Design Expressions 4, 1.5 credits

Contents

The goal of the course is to continuously explore and deepen individual skills in expressing and shaping design.

The course Design Expressions 4 aims to promote continuity, care, and a deepened understanding of design processes, as well as to develop skills in creating design expressions. The focus is on conveying specific emotions, expressions, concepts, or messages through design. The course introduces methods, techniques, and processes that stimulate the student's creative abilities and knowledge development.

Students also develop individual goals through analysis and reflection on design expressions in relation to a broader design context.

The Design Expressions 4 course runs throughout the whole semester, parallel to other courses, and includes scheduled work time equivalent to approximately one day every other week. The course is a separate entity and is based on, but not directly linked to, the content of the parallel courses or projects. Design Expressions 4 is given in relation to the course: Designing Together.

The learning objectives stated in the syllabus form the basic framework for the course and are general for all students. In addition to these, each student formulates individual goals in dialogue with the teacher, in relation to their personal development plan.

Expected learning outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:

(ELO 1) Explore various expressions and areas of design to identify areas for deepening skills and knowledge for continuous development.

Competence and Skills:

(ELO 2) Apply methods, techniques, and materials for the area of specialization and compile and communicate the developed material.

(ELO 3) Demonstrate continuous development of skills through active work towards individually set goals.

Judgment and Approach:

(ELO 4) Develop and demonstrate the ability to independently evaluate one's learning to identify and define areas for development in design in a development plan.

(ELO 5) Analyze and discuss various aesthetic expressions to understand their role and impact on the individual and society.

Required Knowledge

In addition to general eligibility, admission to the course requires that the student has passed courses amounting to at least 75 credits within the Bachelor’s Programme in Industrial Design (DGIND) at Umeå Institute of Design, or the equivalent. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6.

Form of instruction

In the course, students investigate and experiment with form-giving processes to develop their ability to express design. The teaching takes place through mandatory practical exercises, seminars, and presentations. The student is also expected to conduct independent studies in the form of design and reflection.

Examination modes

The course Design Expressions emphasizes exploration, continuity, and in-depth studies rather than the final result. The course is assessed continuously and includes assignments in the form of written and visual material as well as oral presentations.

In order to pass the course, all assessed assignments must be approved. The final grade for the course is based on an overall assessment and is given as either Fail (U) or Pass (G).

Adapted assesment

For students who have received a decision on recommended support due to a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the form of assessment stated in the course syllabus. Any individual adaptation of the form of assessment shall be considered based on the student’s needs and the course’s expected learning outcomes. For more information, see the Procedure for Support for Students with Disabilities and the Rules for Grades and Examination.

Transfer of credits

A student can receive credit for all or parts of this course if they can present a certificate showing that they have completed and passed an equivalent course. Furthermore, approval by the course responsible teacher is required, based on an assessment of the student’s knowledge level and experience in the subject area concerned. For further information, refer to the Procedure for Credit Transfer on Umeå University's website, www.student.umu.se.

Other regulations

The course Design Expressions runs in parallel with other courses throughout the whole semester.