Postgraduate Course: Global Design Culture (DESI11196)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will investigate the global environment within which Digital Design operates, focusing on the implications this has for art, design, crafts and culture at a global, regional and local level. Topics will be updated in line with current developments in digital design. Students will gain a foundation in research techniques, academic writing and presentation skills for creative practice at postgraduate level. Students will be supported to develop research techniques, critical analysis and evaluation, writing skills, and audiovisual editorial and production skills. Assessed work will be centred on a case study within the remit of topics covered on the course. |
| Course description |
This course investigates and discusses the relationship between media and culture, particularly with reference to the rapidly changing environment afforded by the global uptake of digital media. The course offers an opportunity for students to develop research techniques, and to explore how the rapidly changing environment of Digital Design has an impact on both global and local cultures. With the development of the World Wide Web and the internationalisation of many markets, digital assets, branding, and communications have become a frontline in the commodification of distinct cultures to ether exploit for commercial gain, or overwhelm with cultural imperialism for commercial or political reasons.
The course will be based around a lecture series that examines the impact of digital technology and design ideals at both a global and local level. As well as introducing students to basic creative practice research techniques, the course will examine topics such as cultural commodification, IPR acquisition, issues of copyright, the dominance of global players within local cultures, and the ability of local culture to resist and develop against these pressures to exploit digital opportunities.
Guest speakers from across the world will be invited to speak about different aspects of digital design and how it affects the global and local. These lectures will tie in to the subjects available for the students to explore further for the course assessment tasks. Workshops will be run on research techniques and academic writing skills.
This course is delivered in person on campus and made available online as both live video streams and as recordings. Students will attend a weekly lecture for 2 hours per week, a weekly seminar for 1 hour per week and two 2 hour workshops. Additional resources will be available online.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This Course does not require any additional costs to be met by the Student.
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| Additional Costs | This Course does not require any additional costs to be met by the Student.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 15,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
143 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This course has 3 assessment components.
1) Assessment 1, 300-500 written component, 20%, weeks 4-6, relating to Learning Outcomes 1 and 2. Preparation for a research case study and a video presentation.
2) Assessment 2, video recording, 40%, weeks 8-10, relating to Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3. A video recording of 10 minutes duration, communicating the research and findings undertaken by the student.
3) Assessment 3, 3000 word case study 40%, weeks 11-13, relating to Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3.
Resit Information
The resit arrangements for this course are as follows.
- The resit task for assessment component 1 is 300-500 written component, preparation for a research case study and a video presentation.
- The resit task for assessment component 2 is a video recording of 10 minutes duration, communicating the research and findings undertaken by the student.
- The resit task for assessment component 3 is a 3000 word case study.
Students will receive further resit information as per University regulations where necessary.
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| Feedback |
Formative Feedback
Ongoing verbal formative feedback will be provided through the weekly seminars by the course organiser and the course tutors. The weekly seminars delivered on campus and online will inform the work presented for each summative assessment. These seminars offer an avenue to guide the students along their learning journey, provide advice on the work that should be submitted for submission 1, and show how this work on submission 1 should feed forward into submissions 2 and 3.
In addition, formative written and oral feedback will be provided by the course tutor and course organiser on a preparation draft for submission 1.
Summative Feedback
Summative written feedback for all three submissions will be provided by the course organiser and the course tutors.
The feedback for submission 1 will directly inform the work presented for submissions 2 and 3.
Summative feedback will be provided according to University regulations. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Select research methods that are appropriate to the materials, techniques and theories they have engaged with in their practice.
- Review, develop, analyse and structure their practice in ways that are informed by original, creative and pertinent research.
- Display imagination, resourcefulness and initiative in the written, spoken and visual communication of their current research ideas.
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Reading List
Indicative Bibliography
Black, Anthea & Burisch, Nicole (Eds). 2021. The new politics of the handmade : craft, art and design. London : Bloomsbury Visual Arts.
Blaxter, Loraine et al., 2001. How to Research. Buckingham: OUP.
Bryman, Alan. 2015. Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lucas, Raymond. 2016. Research Methods for Architecture. London. Laurence King.
Markham, Annette N. 2011. Internet research. (In David Silverman (ed.), Qualitative Research: 111-127. London: Sage.) See earlier version online.
Muratovzki, Gjoko. 2022. Research for Designers: A Guide to Methods and Practice. 2nd Edition. London: SAGE.
Steenkamp, Jan-Benedict E.M. 2020. ¿Global Brand Building and Management in the Digital Age¿. In Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 28, No. 1. pp. 13-27.
Other reading material will be recommended based on the subject matter covered in the lectures and discussions. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will develop a set of attributes, personal and professional skills through their engagement with this course.
Outlook and Engagement:
- By drawing on the quality, depth and breadth of their research skills, students will develop a strong base to engage with the communities and world around them, particularly with regard to digital media and design.
- The course will develop an informed international perspective, allowing students to contribute positively, ethically and respectfully within their discipline.
Research and Enquiry:
- The effective skills in research and enquiry students will develop from the course will allow them to identify and creatively tackle problems and identify suitable design solutions.
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy:
- Working from an open-minded and reasoned perspective, students will be able to exercise their personal and intellectual autonomy to critically evaluate ideas, evidence and experiences.
Communication:
- Communicating their research by means of visual and written media will enhance students¿ ability to engage effectively with others.
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| Keywords | Digital Design,Creative Practice Research,Cultural Imperialism,Global Culture,Local Culture |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Andrew Connor
Tel: (0131 6)50 2808
Email: Andrew.Connor@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Barbara Bianchi
Tel: (0131 6)51 5736
Email: barbara.bianchi@ed.ac.uk |
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