Project 2: Strategic Design, 15 Credits

Contents

The course includes advanced studies in the field of strategic design and brand identity.

1. Strategic design, seminar, 3 credits.
   The course part includes analysis of a selected number of companies and the levels of their corporate identities or brands and what they stand for. The course ends with a presentation of design strategies for the selected company.
2. Strategic design, project 12 credits
   This part includes individual work to identify and describe the possibilities for design and development of new products that respect their selected corporate characteristics.

Expected learning outcomes

After completing the course students will be able to:

• analyse existing brands and products based on core values and corporate identity and relate this to an analysis of a company's overall design strategy .
• apply relevant combined solutions in order to identify new design opportunities within an existing company product range, to relate this to the company's design strategy, core values and brand and introduce a new design concept based on this.
• present the end result of a strategic design project in two and three-dimensional form.
• do an oral and written explanation of how strategic design can be identified, described and managed in a project.

Required Knowledge

A Bachelor's degree or equivalent first-cycle qualification comprising of at least 180 ECTS or a corresponding qualification from an internationally recognized university. Specific entry requirements are: 60 ECTS credits in the field of Design. Student must have passed all previous master courses on the Transportation Design Programme at Umeå Institute of Design or the equivalent. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6.

Form of instruction

The course is conducted through independent acquisition of knowledge, lectures, group and individual project work. Details given in the specific project description presented at the beginning of the course. All parts of the course are compulsory.

Examination modes

Examination of the course is based on the list of products set out in the project description presented at the beginning of the course. This usually includes digital and three-dimensional presentations of project solutions and an oral presentation and a written report based on the students design instruction. This contains relevant process of work with research, sketches, final results, and a conclusion. To pass the course, students must complete all exercises and mandatory tasks with appropriate results. The grades Fail (U) or Pass (G) provides a summary of the results of the various parts of the course and are given only when the final presentation has been approved.
For students who have not obtained the grade Pass, other examination sessions will be arranged. A student who for two consecutive examinations for the same course or sub-course has not been passed, has the right to have another examiner appointed, if there are no special reasons against this (Higher Education Ordinance chapter 6, 22 §). The request for a new examiner shall be made in writing to the Head of Department at Umeå Institute of Design.

ACADEMIC CREDIT TRANSFER
Students have the right to request that previous studies, or equivalent knowledge and skills acquired in a professional, work-related capacity, be validated and transferred into credits on an equivalent course or programme at Umeå University.  Applications for credit transfer should be addressed to Student Services/Degree Evaluation Office. More information can be found at the Umeå University student web site (www.student.umu.se/english) and in Chapter 6 of the Higher Education Ordinance.  Appeals may be made to the Higher Education Appeals Board (ÖNH) against a decision by the university not to approve an application for credit transfer (Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 12), even in cases where only a part of the application has been rejected.