topics that includes those indicated below (subject to variations):
• Industrial Revolution;
• Birth of Modernism;
• Rise of International Modernism;
• Reactions against Modernism, and the rise of Post-Modernism;
• The second Industrial Revolution – new materials and technologies;
• The Social Responsibility of the designer;
• Investigation of the design professional and history of design;
• The relationship between design and cultural change and the social impact of design and engineering innovations.

2. Design Studio
• Material and Processes;
• Concept development and design methodology;
• Engineering documentation;
• Basic principles of product design specifications;
• Perspective drawing and rendering techniques and exercises;
• Analysis of product reliability, performance and complexity;
• Ergonomic principles and analysis of product semantics;
• Product illustration and digital rendering techniques;
• Research and design application of findings.

3. Digital Visualisation
This component enables students to create digital presentations of their designs through the use of digital communication software including:
• Introduction to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software;
• Introduction to photo-manipulation and page layout and presentation techniques.

Learning & Teaching activities
• Participation in lecture and tutorial discussions and in-class activities;
• Working independently and in groups on projects;
• Develop a folio of images and written journal;
• Complete digital visualisation activities.

Preparation requirements
Studios and labs are working environments – students will be expected to attend for the scheduled duration of the class and use the time productively to further their design projects and participate in class activities.

Students must come to class prepared, with appropriate materials such as sketch pads, drawing equipment (pens, markers, rulers, etc), workshop safety equipment (glasses, appropriate footwear and attire, respirator masks, etc) as required, digital imagery and digital storage devices.