Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Independent Design Project
Credit Points: 12.00
Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
ARCH3357 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
370H Design |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 1 2025 |
Course Coordinator: Soumitri Varadarajan
Course Coordinator Phone: Please contact via email
Course Coordinator Email: soumitri.varadarajan@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: School of Design, RMIT University, City Campus
Course Coordinator Availability: Please contact via email
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
Recommended Prior Study
This course functions as a self-directed option as mode of completing your chosen minor. You should have satisfactorily completed three of the defined courses in your chosen minor before undertaking this course. Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course.
For further information, please contact the Course Coordinator.
Course Description
Independent Design Project provides a self-initiated career development opportunity as a final WIL course option in your area of minor where you are invited to demonstrate your passions and plans through the development of a significant outcome. You will propose, develop, and complete a design project that builds upon the learning you have undertaken in your area of minor as a means of transforming that learning into a career defining activity.
This course will not be taught, in that there are no formal classes, and you will define both the method and outcomes of your project through a series of milestones and events. The project you determine can be undertaken as an individual or as a team with clear roles and responsibilities articulated at the start. You, along with others doing this form of project, will present project outcomes at a public event to be assessed by a panel of peers.
This course is a component of a major and minor offered by the BH104P25 Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) program.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
Program Learning Outcomes
This course contributes to the following BH104P25 Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) program learning outcomes:
PLO2: Collaborate with communities, specialists, and key stakeholders to respond to design challenges in complex, diverse and multi-disciplinary settings.
PLO6: Initiate, plan, manage, and realise research-led design projects in an independent, relational, reflective, and ethical manner.
PLO7: Reflect on and adapt your design decisions to address issues as they emerge, with awareness of your relationship to the diverse needs, values, and mindsets of others.
If you are taking this course as an option course or as part of a minor, this course will complement the learning outcomes you are developing in your program.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Confidently propose and conduct an independent, professional, and valuable design activity.
- Plan and manage your project in an ethical and responsible manner.
- Document and share your project with your peers.
- Participate in peer critique with respect for the differing needs and of others.
Overview of Learning Activities
In this course, you will undertake learning activities/assessment to:
- Engage and connect you with industry relevant to your current studies
- Support your career development.
You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities such as peer review, self-directed learning, and presentations, and consultations with subject matter experts to support your independent design project.
Delivery may be face-to-face, online or a mix of both.
Overview of Learning Resources
RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.
To effectively participate in coursework, either on, or away from campus, you are advised to obtain (as a minimum) the following:
- Drawing supplies including visual diaries, pens, pencils, markers and ancillary products and consumables.
- Personal Protective Equipment including protective eyewear, ear plugs, a dust jacket, and closed toe safety shoes.
- Prototyping supplies including a 150mm steel ruler, a high-quality craft knife and ancillary products, materials, and consumables.
- Design and documentation equipment including a personal computer of an appropriate specification, course specific software, a digital camera or mobile phone.
When on campus you will have access to and will utilise the School of Design workshop facilities, specialist computer labs and software, and 2D and 3D printing facilities.
Course specific resources such as readings, reference lists, access to specialist software, video demonstrations and class notes will be provided online.
There are services and resources available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the RMIT student website.
A Library Subject Guide for the discipline this course is aligned to can be found here: https://rmit.libguides.com/design-industrial
Overview of Assessment
You will be assessed on how well you meet the course learning outcomes and your development against the program learning outcomes.
Major/Minor course
Please note that this course is not numerically graded. That means you will receive either a Pass Grade (PX) or a Fail Grade (NN) on completion.
The assessment task percentage weightings give you an indication of the volume and significance of the work required relative to the whole course experience.
For assessment tasks due for submission during the relevant semester teaching period, if you receive a Fail Grade on work submitted you will have one week to address the specific feedback and resubmit for reassessment. For assessment tasks due after the conclusion of classes this option is not available.
To successfully complete this course, you need to have passed all assessment tasks.
Courses with a PX grade structure are automatically excised from the calculation of your Grade Point Average (GPA) and are not included in the calculation of Weighted Academic Mark (WAM) for embedded Bachelor Honours programs.
This approach to grading and assessment is aimed at ensuring each course is inclusive of student diversity and prior learning and capabilities can be developed as is appropriate to your discipline and interests.
Assessment Tasks
Task 1: Project Proposal
Weighting 10%
This assessment task supports CLO 1, CLO 2
Task 2: Progress Report
Weighting 30%
This assessment task supports CLO 1, CLO 2
Task 3: Final Project Presentation
Weighting 30%
This assessment task supports CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 4
Task 4: Project Documentation
Weighting 30%
This assessment task supports CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3
Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.
If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.
Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.