Overview
MA in Design Context and Practice
Postgraduate Diploma in Design Context and Practice
Postgraduate Certificate in Design Context and Practice
The programme is designed to provide a fertile and stimulating environment within which personal creativity and innovation may thrive. The curriculum is structured to encourage individualistic creative approaches to, and the analysis of, contemporary design. Subjects for attention may be diverse, ranging from the tangible; a virtual environment, the promotion of a product, or service, to more abstract material such as an organisational model or social ‘message’. The negotiated work undertaken within modules may be hypothetical, relate to students' work-based activity, or be designed to build upon the specialist research interests of the CDI where appropriate.
This programme is based upon a belief that in the context of contemporary design practice, past assumptions surrounding the role of designers, cast in subject specialisms, is potentially outmoded. The designer in the twenty first century may reasonably expect to draw upon the gamut of creative resources in design problem solving and representation afforded by new media applications. The potentiality of the integrated digital platform does not end at the level of ‘extended technology’. Rather, this environment is seen as one which expands the scope for design conceptualisation, employing image, sound, light, motion and interactivity as fundamental tools for creative thinking.
The curriculum is constructed to allow students to undertake each of the three levels individually, or to make up the full Masters award. This arrangement is particularly suited to those in employment who would prefer to remain flexible in modes and level of commitment to postgraduate study. Attendance is principally through evening sessions, whilst some components of the course may be undertaken through internet based learning or one off events and short courses provided by the CDI.
Content and Modules
The Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma each require students to undertake three modules, making up 60 credits per 'stage'. In each case one of these modules is mandatory (20 credits) whilst the remaining 40 credit modules require a choice to be made between a largely design practice based undertaking or a case study/field study outcome. This means that students can bias their experience towards written, or practice based approaches at each level.
At Masters level students engage in a 60 credit dissertation, constituting a major piece of investigative work. The combination of approaches employed in the resolution of a research question, hypothesis or 'avenue of enquiry' will be negotiated with the module leader and supervising tutors. As with the sub-dissertation modules this provides for a bias toward written or design 'action' based approaches.
Postgraduate Certificate
Design Analysis
(Mandatory 20 credits)
The purpose of this module is to encourage students to situate themselves in terms of understanding the role of design in society today and their relationship to it. A central module aim is to define and articulate personal approaches in understanding design and the process of designing.
The module aims to help define personal career or research ambitions, and devise strategies for meeting them. Developing an understanding of some design theories exploited in current practice, students are encouraged to re-evaluate their approach and devise alternative ideas and methodologies which extend beyond familiar patterns of working.
This module is a prerequisite to others on the course providing the 'tools of enquiry' necessary to underpin practice, or the analysis of practice, with coherent theoretical reasoning.
Theory into Practice
(40 credits)
This module is designed to provide an opportunity for the practical application of constructs proposed within the prerequisite module 'Design Analysis' through a negotiated, supervised project. In addition to previously developed methodological and theoretical tools, this module will continue to provide inputs which extend the students' awareness of current phenomena, cultural, social and ethical perspectives relating to design practice.
Case Study
(40 credits)
This module is designed to provide a further opportunity for structured enquiry into particular examples of design practice through the application of constructs proposed within the prerequisite module 'Design Analysis'. In addition to previously developed methodological and theoretical tools, this module will continue to provide inputs which extend the students' awareness of current phenomena, cultural, social and ethical perspectives relating to design practice.
Postgraduate Diploma
Research Methods
(Mandatory 20 credits)
This module explores research approaches, designs and methodologies, which build upon the investigative and analytical skills introduced in the module ‘Design Analysis’. The application of enquiry, analysis and evaluative comment are essential for critically assessing information and using this to develop future strategies in a range of design-related business environments.
Competence in gathering, examining and critiquing different types of data (numerical and qualitative) will enhance the students’ ability to understand the significance and relevance of research within the design industry. Students progressing to the next level will be better equipped to address the research challenges implicit within Masters level independent working.
Reflective Practice
(40 credits)
This module provides a further opportunity to relate and apply the themes and personal perspectives, formed within the Postgraduate Certificate, to innovative design problem solving. Students will be expected to identify, interrogate and respond to challenges which require the resolution of complex subjects for communication design. Appropriate examples will provide the potential for addressing social, ethical, cultural, economic and ideological factors through integrated new media communication.
The outcome of the module will be in the form of visual and/or audio visual material which may be time based. The work will be supported by a critical reflective review which references creative responses to the themes previously developed in ‘Design Analysis’ and at Diploma level in ‘Research Methods’.
Field Study
(40 credits)
This module provides an opportunity to engage in research and analysis centred on design, designers and their potential for influencing and intervening in society. This provides a further opportunity to relate and further develop the themes and personal perspectives, formed within the Postgraduate Certificate, to a personal research topic. Students will be expected to identify, interrogate and resolve an agreed subject for structured investigative work. Appropriate examples will provide the potentiality for addressing societal, ethical, cultural, economic and ideological factors through the creation of a coherent theoretical framework.
Students are expected to investigate design practice in relation to a wider 'frame of reference'. The outcome of the module will be in the form of a written submission which provides a robust resolution to the agreed question, hypothesis or agreed subject of enquiry. The work will directly reference the themes previously developed in the ‘Design Analysis’ module and exploit recognised methods of investigation as addressed in ‘Research Methods’ undertaken prior to this module.
Masters
Dissertation
(60 credits)
This module provides a vehicle through which to contextualise the insights, personal perspectives and evaluative capabilities developed throughout the programme. Through this negotiated project students will be expected to research an agreed aspect of contemporary design. The nature of the hypothesis, research question/s and or focus of enquiry should investigate or indeed challenge that which constitutes effective design at the professional level.
The methods through which the design question is tested make take the form of largely desk based approaches (e.g. case study/field study) or employ the use of visual material as the principal tool of analysis.
Students will be expected to form a personal 'position' on ethical, societal and creative factors and be prepared to articulate their associated bases of intellectual reasoning. Typically, the outcome will be in the form of a written submission of not more than 15,000 words, or its equivalent in the form of visual material supported by a clear rationale, theoretical framework and evaluative report.