Attendance is required at scheduled activities including tutorials and studios to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events including group discussions.
Attendance on campus is required for the presentation of your final project.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

This course will be delivered over 12 weeks in a practice-oriented environment. Teaching and Learning methods are experiential, collaborative, and project-based. Design experts and industry guests will participate in learning activities with students.

Each week there will be a 1-hour lecture to introduce key concepts, a 2-hour tutorial focussing on technical skills, and a 3-hour design studio which will allow time for creative exploration and feedback sessions on course projects. Students are exposed to design thinking systems using a 'learning-by-doing' model.

Students are expected to attend every week, as each session has been designed to equip students with the necessary skills to complete all assessment activities to receive a passing grade. A thoughtful and active engagement in tutorials and studio feedback sessions will contribute to achieving higher than a passing grade.

Practical tutorials start with induction sessions in the fabrication labs, and will also include equipment and software training led by expert technicians.

The final assessment task is a group project, which has been designed using a constructivist methodology to encourage peer-to-peer learning, diversity of perspective, and the development of soft skills. Opportunities for assessable peer feedback have been built in to ensure parity, encourage co-operation and build empathy. Assessments also provide the opportunity for individual reflection on the success of designs and learnings made throughout the course.

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Required from each student: 

BYOD - All new students enrolled in a Bachelor of Design or Design conjoint degree should come to class with their own laptop. This is so students will have the core learning tools available in and outside of class. It also means students can increase their independence and have better control of a professional device to stimulate creativity and simplify their design process. Working with ya personal laptop during the Design degree will prepare students for the realities of working as a designer after graduation. The highly recommended, recommended and minimum specifications for a laptop are listed here.

Students will develop an online folio to be maintained throughout their course. Students will be guided in class to select appropriate tools and services to host personal folios for reflection and presentation.

Sketch pad and drawing materials: It is good practice to be able to quickly record ideas through writing and sketching as well as collecting and pasting items found that are relevant or inspiring.

Provided by course:

Materials and software needed to complete projects to highest standards are free or will be provided by the course. These include access to software (Rhino, fusion 360, etc), machines (Laser cutter, 3D printer), and materials (Mdf, card stock, etc).

Optional:- Students may wish to use supplementary resources (This may include specialised materials, tooling, hardware, or software) at their own expense to progress projects. While this is allowed, it will not have any bearing on the potential quality of submission.

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Students are given an overview of health, safety, and wellness policies and procedures during the first week of their first year. Concerns should first be addressed with a Course Director/Coordinator, technician, lecturer, or tutor. Further information and incident report forms are available on the University website.

Students must complete induction training before accessing the Design Lab to ensure safety and competence. Only authorised access is allowed, and students may not permit entry to visitors. Equipment use is restricted to those who have received proper training, and workspaces should be kept clean with tools properly stored and shut down after use. Eating, drinking anything other than bottled water, and inappropriate attire, such as open footwear, are not permitted, and personal protective equipment may be required.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and DALL.E 2, may only be used in assessments approved by the Course Director/Course Coordinator. Without permission, students must complete assessments independently, without substantial assistance from AI tools. In approved assessments, students must include a written statement detailing any tool’s use and the prompts applied. 

The grade of DNC (did not complete) is assigned a grade point value of zero and is used when a student fails to complete compulsory coursework despite earning over 50%, or when coursework is incomplete and a fail grade would misrepresent their achievement.

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

• Provide Optional Early-Term Software Bootcamps.
• Avoid setting major assignment deadlines during the university's exam period, especially for group projects.
• Embed More Practical Guidance in Lectures.

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Where a student faces unavoidable personal circumstances (e.g. illness or a death in the family) that mean the student is unable to submit a component of coursework, they may apply for an extension. Requests for extensions of time must be submitted and approved using the online Extension of Time Application form available on Canvas.

Students should notify the Course Director/Course Coordinator of their situation as soon as practicable, and preferably before any due date. Notifications received after an assessment due date will be accepted, where this is reasonable, within the context of the course. If possible, students are encouraged to seek medical, counselling or other support from the most appropriate sources.

No extensions will be granted for problems such as accidentally erased computer files, which should always be prevented by keeping backup copies.

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.