CDS3002 · Communication design studio 5

Overview

Synthesising with prior learning, this advanced-level unit hones your craft and technical expertise as well as conceptual thinking, and emphasises preparation for professional practice. You will frame and execute self-driven complex projects grounded in the critical explorations of systems affected by social, political, economic, environmental, and/or ethical contexts. Similar to CDS3001, you are required to select a design specialisation. You may choose to deepen your abilities by carrying forward the same specialisation chosen in CDS3001 or broaden your skills by selecting a different area of study. Through critical engagement, you will strengthen your professional identity and commit to responsible design practices that reflect community and environmental values. You will gain a sense of confidence and professional identity and develop adaptable learning strategies supporting ongoing growth and the ability to respond with fluidity within a dynamic field. In short, in this unit, you are expected to demonstrate an advanced application of your chosen specialisation and an understanding of the broader design ecosystem and your place in it.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

100% in-semester assessment

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Comprehensively describe the role and responsibility of communication design and design practitioners in the broader social environment;
2. Research and solve complex design problems using appropriate methodologies that showcase high-level competency in your specialisation, research capability, critical thinking, and robust knowledge of appropriate production methods and traditional and emerging design tools and technologies;
3. Integrate diverse personal, professional, and interdisciplinary insights into design solutions that reflect a well-defined professional identity and a commitment to broader cultural and environmental values;
4. Interact and engage collaboratively and empathetically with diverse individuals, groups, and perspectives to plan and create meaningful real-world solutions and develop a deep personal critical practice that contributes to or challenges cultural, social, and environmental narratives;
5. Express awareness and responsibility for the broader impact of design and design decisions (locally and globally) and commit to an ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible way of practicing design;
6. Self-assess and monitor personal successes and growth by engaging in self-reflective practices that critically evaluate design and continuously explore and integrate emerging trends and tools, demonstrating resilience and fostering lifelong professional growth and adaptability.

Workload

24 hours per week including 6 contact hours plus 18 hours of independent study.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.