Unit information: Transdisciplinary Group Project 2: Solving Someone's Problem in 2018/19

Unit name	Transdisciplinary Group Project 2: Solving Someone's Problem
Unit code	INOV20002
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Mr. Tom Metcalfe
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Transdisciplinary Group Project 1: Being Human Design and Systems Thinking for Innovation
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Centre for Innovation
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

Working with our wide social and commercial network and partners, we will present student teams with a series of real-life challenges to tackle. The network and partners will also provide mentors and coaches to work and help alongside the academics for each of the student teams. Students who work on these challenges will work in an agile manner in groups to research, prototype, and demonstrate proof of concept, innovative solutions to address their client’s needs. Agile development processes foster better collaboration, innovation, and results, traditionally used solely for software project this methodology, it is now recognised as successful methodology to transform entire innovation business management and processes.

The aims of this unit are:

• To introduce key theories relating to undertaking an agile process to help solve the client’s problems within a rapidly evolving and adapting situations in business applications, methods, products and processes;
• To advance students knowledge and understanding of key theories and methods that will support students to understand how to build participatory relations with those they are designing with and for;
• To advance students critical reflection of their own innovative co-design and transdisciplinary group practices;
• To develop their communication, presentation and collaboration skills with a real-world client.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing the unit will be able to:

1. Communicate effectively with a real world client.
2. Investigate, interpret and think creatively about a client led problem.
3. Reiterate and critique different designs solutions in an agile manner.
4. Demonstrate different design solutions with the client.
5. Implement, given the resource profiles available to the team and client, a chosen solution through to proof of concept.
6. Reflect critically on their group work and on the process of designing for a real world client.

Teaching Information

Lectures and studio based learning. The two client led projects are intended to promote self-directed and collaborative learning, under guidance of an academic supervisor(s) (plus any relevant external third-parties). Students will be advised to set up their own spaces online for group collaboration.

Assessment Information

100% coursework

Students will undertake two client led briefs in teams. The first client led project brief will take place over approximately 8 weeks to allow for peer and academic feedback before commencing their second client led project brief which will take place over approximately 12 weeks.

• 60 % - Group presentation and report documenting the innovation process for each client project brief including a proof of concept for the design solution. (Split into 25% for the first client brief project and 35% for the second client brief project.) ILO 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

• 40% - A single overall individual reflective 3000 word critique on the process of innovation with the clients ILO 2, 3, 5 & 6

Reading and References

• Agile Experience Design: A Digital Designer's Guide to Agile, Lean, and Continuous, Lindsay Ratcliffe , 978-0321804815, 2011
• The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences, Matt Watkinson, 978-0273775089, 2012