This course examines the evolution of design in a century of unprecedented technological development and social change, from the Modernist utopianism of the Bauhaus to the swiftly-shifting ground of contemporary design practice. We will study how design shapes society and vice-versa, with particular focus on architecture and space, objects and furniture, and communication and digital design. Historically, the course explores Modernism and its inheritances, as well as addressing the theories, innovations and challenges underpinning contemporary design such as sustainability and futuring, disciplined and undisciplined design, speculative design and participatory design.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. describe and analyse major developments in design from 1919 to the present;
2. contextualise contemporary design practice;
3. demonstrate an understanding of how design both shapes and is shaped by society; and
4. research and access information on historical and contemporary design.

Required Resources

Students will need internet-ready devices to participate in some class activities as well as to access course resources outside of class.

Recommended Resources

Students will be required to use ANU Library resources in order to undertake the research necessary for this course. Limited research materials will also be provided on the course Wattle page.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Referencing Requirements

Students must use Chicago Style Notes and Bibliography for referencing papers and essays: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/academic-integrity/referencing/chicago-manual-of-style .

 

Word Limits

In the interest of student equity, students must be aware of the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences policy regarding assessment item word limits. These will be strictly adhered to by staff during grading of assessment items. In sum,

1) Where an assignment exceeds the prescribed word length, no penalty will be applied for the initial 10% excess words. Thereafter a 10% penalty will apply. 

2) Bibliographies, footnotes and endnotes will not be included in the word count.

3) Students will declare the word length, without appendices, bibliography and footnotes on the final page of their assessment item.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Lecture and tutorial
2	Lecture and tutorial
3	Lecture and tutorial
4	Lecture and tutorial	Object Analysis due
5	Lecture and tutorial
6	Lecture and tutorial
7	Lecture and tutorial
8	Lecture and tutorial	Research Project due
9	Lecture and tutorial
10	Lecture and tutorial
11	Lecture and tutorial
12	Lecture and tutorial	Take-home test questions released; deadline next week.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Participation	15 %	*	*	1,2,3,4
Object Analysis	25 %	14/08/2023	23/08/2023	1,2,3,4
Research Project	30 %	25/09/2023	09/10/2023	1,2,3,4
Take-Home Visual Test	30 %	30/10/2023	*	1,2,3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

A student's participation in this course will be assessed according to their engagement with course content, contribution to class discussions and preparation for tutorials. See Assessment Task 1 for specific details.

Assessment Task 1

Participation

Value: 15%

Due Date: Continuous Assessment

Lecture Participation:

Students will have the opportunity to participate in discussion during lectures.

Tutorial Participation:

Each tutorial centres on one or more activities. Students are required to prepare for and participate in tutorials by:

1) Attending or watching the week's lecture before the tutorial,

2) Completing any required reading or tutorial preparation before attending the tutorial,

3) Actively participating in tutorial activities and discussions.

Assessment Task 2

Object Analysis

Word limit: 1,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography)

Value: 25%

Due Date: 14 August 2023

Write a scholarly analysis for a design object of your choice produced at any time between 1919 and today. For example, you might choose a consumer product, a building, an interior, a work of graphic design or, if you are able to find enough adequately scholarly sources to support your research, a piece of digital design. Your object may come from anywhere in the world.

You should provide a careful visual analysis of your object and evidence of research that situates it within its cultural and historical context. You will need to conduct extensive research into the history of your object and the historical and social circumstances of its production. Things you might consider include (but are not limited to) the history of this type of object, the designer(s) of the object and their other work and what the impact of your object has been on society and design more broadly.

Your research should be broad and include scholarly journal articles, museum catalogues, and academic books. You are expected to be familiar with techniques for evaluating the credibility of research sources. ANU Academic Skills has a guide to this ( https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/study-skills/researching-and-finding-sources/evaluating-sources) as does the ANU Library (https://libguides.anu.edu.au/evaluating-sources).

You will need to supply footnotes and bibliography to provide evidence of your research. All your references must be set out according to the bibliography and notes style of the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Correct citation formatting is critical in this exercise. Ensure that you know how to use this style and do not confuse it with Chicago’s author-date style. Note that footnotes and bibliography are formatted differently.

See the Chicago Style citation quick guide: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html and ANU Academic Skills guide to the Chicago Manual of Style: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/academic-integrity/referencing/chicago-manual-of-style. If you want to find very specific details about how to use Chicago Style, consult the Chicago Manual itself: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/frontmatter/toc.html

You should include images of objects that you write about in your analysis. These may either be placed throughout the text or in a list at the end. Every figure should be numbered (eg. figure 1, figure 2 etc.) and every figure should include a caption. Captions should be formatted as close to the following as possible:

Figure x. Name(s) of Creator(s), Title of Object, place, year. Materials (if relevant), manufacture method (if relevant), dimensions in metric measurements (if relevant). Collection (if relevant), inventory number.

eg

Figure 1. Jeroen Verhoeven, Cinderella Table, Netherlands, 2005-2006. Birch plywood, CNC cut, 80.6 x 131.5 x 100 cm. V&A Museum, W.1-2006.

Figure 2. Jørn Utzon (architect), Arup Group (firm), Sydney Opera House, Sydney, 1957 (designed), 1973 (completed).

Your analysis should be double-spaced, in 12 point text, submitted to Turnitin as a Word file (a .doc or .docx file).

Rubric

Criteria	Fail	Pass	Credit	Distinction	High Distinction
Is the chosen object relevant to the scope of the course?	No relation.	Tangentially relevant.	Clearly relevant.	Highly relevant.	Extremely relevant.

Assessment Task 3

Research Project

Word limit: 2,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography)

Value: 30%

Due Date: 25 September 2023

Rubric: See Wattle

You have a choice to either design an architectural tour or a small exhibition.

Architectural Tour

Design a plausible architectural tour located anywhere in the world with buildings or houses relevant to the historical scope of the course. You will write up your tour as though it is a blurb or brochure for your intended customers, so it should be appealing and provide logistical information. However, it must also be well researched using credible sources and include footnotes, a bibliography, figures and captions, all formatted as described for the Object Analysis.

You should include 5-6 buildings or houses and there must be a well-researched theme which ties the tour together. For example, you might choose a specific architect or architectural firm, a school or movement, a design philosophy or a theoretical approach. You should begin with a well-researched discussion of the tour’s theme which demonstrates its historical and/or social significance. For each house or building you should include a visual analysis and a justification which explains how it relates to your theme. You should also briefly discuss the logistics of the tour: is it short enough to be a walking tour or will participants be transported between locations? How long will the tour be (ie in distance) and how long will it go for? You may wish to include a map.

Be as creative as you like with how you present your tour. It may be formatted as a document like an essay, or you may wish to design a brochure-like layout or even create a website or use an online mapping tool such as StoryMapJS (https://storymap.knightlab.com/). If you do create a website or some other online content, you must also upload all your text to Turnitin for text-match checking (as required by ANU policy on written assessment). Feedback will be provided in Turnitin.

Exhibition

Design a plausible small exhibition based on a theme relevant to the historical scope of this course. You will write up your exhibition design as a proposal for a gallery or museum board of directors, so it should be convincing with clear audience appeal. However, it must also be well researched using credible sources and include footnotes, a bibliography, figures and captions, all formatted as described for the Object Analysis.

Your exhibition must have a well-researched theme. For example, it might be about a specific designer, manufacturer, movement or school, a particular type of object, a design philosophy or theoretical approach. You will not be able to list every object that will be in your imagined exhibition, so you should write about 5-6 objects as exemplars of the types of pieces that the exhibition will include. Your proposal should begin with a well-researched discussion of the exhibition theme which demonstrates its historical and/or social significance. You should justify why people would want to see the exhibition. For each object you should include a brief visual analysis and a justification which explains how it relates to your theme. You should also briefly discuss the logistics of the exhibition. Where is it to be located? When will it run? Will the objects come from the collection of your chosen institution, loaned from other institutions or acquired directly from the manufacturer/designer etc.? You may wish to include a layout of your exhibition.

Be as creative as you like with how you present your exhibition proposal. It may be formatted as a document like an essay, or you may wish to design a brochure-like layout or even create a website or use some online exhibition design tool. If you do create a website or some other online content, you must also upload all your text to Turnitin for text-match checking (as required by ANU policy on written assessment). Feedback will be provided in Turnitin.

Assessment Task 4

Take-Home Visual Test

Word limit: 1,500 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography)

Value: 30%

Due Date: 30 October 2023

Details for the take-home test will be released one week prior to the due date.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

All assessment for this course must be submitted online through the course Wattle site.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Feedback and grades will be provided on Wattle according to the dates indicated for each assessment task. Feedback will not be provided for the take-home test.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Students may not resubmit assignments.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students