Course Title: Design Communication for New Environments

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Design Communication for New Environments

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
GRAP2084	City Campus	Postgraduate	335H Applied Communication	Face-to-Face or Internet	Sem 2 2007
GRAP2084	City Campus	Postgraduate	335H Applied Communication	Internet	Sem 2 2009
GRAP2084	City Campus	Postgraduate	345H Media and Communication	Internet	Sem 1 2011, Sem 1 2012

Course Coordinator: Russell Bevers

Course Coordinator Phone: +(61 3) 9925 3029

Course Coordinator Email:russell.bevers@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: city campus.

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

Designing for digitally enhanced products and services introduces unique issues and opportunities into the traditional Communication Design process. This course examines the practice of designing for interactive networked media with particular emphasis on the role of the Communication Designer.
 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Students will cover the following topics:
.     Overview of digital communication platforms, and the strengths and weaknesses of each
·    The importance of context in a design
·    How traditional elements of Communication Design are applied in new environments
·    Users: why you should listen to them, and methods for doing it
·    Evaluating designs, and responding to feedback
·    Working with other professions
·    Methods for communicating design to clients and team members
·    Current trends and their impact on the Communication Designer

 On completion of this course students will:
·    Will have an in depth understanding of the communication design needs of New Environments
·    Be able to undertake research into the context and users of an intended design
·    Understand the roles and communication requirements when working with team-members from different professions
·    Understand the difference in communication needs between different digital communication platforms
·    Be able to evaluate and critically analyse the effectiveness of a design for a particular new environment

Overview of Learning Activities

This course will be delivered using the My RMIT. Content delivery will consist of a mix of lecture notes online together with tutorial support though threaded discussion.

Students will be required to take responsibility for their participation and for their communication with their lecturer. Seminar sessions led by the lecturer dealing with aspects of the online content will take place through the threaded discussion on Discussion Board. These will occur throughout the eleven weeks of the course.
The lecturer will post discussion topics on the Discussion Board. week by week.

Overview of Learning Resources

The lecturer will provide a range of resourses on the course Blackboard accessed via MyRMIT .
These will include websites as well as printed texts.
This information will be detailed on the Discussion Board. at the start of Module One and the lecturer may provide web based readings prior to start up.

Overview of Assessment

Details of Assessment tasks will be provided on Blackboard accessed via MyRMIT. The lecturer will also provide details on Discussion Board.Weboard at the start of Module One.
Assessments will be all or some of the following:
1. based on a threaded discussion over a number of weeks
2. an individual research topic
3. a group project

   Assessment time line
The assessment schedule will be spread throughout the course, with the focus of each item expanding as the student’s knowledge increases. For each assignment students will be able to develop their work in relation to their own specific areas of interest and work.

Assessment time lines will be provided in Module One/week one.

  Assessment submission dates
Exact due dates for assignments will be presented to students on the course Discussion Board. in week 1 of the class. Where students express difficulties with certain time lines for external reasons this will be negotiated for a more effective solution.