SUBJECT OUTLINE

87445 VC Project: Visualising Experience

Course area

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building

Delivery

Spring 2014; City

Credit points 6cp

Requisite(s)

87631 VC Design Studio: Text and Image 1 AND 87632 VC Design Studio: Text
and Image 2 AND 87731 VC Design Studio: Narrative, Form and Time

Result type

Grade and marks

Subject coordinator
Monica Monin
Phone: 02 9514 8751
Email: monica.monin@uts.edu.au
Office: Department of Design, Architecture and Building, Building 6, Level 6, Rm 654
All staff (other than Monica) are employed on a sessional basis. All subject related issues should be addressed to
Monica either via email or consultation. If you need to come in for a consultation please email first to arrange a time.

Teaching staff
Pat Armstrong
Esther Chung
Gabriel Clark
Elisa Lee
Simone Mandl
Vivian Sung

Subject description
This subject explores visual communication design in the context of complex informational and technological systems.
Students design interactions within these systems that are a response to what they observe in the world through basic
design research methods. Through these research methods students identity and frame relationships among people,
information, technology and their contexts and seek to use their findings to generate novel (new) design concepts that
are thoughtful, empathic, human-centred, speculative, or useful.
Students are introduced to ways of communicating and visually representing their concepts, which could include
interactive or responsive objects or environments.

Subject objectives
This subject contributes to the students' learning as follows:
1. undertake primary research including but not limited to observation and conversational techniques and the
analysis of material culture
10. present project outcomes in visual, oral and written forms with thought, care and skill.
2. undertake secondary research including but not limited to library and internet research
3. devise creative and/or innovative designs in response to the specific objectives of a project brief and/or
research outcomes
4. develop sophisticated and original visuals to communicate concepts relevant to the demands of a project brief
5. comprehensively process visuals through critical reflection, evaluation and refinement
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6. demonstrate sensitivity to media selection, use and application

7. visually communicate ideas/concepts with clarity and functionality
8. produce visual work which has impact and engages the intended viewer/audience
9. manage project development and completion within a given time constraint
This subject also contributes to the faculty's five CAPRI Graduate Attribute Categories (see 'Graduate Attribute
Development') and the following course intended learning outcomes:
Effective visual presentation skills (C.3)
Creatively applied design concepts (I.1)
Range and quality of visual processing (I.3)
Capacity to develop original visual language (I.5)
Sensitivity to craft (P.3)
Capacity to manage project constraints (P.4)
Professional work practices (P.6)
Capacity to use a variety of research methods (R.4)
Capacity to develop relevant insights from research (R.5)

Teaching and learning strategies

Weekly sessions of lecture or online class preparation; and studio (tutorials).
This subject incorporates a PBL (problem based learning) strategy. The focus is on allowing students to engage with
practical, experiential models of visual communication design. The design methodology of developing creative
responses to project briefs continues to underpin the learning experience. Peer learning groups and learning
partnerships are encouraged at this stage and students, as individuals and in groups are encouraged to develop their
ability to research, reflect and critically analyse their observations in order to experience perceptual change. Emphasis
is placed on developing each students confidence in processing and refining ideas and competence in project
management.

Content
This is presented in diverse forms that may include: formal lectures; engagement with online resources; group
interactive sessions; guest presentations; seminars; team work; case studies and external visits. Projects are
undertaken in conjunction with demonstrations and access to processing and production technologies.

Program
Week/Session

Dates

Description

Week 1

31st July

Lecture:
Introduction to the subject
Assignment I Briefing
Notes:
For a weekly tutorial overview please see the assignment briefs. You will be
provided with a briefing document each week that goes through the
materials and tasks you are to undertake in class.

