Course Outline

DES104 Art, Design and Digital Culture

Course Coordinator:Suzanne Breeze (Sbreeze@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2026Trimester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Contemporary design is grounded in a diverse history of art, design and digital culture. This course provides a foundational knowledge for  interdisciplinary design and demonstrates the ways in which design today is changing and impacting other sectors from health to environmental science. This course will provide you with the skills to critically evaluate and utilise problem-solving strategies, creativity, and theoretical frameworks to address a diverse range of design challenges in wider social, political, cultural and ecological contexts. 

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 2hrs Week 1 10 times
Fieldwork – Scheduled field trip 2hrs Week 5 2 times
Online
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled online workshops (Recorded). 2hrs Week 1 10 times
Fieldwork – Scheduled virtual field trip (Recorded). 2hrs Week 5 2 times

Course Topics

Contemporary art and design 
Visual culture 
Designing for social and cultural change 
Digital culture 
Design ethics 
Creative AI 
Augmented reality and extended reality  
Sound design  
Design pathways and industry engagement  
Emerging technologies 
Inclusive design 
Virtual and immersive environments 
Curation and collaboration 

What level is this course?

100 Level (Introductory)

Engaging with discipline knowledge and skills at foundational level, broad application of knowledge and skills in familiar contexts and with support. Limited or no prerequisites. Normally, associated with the first full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Critically evaluate and utilise problem-solving strategies, creativity, and theoretical frameworks to address a diverse range of design challenges Knowledgeable
2 Apply understandings of relevant social and political contexts to the analysis of works of art and design. Empowered
3 Identify and reflect upon important works of art and design and communicate their significance. Knowledgeable
4 Recognise and reflect on local, regional, and global perspectives to work independently and collaboratively on creative practice and research projects with industry partners Creative and critical thinker
5 Develop culturally sensitive design skills that respond to place, embrace sustainability, and acknowledge Indigenous protocols and perspectives Creative and critical thinker
6 Interpret and reflect on design ethics and inclusive design practices to produce socially engaged, agile, relevant and impactful design outcomes Empowered
Ethical

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Not applicable

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

It is assumed you will have basic visual analysis skills.

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

In most weeks there will be individual activities and/or small group collaborative tasks. These will support the development of ideas and understanding for Tasks 1 and 2. These activities and class discussion will provide formative feedback on approaches for Tasks 1 and 2. 

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Essay Individual 30%
1200 words (equivalent)
Week 5 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Artefact - Creative, and Oral Group 30%
5-minute oral presentation with supporting creative artefacts
Week 11 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Portfolio Individual 40%
5 designs, 800 word reflection and documentation.
Week 12 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check and in class
All - Assessment Task 1:Digital Story
Goal:
Demonstrate core academic skills through a multimodal digital story exploring concepts in contemporary art, design and digital culture.
Product: Essay
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will create an engaging web-based digital story that critically explores a topic related to contemporary art, design and digital culture. This task invites you to communicate your ideas through a combination of text, images, sound, video and interactive media, presented in an online digital format. 

Your digital story should demonstrate your core academic and creative skills, including critical thinking, research, correct referencing and synthesis of scholarly ideas, while also showing an understanding of how media, narrative and design shape contemporary digital culture. You will select a topic from the options provided on Canvas, undertake research, develop a clear line of inquiry, and creatively express your analysis in a multimodal format that brings together creative design, storytelling and critical reflection.

Your final submission should include the equivalent of 1200 words across text and creative media, supported by credible academic sources and presented in a coherent, accessible and engaging format.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Ability to observe, interpret and critically analyse works of art, design and digital culture
1 5
2
Critical reflection on concepts and theoretical ideas in contemporary art, design and digital culture
1 2 3 6
3
Communication and written expression
1 3 5
Generic Skills:
Communication, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Creative Pitch
Goal:
Develop and present an original creative concept in a short oral presentation supported by digital artefacts.
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Oral
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will develop an original creative concept and deliver a 5-minute group oral presentation, supported by digital artefacts. This assessment introduces the format of a professional creative pitch, preparing you for industry-facing communication and authentic design practice.

Your project will respond to a theme introduced in class, and the medium, format and creative direction of your concept will be developed in consultation with your tutor and group during weekly workshops. You may draw on the industry partner briefs and opportunities available in Canvas, or propose your own idea that aligns with your emerging design interests.

The pitch format strengthens your ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently to a live audience, a core skill in contemporary art, design and digital culture. All students are required to contribute to the research, development and live presentation.

Your supporting media may include images, prototypes, short video, audio, or other creative artefacts that help communicate your concept. Your presentation should demonstrate your creative process, your understanding of contemporary design contexts, and your ability to articulate ideas with clarity and professionalism to diverse audiences.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Demonstrate how art, design and digital culture create meaning
1 2
2
Develop an original creative concept collaboratively with a small group
1 2 3 4 5 6
3
Apply research, analysis and creative exploration to produce and present a resolved concept
1 5 6
4
Communicate ideas professionally through an engaging live presentation with supporting creative artefacts
1 3 5 6
Generic Skills:
Organisation
All - Assessment Task 3:Art and Design Portfolio
Goal:
Portfolio of 5 workshop activities submitted as a digital portfolio
Product: Portfolio
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will produce a portfolio of original designs resulting from workshop activities. All requirements for each project are available on Canvas. Final portfolio must be submitted as a cohesive digital portfolio with an 800 word reflection on the tasks, alongside evidence and documentation of creative process (including sketches, software used and/or creative development)
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Knowledge and identification of important works of art and design and reflection their significance
1 3
2
Development of culturally sensitive design skills that respond to place, embrace sustainability, and acknowledge Indigenous protocols and perspectives
2 3 4 5
3
Application of creative and technical skills in the completion of art and design activities
1 3 5 6
4
Production of socially engaged, relevant and agile design outcomes in response to workshop activities
6
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Nil

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: