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Unit of study_
DECO2019: Qualitative Research in Design
2025 unit information
This unit of study teaches qualitative research methodologies in a human-centred design context. This unit will prepare students for the common industry context of needing to capture latent user needs and diverse stakeholder perspectives to arrive at effective products and services. Students will be required to use qualitative data to synthesise actionable design insights. In this unit of study students will learn how to generate data though observational and interactive methods. This unit explores how qualitative research methods originating in the humanities can be effectively applied to a human-centred design context whilst retaining their rigour and criticality. At the conclusion of this unit students will be able to apply these advanced qualitative methods in their design practice.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | Design Lab |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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DECO1006 or DECO2016 |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand basic theoretical concepts in relation to qualitative research
- LO2. Understand the principles of qualitative research design and implementation
- LO3. Understand and apply within practical settings a range of qualitative methods including ethnography, focus groups and experience sampling
- LO4. Demonstrate an understanding of the application of human ethics in relation to qualitative research methods
- LO5. Understand the principles of qualitative data analysis including thematic analysis
- LO6. Understand the principles of qualitative data synthesis
- LO7. Work effectively in teams and interact with other students to determine appropriate uses of qualitative methods
- LO8. Engage in critical self-reflection with regard to understanding and using qualitative methods.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
