Course Title: Humanitarian Design Thinking
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Humanitarian Design Thinking
Credit Points: 12.00
Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
ARCH1453 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
320H Architecture & Urban Design |
Internet |
Sem 1 2017 |
ARCH1453 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
370H Design |
Internet |
Sem 1 2019 |
Flexible Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
ARCH1453 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
370H Design |
Internet |
PGRDFlex18 (All) |
Course Coordinator: Dr Areli Avendano
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 9890
Course Coordinator Email: areli.avendano@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: TBC
Course Coordinator Availability: TBC
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
There are no pre-requisites for this course.
Course Description
Designing systems and services inside disaster management and recovery situations involves a complex mix of products, infrastructures, logistics, human-capital and technologies. The efficacy of these systems and services is contingent on two scales of design activity: the macro-scale which deals with the needs of a whole population, and the micro-scale which deals with the daily experiences of individuals and groups.
This course introduces you to user-centred design methods from industrial and service design discourse where you will engage with problems and propose possible solutions in a range of disaster management and recovery situations. Drawing on literature and case studies from product service system design, service design and design for development you will deploy various methods of stakeholder engagement and participatory models of fieldwork and ethnographic design research. You will map, devise and visualise systems scenarios that deal with issues of service delivery including shelter, mobility, education, food, health care and sanitation, personal and economic security and enterprise development.
You will explore these methods remotely in the field or within existing scenarios and develop new strategies, tools and specific types of design thinking useful for your work within complex humanitarian causes. You will use a variety of contextually appropriate technology platforms and data gathering techniques to apply design thinking and strategy methods to your investigation.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
On successful completion of this course you will be able to:
-Map and critically assess the efficacy of various product and service elements inside a humanitarian design scenario and its particular contextual and temporal constraints.
-Apply specific design methods to humanitarian scenarios to inform service design activities or the procurement of design and other expertise within a disaster, development or recovery cause.
-Effectively gather information and relevant data through service design methods to enable informed decision making.
-Conceive of and visualise product service systems design solutions in mediums appropriate to the context of application.
-Develop a robust field-based workflow through the selection of a variety of communication technologies.
Overview of Learning Activities
This course will be using a range of technologies and interfaces to work independently and collaboratively.
Overview of Learning Resources
RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. Significant to this course is the appraisal of tools and communications media available to you to undertake the learning activities. A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning. The University Library has extensive resources for students. The Library has produced a subject guide that includes quality online and print resources for your studies.
Overview of Assessment
You will be assessed on how well you meet the course. Assessment may include presentations, projects and may be done individually and in teams. Collaboration between students is encouraged.
Assignment 1 – Individual- 30%
Visualisation of ID concepts and principles and written summary.
-Apply and map out specific design methods to inform industrial design interventions or the procurement of industrial design or other expertise within a disaster, development or recovery situation.
-Effectively gather information and relevant data through a user-centred approach to enable informed decision-making.
-Critically assess the efficacy of various product/service/system design interventions inside a humanitarian scenario and its particular contextual and temporal constraints.
Assignment 2 (two parts)- 70% (Individual 30% & Group- 40%)
Design research and strategy.
-Conceive an innovative and sustainable design solution appropriate to the context of application.
-Effectively gather information and relevant data through a user-centred approach to enable informed decision-making.
-Critically assess the efficacy of various product/service/system design interventions inside a humanitarian scenario and its particular contextual and temporal constraints.
-Develop a robust product/service/system design strategy by effectively using a divergent a convergent design process based on creative and innovative thinking.
Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.
If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.