Week 2

7th August

Interactions (with focus on Museum context)

Week 3

14th August

Visualising Experience 1

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Week 4

21st August

Practitioners

Week 5

28th August

No Lecture

Week 6

4th September

No Lecture
Notes:
Assignment 1 Hand-In

Week 7

11th September

Lecture:
Interactions (with focus on Mobile context)
Assignment 2 Briefing

Week 8

18th September

Guest Lecture

Break

25th September

VC Week

2nd October

Week 10

9th October

Visualising Experience II

Week 11

16th October

Guest Lecture

Week 12

23rd October

Guest Lecture

Week 13

30th October

No Lecture

Week 14

6th November

Notes:
Assignment 2 Hand-in

Assessment
Assessment task 1: Visualising Experience Project I
Objective(s): This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:
1, 10, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code
to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):
C.3, I.1, I.3, I.5, P.3, P.4, P.6, R.4 and R.5
Weight:

40%

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Further
Information about this project will be provided in the project brief which will be made available on
information: UTS Online.
Criteria:

Quality of engagement with research processes outlined in the week-by-week project briefs (as
presented in your process journal)
Creative or intellectual quality of your concept (as communicated in your final visualisation of your
project).
Clarity and engagement of process visuals specified in the week-by-week briefs.
Clarity and engagement of your final visualisation of your project. Your ability to visually
communicate and articulate your ideas (as evidenced in your final visualisation).
Craftsmanship of your final visuals: sensitivity to ways of communication, media selection, use and
application; Order and layout of exercises, found examples, annotations and reflections in your
process journal. Clarity of annotations: legibility, written expression, grammar, spelling, punctuation
within your process journal. Acknowledgement of sources (referencing); Management of project
development and completion demonstrated through organisation of process folder and timely
submission of project work.

Assessment task 2: Visualising Experience Project II

Objective(s): This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:
1, 10, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code
to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):
C.3, I.1, I.3, I.5, P.3, P.4, P.6, R.4 and R.5
Weight:

60%

Further
Information about this project will be provided in the project brief which will be made available on
information: UTS Online.
Criteria:

Quality of engagement with research processes outlined in the week-by-week project briefs (as
presented in your process journal)
Creative or intellectual quality of your concept (as communicated in your final visualisation of your
project).
Clarity and engagement of process visuals specified in the week-by-week briefs.
Clarity and engagement of your final visualisation of your project. Your ability to visually
communicate and articulate your ideas (as evidenced in your final visualisation).
Craftsmanship of your final visuals: sensitivity to ways of communication, media selection, use and
application; Order and layout of exercises, found examples, annotations and reflections in your
process journal. Clarity of annotations: legibility, written expression, grammar, spelling, punctuation
within your process journal. Acknowledgement of sources (referencing); Management of project
development and completion demonstrated through organisation of process folder and timely
submission of project work.

Graduate attribute development

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and groupwork
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity.
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).
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The REVIEW criteria-based assessment system is adopted in the marking of subjects to give students feedback about
their development of these graduate attribute categories over time throughout their course of study. REVIEW also
enables students to self-assess to encourage a self-reflective approach to their work.

Support
Students MUST obtain a copy of the Generic Faculty Subject Information Booklet. The booklet is to be read in
conjunction with this subject outline. This booklet contains the following information:
Student services
Student support and other information
Policies related to teaching and learning
Assignment submission/presentation
Late and incomplete assignments
Late penalties
Grades
Academic integrity and cheating
Process related to teaching and learning
Feedback process
Return of assignments
Attendance
Extensions and absence
Special consideration
Faculty Academic Liaison Officer
Student access to teaching spaces
Pin access and other guides
Environment, health and safety
First Aid personnel within the faculty
The Generic Faculty Subject Information Booklet is available in both hard copy and electronic format. Hard copies are
placed outside the UTS Student Centre (level 4, DAB Building) for the first two weeks of each semester and teaching
period. The electronic version of the booklet is continuously available via UTS Online and the DAB website:
www.dab.uts.edu.au/courses/subjects

Statement about assessment procedures and advice

Students MUST refer to the following information and UTS assessment information, which is published in the Policy
and Procedures for the Assessment of Coursework Subjects, available at:
www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/assessment-coursework.html

Statement on intellectual property

The University of Technology, Sydney will retain your work to promote the University and/or its courses for an
indefinite period. If you would not like the University to use your work in its promotion, please notify the subject
coordinator in writing.

Statement on UTS email account

Email from the University to a student will only be sent to the student's UTS email address. Email sent from a student
to the University must be sent from the student's UTS email address. University staff will not respond to email from
any other email accounts for currently enrolled students.

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