Undergraduate Course: Product Design 1A: Fundamentals (DESI08083)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores 2D (sketching) and 3D (model making) visualisation and the communication tools that designers employ to translate their design concepts to themselves and to the larger networks of disciplines involved in the design process i.e. engineers, clients, manufacturers and the public. In order to do this effectively, different drawing, making and communication skills are required. The aim for this course is to provide the means to explore and discover methods that clearly portrays your individual voice within Product Design. |
| Course description |
Drawing and 3D visualization are essential components of the creative process in the field of product design. Designers utilize these tools to articulate ideas, explore various options, and translate abstract concepts into practical solutions. Whether through sketching on paper or constructing lifelike 3D models, these visual techniques enhance communication, facilitate problem-solving, and foster innovation. This course introduces students to fundamental knowledge and skills relevant to the practice of making, visualization and communication of contemporary product design.
Students will undertake a series of studies that introduce the fundamentals of product design such as perspective, volume, scale, observation, and visual/verbal communication. Students will work on a series of design exercises and projects, which will explore skills associated with product design. This will be communicated through a sketchbook, a series of models, weekly reflective blog posts, and regular verbal in-class presentations.
The course will be underpinned by the translation and exploration of two-dimensional sketches into three-dimensional form.
Practical exercises and workshops are supplemented by a series of lectures on practical and theoretical issues associated with the design process. Seminars and tutorials will be held weekly, with complementary online activities.
This course will introduce students to the fundamental principles of 2D visualisation methods in product design. It will introduce students to the fundamental practices of 3D material production methods in product design. It will also introduce students to the fundamental principles of communication and critical reflection in product design.
Students will respond through a series of briefs that will expose the students to 2D and 3D visualisation tools, communication of ideas, and reflection on their learning. Further information on the portfolio (content, format and dates) is available via Learn /Course handbook).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | If this course is Core to your programme, you will automatically be enrolled. For all other students, including Design students, the course is open on a first come, first served basis until the course is full. This course may have limited availability for non-Design students. Please contact the Course Organiser if you wish to enrol. |
| Additional Costs | Material costs will include blue foam modelling material, MDF, plaster and Thermo plastic for Vac forming. The combined cost will be £25 Est |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
| Course Start Date |
16/09/2024 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 5,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 20,
Online Activities 11,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Formative Assessment Hours 0.5,
Summative Assessment Hours 0.5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
150 )
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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 2 assessment components:
1. A digital project portfolio and course blog, weeks 6-7, (45%).
2. A digital project portfolio and course blog, December exam diet (55%).
Component 1 will require the student to create a portfolio of work (minimum 15 A3 pages) assessed against LO1 and LO2 and a weekly course blog (5 blog posts 100-200 words, from weeks 1-5) that critically reflect upon progress on the course to date will be assessed against LO3 and LO4.
Component 2 will require the student to create a portfolio of work (minimum 15 A3 pages) assessed against LO1 and LO2 and a reflective weekly course blog (6 blog posts 100-200 words, from weeks 6-11) that critically reflect upon progress on the course, to include a 500-word written summary reflecting on your personal approach and development to date will be assessed against LO3 and LO4.
A Portfolio comprising of;
- a sketchbook(s) which shows exploration of sketching and drawing.
- a portfolio of physical objects which show exploration of making.
- a student course blog reflecting learning activities.
Further information on the portfolio (content, format and dates) is available via Learn /Course handbook). |
| Feedback |
Formative Feedback:
Feedback is regularly communicated verbally through group meetings, where work and ideas are discussed with both peers and tutor. Following the mid-semester presentation, students will receive verbal feedback that will help them prepare for assessment component 1.
Summative feedback:
The summative feedback for component 1 will feed directly into component 2.
Students will be provided with individual written feedback and grades on their summative submissions, which will be provided via Learn VLE as per University regulations. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to explore a range of 2D & 3D visualization methods associated with product design.
- Apply and communicate key processes and techniques associated with the translation of 2D sketching into 3D material form.
- Critically reflect on a developing personal approach to drawing, research, and material exploration associated to Product Design.
- Critically analyse work to compose a constructed personal narrative with fundamental knowledge and skills for Product Design.
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Reading List
Bramston, David (2010) Visual Conversations (Basics Product Design series), AVA Publishing
Baudrillard, Jean (2005) The System of Objects. London: Verso.
Hannah, Gail (2002) Elements of Design: Rowena Reed Kostellow and the structure of Visual Relationships, Princeton Architectural Press
Norman, Donald A. (2013) The Design of Everyday Things, revised and expanded. MIT Press
Parsons, Tim (2009) Thinking: Objects - Contemporary Approaches to Product Design, AVA Publishing
Steur, Roselien & Eissen, Koos (2019) Sketching: Drawing Techniques for Product Designers, BIS Publishers |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course will help students develop the following mindsets and skills:
Research and enquiry; Students will cultivate the skill to recognize and innovatively address challenges, as well as to devise or refine processes for solving them within the context of product design. By demonstrating informed reverence for the principles, methodologies, norms, values, and limitations of their field(s), and by critically examining these through the lens of product design, they will acquire the ability to actively seek fresh learning opportunities.
Personal and intellectual autonomy; Students will develop the skill to assess ideas, evidence, and experiences critically, approaching them with an open-minded and rational outlook. They will embrace novel concepts, alternative methods, and diverse perspectives within the context of their discipline and the realm of Design, particularly in the context of product design.
Communication; Students will develop the ability to use communication as a tool for collaborating and relating to others. Be able to use effective communication to articulate their skills as identified through self-reflection |
| Keywords | Sketching,Drawing,Product Design,Making,Communication,Model making |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kee Ryong Choi
Tel: (0131 6)51 5816
Email: kchoi@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Barbara Bianchi
Tel: (0131 6)51 5736
Email: barbara.bianchi@ed.ac.uk |
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