Postgraduate Course: dLab(4): Design for Inclusive Change (DESI11200)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Design for Inclusive Change promotes a human-centric approach to design, acknowledging the rich tapestry of human diversity and emphasising how designing with the minority can improve design for the majority. The course asks you to explore your preconceived notions, question normativity, and actively seek user input, feedback, and collaboration; placing empathy and meaningful engagement at the core of your design practice.
The course will provide you with hands-on experiences and opportunities to collaborate with individuals and communities as co-creators; leveraging their unique life experiences to address distinct needs and aspirations, with the goal of dismantling barriers and fostering a more inclusive and equitable world for all through design. |
| Course description |
Design for Inclusive Change comprises of one or more thematic project(s) that foster(s) co-creation with diverse individuals or communities, with an emphasis on the creation of solutions that enhance individuals' lives.
In Part 1 (weeks 1-4), you will engage with experimental workshops, interviews and observations; documenting how people from diverse backgrounds and abilities interact with and navigate the world. This process will encourage you to see the world from different perspectives and think beyond your own biases, gaining a deeper understanding of people's lived experiences and developing essential skills in empathic and inclusive approaches to research.
In Part 2 (weeks 5-6), you will write a personal design brief with the individuals or communities from Part 1. This presents you with an opportunity to directly focus on inclusivity, accessibility, and co-creation. Collaborations may vary from year to year, but could include those around topics such as mobility, neurodiversity, visual impairment, age, culture, language or an intersection of any of these, encouraging you to think outside of who you are.
In Part 3 (weeks 6-10), you will explore design possibilities, conduct rigorous testing in collaboration with selected co-creators and refine your projects. Techniques such as sketchbook, design iteration and prototyping will ensure that your work remains relevant to your personal project and specialism.
In Part 4 (weeks 11-12), you will gather invaluable feedback by presenting your design solutions to a user group. Their insights and feedback are crucial for refining and enhancing your designs, making them genuinely user-centred and inclusive.
By guiding you through this structured journey, Design for Inclusive Change empowers you to develop a comprehensive understanding of inclusive design principles and apply them effectively to real-world projects.
Weekly sessions will include historical context, debate, research skills, design crits, peer feedback and three small group tutorials. This is a portfolio-led course with lots of opportunity to design and make.
Teaching sessions will include a weekly lecture series (2 hours per week) that covers historical context, debate and research skills. This will be supported through group crits, peer feedback and tutorials (1-2 hours per week) and a series of workshops (11 hours spread across weeks 1-4 and weeks 6-8).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | The nature of studio courses is such that there is reasonable expectation of materials being consumed and deployed in the development of prototypes, models, and visualisations (including printing), however we promote material re-use, recycling and reinvention/repurposing wherever possible. For this course, a reasonable expectation is that you may spend an average of £50, but these costs fluctuate significantly depending upon individual projects and student choices of materials involved with project execution, spending less money will not prejudice the mark. At ECA we promote the reuse and recycling of materials. Students are actively encouraged to access the free-use hub where possible or appropriate to their projects. We also would like to note that success in the course is not linked to expenditure; novel or sustainable approaches to material use will be commended. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 34 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
| Course Start Date |
16/09/2024 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 2,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 11,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 8,
Summative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
149 )
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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 3 assessment components:
1. Short film («7mins), week 6-7, (20%).
2. Sketchbook(s) to include a personal design brief (A4) and a final reflective statement (500-600 words), December exam diet, (40%).
3. Final design output, December exam diet, (40%).
Component 1 will require you to submit a short film demonstrating your ability to examine and research complex principles and issues around inclusive design through critical analysis and evaluation. Component 1 is assessed against LO1.
Component 2 will require you to submit sketchbook(s) that demonstrate an empathetic and collaborative design process, recording and (more importantly evaluating) your working relationship with individual(s) to co-create solutions that genuinely address your unique needs and aspirations. You will also submit within the sketchbook(s) a personal design brief (A4 printed) and a final reflective statement (500-600 words). Component 2 is assessed against LO2 & LO4.
Component 3 will require you to communicate your final designs for inclusive change effectively, employing diverse communication methods to convey ideas and concepts which are relevant to your specialism. Final design outcomes will vary depending upon your specialist area and the modes/methods you decide to use. Component 3 is assessed against LO3. |
| Feedback |
Formative Feedback:
Ahead of the submission of the Summative components, a formative feedback event is held in week 5 and week 10. This will take the form of each student/group delivering a visual presentation to fellow students/research staff, summarising work to date. Verbal formative feedback from staff at this stage, regarding project scope, direction and future engagement, leads to a deeper understanding of the requirements of assessment. Further formative feedback is regularly provided through the course. This takes a variety of forms, including verbally through group and individual meetings where work and ideas are discussed with both peers and tutor.
Summative Feedback:
The summative feedback for component 1 will feed directly into components 2 & 3.
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. Summative feedback will briefly explain how the work was assessed against the LOs and constructively point to potential future developments that might be worth considering. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Research, critically analyse and evaluate complex principles and issues around inclusive design.
- Engage in empathetic and collaborative design processes, working closely with individuals from diverse backgrounds and abilities to co-create solutions that genuinely address their unique needs and aspirations.
- Communicate designs for inclusive change effectively, employing diverse communication methods to convey ideas and concepts.
- Review and reflect thoughtfully upon your efforts to research, develop, and enact projects for inclusive change, assessing the impact of your work on fostering a more inclusive world.
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Reading List
Costanza-Chock, Sasha (2020) Design Justice. Editorial: The MIT Press.
Helen Hamlyn Centre https://www.rca.ac.uk/research-innovation/research-centres/helen-hamlyn-centre/
Holmes, Kat. and Maeda, John. (2020) Mismatch how inclusion shapes design. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Myerson, Jeremy (2021) Designing a World for Everyone 30 Years of Inclusive Design: Lund Humphries
Pullin, Graham. (2011) Design meets disability. Cambridge, Mass. London: MIT Press. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students on the course possess and/or wish to develop a number of key attributes and skills, both on personal and a professional level.
- Outlook & Engagement: dLab(4) Students are curious towards and committed to engage with the specificity of local communities, while also connecting and situating these within a global context. This mindset leads them to positively impact and ethically contribute to the lived experience of the constituencies affected by their work, and to carefully consider the implications of designing for change.
- Personal Effectiveness: dLab(4) Students are sensitive to different circumstances allowing them to be effective agents for change at different scales and in a variety of capacities. Students can draw on the assorted set of leadership, stewardship, collaboration, and facilitation methods and concepts encountered on the course to positively influence courses of action.
- Communication: dLab(4) Students are capable of synthesising complex ideas through a broad range of communication means and platforms. They are sensitive to socio-cultural diversity and find ways to disseminate their work that are appropriate to reach a variety of audiences, communities, and constituencies. |
| Keywords | Design,Equality,Disability,Inclusivity,Empathy |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Emily Ford-Halliday
Tel: (0131 6)51 5813
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Abbie Humphreys
Tel: (01316) 502306
Email: |
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