Module: PUB6010-20 Publishing Innovation

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Neil Baber

Module Tutor Contact Details: n.baber@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

The publishing industry, at a national and international level, is responding to the challenges and opportunities of digital technology, changing audience behaviour and cultural context. Visiting industry speakers will offer insights into the many areas of the publishing industry that are undergoing change. This module gives you the opportunity to think about the future for a wide variety of publications, reading, text and image, audience development, and to propose exciting new products, which make best use of print, digital and live experiences.

You will take a new product development idea from initial concept to a fully realised product pitch; this module encourages you to work creatively and collaboratively within an industry context on a venture project to produce an innovative and viable new product or service. You will follow carefully structured, tutor- and technical demonstrator-supported stages of development for publishing products including: research and market analysis; brand identity and design; business modelling and budgeting; audience profiling, user-experience and prototyping; and presentation materials and pitch.

Digital skills

You will learn new and emerging industry approaches to product development and make use of industry standard software packages. Specialist publishing workshops and demonstrations will inform the different stages of your project work.

2. Outline syllabus: 

You will follow a series of specialist publishing workshops on:

• Research, ideas development and creative problem-solving

• Collaborative working

• Project management

• Audience, market and user experience

• Digital publishing techniques

• Design and prototyping

• Business Model Canvas and budgets

• Ethics and professional standards

• Pitch presentations

3. Teaching and learning activities: 

Learning will be through workshops, tutor-supported group project work, technical demos, progress reviews and feedback, and industry talks.

Teaching and Learning resources include technical demonstrators; visiting speakers; technical facilities including specialist publishing software, iPads, iPhones, cameras, and Kindles; online library resources/ access to international journals and reference works; and websites.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Pitch Presentation (equivalent to 500 words)

• % Weighting: 10%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Project Report (equivalent to 4,500 words)

• % Weighting: 90%