Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE DGA1012

 
TITLE Introduction to Design Thinking

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Digital Arts

 
DESCRIPTION The students will be introduced to the context and the dynamics of design thinking. Through hands-on exercises in class the students will learn how to put design thinking into practice. They will work on a critical design path from the definition of the design problem up to possible outcomes for the identified problem. Along the line they will be challenged to reflect on every aspect of the design process and on ethical issues related to it. Thus through theory and practice the students will learn to implement critical design thinking into their day-to-day work as digital designers.

Study-Unit Aims:

This study-unit aims to equip students with the skills necessary to understand and analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in design and design processes.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will:
- Be able to see design in context.
- Be able to analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in design and design processes.
- Be able to critically reflect on the design process.
- Become aware of the ethical, social, and economic issues related to (digital) design.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Contextualise design.
- Set up a critical design process.
- Determine the nature and extent of creative tools to implement in the development of a design project.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Ambrose, G. & Harris P. (2010) Bascis Design: Design Thinking, ava academics, Worthing/Sussex.
- Cross, N. (2011) Design Thinking - understanding how designers think and work, Berg, Oxford/New York.

Supplementary Readings:

- Brown, T. (2009) Design Thinking, Harvard Bussiness Review, pp. 84-92.
- Brown T. & Wyatt J. (2010) Design Thinking for social innovation, Stanford innovation review, pp. 30-35.
- Brown T. & Katz B. (2011) Change by Design, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Wiley, pp 381-383.
- Cross, N. (2001) Designerly ways of knowing, MIT, pp. 49-55.
- Ingle, B. (2013) Design Thinking for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses, A Press.
- Kolko, J. (2015) Design Thinking Comes of Age, Harvard Business Review, pp.66-71.
- Lupton, E. & Cole Philips, J. (2008) Graphic Design Thinking - How to define Problems, Get Ideas and Create Form, Princeton Architectural Press, New York.
- Parsons, G. (2016) The Philosophy of Design, Polity, Cambridge/Malden.
- Rodgers, P. A & Winton E. (2010) Design Thinking - a critical analysis, International conference on engineering and product design education, Norway.

A reader will be made available via VLE.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Classwork SEM1 No 20%
Presentation SEM1 No 30%
Assignment SEM1 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Caldon Mercieca

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit