DESIGN 304: Advanced Design Methods Capstone is a core paper, and the final studio-based course within the BDes programme before graduation. Students will draw upon their learnings-to-date to work through a real-world design challenge. Students are presented with multiple design challenges/briefs co-developed alongside local stakeholders presenting a “real-world” issue or opportunity.
Students elect one brief to pursue for the duration of the course. The course begins with developing a project plan using a self-prescribed design strategy. Students document their weekly progress in the format of a digital journal and submit this alongside their final project. The course is comprised of key assessments that need to be completed to pass the course. Assignments are structured to assist students towards their final presentation.
The course concludes with a final presentation where students will present their design solutions in different media like video, digital prototypes, and scale models. A panel of academics, design professionals, and relevant stakeholders (who have been part of the journey) will be invited to the final presentations to offer feedback and critique on the presented work.
DESIGN 304 represents the last milestone in the students' BDes journey before entering the industry or pursuing post-graduate studies. Consequently, students enrolled in this course must demonstrate the ability to engage with the project briefs critically, prescribe a plan of action, self-organise, self-direct, and execute their design projects.