Skip to main content
Unit outline_

IDEA9102: IDEA Studio 1

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

The aim of the studio is to explore new interaction possibilities offered by emerging digital technologies through a design-led approach. Each studio is based around one or more design projects, which address a specialised area of study, supported by lectures and workshops to introduce the relevant theory, knowledge and design precedents. The specialised areas of study will vary from semester to semester, ranging for example from small-scale wearable devices to large-scale environments, and will reflect contemporary issues in interaction, art, design, culture and technology. The studio aims to develop the student's conceptual design abilities together with their technical skills, within the framework of a highly creative, research-based and human-centred design process. Students will be expected to apply interaction design methodologies to their project work and follow a design-oriented approach to the development of a solution, through experimentation and iterative prototyping.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Design Lab
Credit points 12
Prerequisites
? 
IDEA9106 and IDEA9103
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Luke Hespanhol, luke.hespanhol@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Luke Hespanhol, luke.hespanhol@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Louis Chew, louis.chew@sydney.edu.au
Abhiruchi Chhikara, abhiruchi.chhikara@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Studio experience progress report
Online quizzes
15% Multiple weeks 5-10 minutes each week
Outcomes assessed: LO7 LO8
Assignment Assessment 3: Reflective studio report
Written assessment
25% STUVAC Between 1000 and 1500 words.
Outcomes assessed: LO7 LO8
Assignment group assignment Assessment 1: Background Research and Initial Concepts
Assignment, report
20% Week 07 Commensurate with depth of research
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO8 LO6 LO5 LO3 LO2
Assignment group assignment Assessment 2: Prototyping, Documentation and Evaluation
Practical assessment and presentation
40% Week 13 Presentation slides: max 20 slides
Outcomes assessed: LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2 LO1 LO8 LO7 LO6
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Background research and initial concepts: A mix of background, user, and first-person research will be conducted to explore the
    problem outlined in the design brief. An initial concept will be generated through ideation processes and communicated through storyboards and/or interaction scenarios.
  • Prototyping, documentation and evaluation: Finalise your working prototype(s) and the design documentation of your project. This includes a short video demonstrating the concept and user experience. It should clearly communicate the problem, the concept, the setting, the user behaviour, the interaction, and the benefits of your placemaking design solution for the chosen precinct.
  • Reflective studio report: Write a short essay reflecting on your studio practice, discussing the design practice, any challenges faced, insights, and lessons learned.
  • Studio experience progress report: This assignment consists of a simple, quick, yet reflective Canvas quiz reporting on your weekly studio experience.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

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.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Lecture: Introduction to unit of study, safety practices and university policies. Lecture: Introduction to the Design Brief, Design Process and Assessment Criteria. Tutorial: Introduce yourself and your preference for Studio project approach. Online class (3 hr) LO6 LO8
Lecture: Designing the New City: Smart, Playful and Creative. Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO8
1. Technologies and design strategies for Studio project. 2. Start group formation. Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO6 LO8
Week 02 Lecture: Interaction Design In the Wild: Motivations, Challenges and Methods. Tutorial: Finalise group formation: team charter and name. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO6 LO8
Lecture: Media Architecture and Digital Placemaking. Tutorial: Concept ideation: elaborating situations. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5 LO6 LO8
Week 03 Lecture: Designing Meaningful Interactions – Part 1: Semiotics, Cultural Structures and Meaning. Lecture: Designing Meaningful Interactions – Part 2: Design Strategies. Tutorial: Design Spaces. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Lecture: Spatial Layout and Social Interactions. Tutorial (2h): Iterating your design space. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 04 Lecture: Ethical Dimensions of Digital Technologies. Lecture: Urban Media Art. Tutorial: Context, Presence and Change. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Studio: Design mentoring for student projects groups. Studio (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 05 Lecture: Low-Resolution Information Design Tutorial (2h): Calibrating media resolution Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Studio: Design mentoring for student projects groups. Studio (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 06 Lecture: Designing Interactive Play for Digital Placemaking. Studio: Design mentoring for student projects groups. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Studio): Design mentoring for student projects group . Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 07 Studio: Student presentations: background research and initial concepts Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO8
Studio: Design mentoring for student projects group. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 08 Tutorial: Documenting and Presenting Design Work. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 09 Lecture: Preparing digital media for a show. Tutorial): MoSCoW Analysis and MVP. Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO8
Tutorial: User testing planning Studio (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 10 Studio: WIP show-n-tell by students, plus peer feedback. Coding clinic. Online class (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Tutorial: How is your design addressing the brief? Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 11 Studio: Design mentoring for student projects group. Coding clinic. Online class (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Tutorial: User testing and evaluation. Studio: Design mentoring for student projects group. Studio (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 12 Studio: Design mentoring for student projects group. Coding clinic. Online class (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Studio: Design mentoring for student projects group Studio (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 13 Final student presentations Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO8
Final student presentations Online class (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO8

Attendance and class requirements

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

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.

Required readings

Toft, T. S. (2014). Situations of presence: reclaiming public space in the urban digital gallery. World Cities, 78.

Pop, S., Toft, T., Calvillo, N., Wright, M., Arrigoni, G., Taker, L., ... & Langnese, S. (2016). What Urban Media Art Can Do - Why, When, Where and How. avedition.

Halskov, K. and Fischel, A. (2019). The Design Space of Media Architecture Displays. Interactions Magazine (November-December 2019), 60-63.

Dalsgaard, P. and Halskov, K. Designing Urban Media Façades: Cases and Challenges. In Proc. CHI 2010, ACM Press (2010).

Hespanhol, L., & Tomitsch, M. (2015). Strategies for Intuitive Interaction in Public Urban Spaces. Interacting with Computers. doi: 10.1093/iwc/iwu051

Fischer, P. T., & Hornecker, E. (2012). Urban HCI: Spatial Aspects in the Design of Shared Encounters for Media Façades. Paper presented at the CHI 2012, Austin, Texas, USA. 

Media Architecture Compendium, Digital Placemaking. Hespanhol, L., Haeusler, M., Tomitsch, M., Tscherteu, G. (eds.) 2017. Avedition, Germany

M. Foth, M. Brynskov, & T. Ojala (Eds.), Citizen’s Right to the Digital City – Urban Interfaces, Activism, and Placemaking (pp. 37-54). Singapore: Springer. 

 

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. Select and apply interaction design processes, methods and tools to help plan and carry out a research-led design project.
  • LO2. Generate and evaluate novel and interesting interaction design concepts in response to design briefs.
  • LO3. Identify and apply aesthetic principles to create and refine the aesthetic quality of design solutions.
  • LO4. Demonstrate technical competency in prototyping for novel and creative interactive applications and interactive experiences.
  • LO5. Communicate persuasively through diverse forms of media the value of design proposals and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
  • LO6. Collaborate effectively as a team to bring together requisite skills to plan, implement and complete design projects.
  • LO7. Work independently, with an ability to make independent judgements, reflect, self-evaluate and self-improve, and incorporate the feedback of others.
  • LO8. Understand, discuss and apply interaction design principles and concepts.

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.

Implementation of assessed weekly status reports.

Additional costs

The unit will mostly make use of freely accessible software and tools. Students will be expected to pay for low-cost tools and apps adopted for specific purposes.

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.