As a precursor to the more usual Design Studio format of later years.
The design of the 12 weeks of the semester follows a model of:
Design Sprint: 2 Weeks working time and 1 Week Pitch Presentation (poster, presentation, video):
Embodies the spirit of the fast paced design intensives common in creative workshops. This is a variant of the usual Intensive Mode (which is all the time for a week or more).
Design Challenge, an Activism Project. 2 Weeks working time and 1 Week Delivery (poster, presentation, video):
Students engage in activities that change their sense of individual and collective agency.
2020: Start a Movement, 5$ Challenge
2019: Start a Movement, 5$ Challenge
2019: Design Process Diagram and Vendor Book - Reflection and documentation
2018: Folio - Reflection and documentation
Design Project. 5 Weeks and 1 Week Delivery (poster, presentation, video):
The Solar Cooker (D4S, 7 week Design Project): Offers students a project focussed upon saving energy in the home. 2020 works
The Special Purpose Machine (IDE, 7 week Design Project): Asks students to imagine a single purpose machine. 2020 works
The Hand Tool (UCD, 5 week Design Project): How can the Hand Tool be reimagined? The project is to develop a hand tool for a tradesperson (in some cases the notion of "hand tool" is explored and the title of tradesman is expanded to include all users.
2021 Works, 2020 works, 2019 works, 2018 works
5$ Challenge (UCD, 3 week Design Challenge): What would you do with $5 and 2 hours? Teams received symbolic “seed funding” of $5 and were given as much time as they wanted over the 3 weeks to plan. However, once they scheduled their time, they had two hours to generate as much income as possible. 2021 works, 2020 works,
Start a Movement (D4S, 3 week Design Challenge): A big part of being a sustainability orientated designer is to have the capacity to initiate behaviour change. The goal of this project is to initiate, start, a "movement". 2021 works
How to Clean a Train (UCD, 2 week Design Sprint): Picks up on a suggestion of a 3M design studio lead, and uses it to navigate occupational ergonomics. 2021 works, 2020 works, 2019 Works,
The Shopping Trolley Challenge (D4S, 2 week Design Sprint): Asks for the redesign of the shopping trolley, to avoid the need for plastic bags. 2021 works, 2020 Works, 2019 Works
The Upcycled Light (D4S, 7 week Design Project): Takes the Waste Impact Ban by China, to provoke design responses of upcycling. 2019 lights, 2018 lights
Material and Process Exploration (IDE, 7 weeks of Projects): Offers students a self up-skilling project in 'owning' the processes of manufacture.
The Rube Goldberg Machine (IDE, 2 week Design Sprint): Offers a challenge to design a complex machine proposition, with a human and whimsical commentary. 2019 Works, 2018 Works
Kitchen & Bathroom (ID Drawing, 3 week Design Sprint): Fill a 60 page A4 sketchbook on the topic of kitchen and bathroom - work in a group to learn and draw socially - Inspiration, Goals, Draw over, Trace. 2021 Works
Slow (ID Drawing 3 week Design Challenge): Borrow techniques from Betty Edwards Drawing on the right side of the brain - slow down to Rewire the brain - Train the brain 2021 Works
Speculative Objects (ID Drawing 6week Drawing Project): Imagining objects to draw them. Formalised plan for a sketchbook, with set negotiated goals, after consultation. To integrate into studio projects and explore multiple digital mediums. 2021 Works