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Unit outline_

DESN9100: Major Project Strategic Design

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit requires the application of design strategy methods and theory to address a real-world problem. Students will have the opportunity to advance their design strategy skills by exploring a complex problem and designing and implementing a design-led strategy in response. The unit will explore design principles, tools and methods that can be implemented to influence strategic decision and direction. Students will learn how to initiate, lead and manage design strategies in their own organisations and gain a deeper understanding of design strategy in a practical organisational setting. Each week, students will be challenged through evaluation and critique by the teaching staff and student cohort to help progress their project. The unit will culminate in a final presentation where students will present their final strategy design.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Design Lab
Credit points 12
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
DESN9003
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

DESN9001 and DESN9002

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Rohan Lulham, rohan.lulham@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Kathryn Lee, kathryn.lennon@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment group assignment Team charter
Team charter shared and discussed in class
5% Week 01
Due date: 02 Aug 2024 at 15:00

Closing date: 16 Aug 2024
1-2 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1
Assignment group assignment Return brief and team research plan
Share and present document in class
5% Week 03
Due date: 16 Aug 2024 at 15:00

Closing date: 30 Aug 2024
1-3 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Assignment Research components
Documentation of specific research tasks
15% Week 05
Due date: 01 Sep 2024 at 23:59

Closing date: 15 Sep 2024
500-1000 words plus appendixes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Presentation group assignment Research outcomes and diagnosis session
Sucinct presentation and planned discussion of strategy direction
15% Week 07
Due date: 13 Sep 2024 at 23:59

Closing date: 27 Sep 2024
Materials to support 7 minute session
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment group assignment Strategy delivery plan
Document discussed in class with plan and allocated tasks
5% Week 08
Due date: 20 Sep 2024 at 15:00

Closing date: 04 Oct 2024
1-3 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO4
Assignment Individual strategy components
text and visuals for strategy components
15% Week 10
Due date: 13 Oct 2024 at 23:59

Closing date: 27 Oct 2024
500-1000 words plus appendixes
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment group assignment Strategy report
Strategy report that is presented and discussed with the client
20% Week 12
Due date: 25 Oct 2024 at 11:50
1200-2000 words & less than 15 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment Personal and project reflection
Individual reflection on project and professional development
20% Week 13
Due date: 03 Nov 2024 at 23:59

Closing date: 10 Nov 2024
800-1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO3 LO2 LO1
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

A1: Team charter (group): document and discuss a team charter that outlines team roles, responsibilities, rituals, relationships and commitments.

A2.1: Return brief and team research plan (group): a succinct return brief that positions the team project and states the research plan including team member responsibilities and tasks.

A2.2: research components (individual): Each team member’s documentation for specific research tasks allocated in A2.1 including documentation and reflection on the use of AI.

A2.3: Research outcomes & diagnosis session (group): Document, slides or posters to communicate the team’s diagnosis of the challenge, and discuss guiding policies with the client/proxy.

A3.1: Strategy delivery plan (group): Team’s plan for delivering the strategy document including individual team member responsibilities and tasks

A3.2 Individual strategy components (individual): Each team member’s documentation of the specific strategy tasks allocated in A3.1 including documentation and reflection on the use of AI.

A3.3: Strategy report (group): Teams will deliver a strategy report document that will also be presented to the client or proxy.

A4: Project and professional reflection (individual): Students reflect on the practice of strategic design, their project, the application of AI and/or their professional development.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows significant innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or exceptional skill.

Distinction

75 - 84

Work of excellent quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or superior skill.

Credit

65 - 74

Work of good quality, demonstrating more than satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed, or work of excellent quality for a majority of the learning outcomes assessed.

Pass

50 - 64

Work demonstrating satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed.

Fail

0 - 49

Work that does not demonstrate satisfactory achievement of one or more of the learning outcomes assessed.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

A deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Lecture: Induction and Introduction. Tut: Strategic Design practice; Good and bad strategy Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO1
Week 02 Lecture: Strategic (design) practice. Tut: Briefing, mapping & planning; practice explore Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO2
Week 03 Lecture: Strategic design research – the organization. Tut: org research & understanding; AI explore Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 04 Lecture: Strategic design research – the context. Tut: Context research, mapping & AI Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO2
Week 05 Lecture & tutorial: Diagnosing the challenge & Guiding Policy/ Framing Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 06 Lecture: Digging deeper & broader Tutorial: Dark matter, tensions and analysis Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 07 Lecture: Meeting with clients Tutorial: client collaboration sessions Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO2 LO4
Week 08 Lecture & tutorial: Reflection, pivoting & planning Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 09 Lecture: Criticality & optimism. Tut: Digging, dancing and iterating ideas Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO2
Week 10 Lecture and tutorial: Futuring and other methods Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 11 Lecture: Communicating strategy. Tut: text, visuals & reports Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 12 Final client presentatations Presentation (6 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 13 Lecture: Reflection on Action. Tut: Project review, team reflection & hand-over/ closure Lecture and tutorial (6 hr) LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

Please refer to the Resolutions of the University School: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/architecture/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Please note that if you miss any class (lecture, tutorial, or studio) across more than two weeks, your overall grade for this unit will be penalised by 5% per additional unexplained absence.  Absences may be explained by emailing your tutor with a valid reason for your non-attendance, which includes illness, caring responsibilities, misadventure, or other special circumstances, but conducting work outside of the University.

All students will be required to be present for group assessments. Failure to attend group assessments without showing legitimate cause to an absence (as outlined above) may result in a 0 submission for the individual absent and/or impact the overall mark received by the group.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 12 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 240-300 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand the difference between good and bad strategy and design
  • LO2. develop ability to use design methodologies to inform a strategy diagnostic and problem formulation
  • LO3. develop ability to apply a strategic design framework to drive strategy formulation
  • LO4. develop ability to use design methodologies to co-design strategy recommendations and action plans.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes to assessment in line with AI related guidance

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.