TDN4101 Design research methods
Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
TDN4101 Design research methods is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, offered in 2021 in Semester 1 and Winter at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 2 units, leading on to 3 units in all.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2021
- Semester 1, Winter
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
This is the 2021 handbook entry. See the 2023 entry.
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Requisites
Before TDN4101
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After TDN4101
2 units list TDN4101 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Enrolment rules
Corequisite: Enrolled in a Design 4001 Studio unit (dependent on stream)
Prohibitions: TAD4523, TAD4521, TAD4522
Prerequisite: TAD3001 or equivalent from another institution
Overview
The unit examines methodological approaches to design research, from the scientifically oriented to the phenomenological, the discursive and the poetic. Attention is given to the way in which the terms of an investigation inevitably shape the material which is discovered. The range of topics may include techniques in information gathering and efficient management of bibliographic resources, postmodern theory, difference studies, post-structural writing and deconstruction. The unit ponders the relationship of studio research (i.e. designing innovative objects or spaces or interfaces) to conventional research.
Offerings in 2021
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | Block on |
| Winter semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Assessment Task 1 Literature Review30%
- Assessment Task 2 - Research Proposal70%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Demonstrate awareness of current discourses in a range of disciplines which bear on contemporary design;
- 2
Pursue critical arguments with a sense of their relativity;
- 3
Assess the bias of an investigative method, considering gender, class and ethnicity;
- 4
Understand methodology as a critique of method and be able to practice criticism in your chosen field;
- 5
Explain the basis of designs or art or craft objects not merely as the outcome of practical constraints but the expression of cultural values.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars24 hours
- Teaching approachIndustry-based learning
- Teaching approachResearch activities
12 hours per week including 2 contact hours plus 10 hours of independent study.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Mr Dion Tuckwell
- Unit Coordinators
- Mr Dion Tuckwell
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for TDN4101?
TDN4101 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after TDN4101?
TDN4101 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 2 units, including IDN4001 and TDN4102. Those lead on to 3 units in all.
When is TDN4101 offered?
In 2021, TDN4101 runs in Semester 1 and Winter at Caulfield.
Does TDN4101 have an exam?
No. TDN4101 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.