Course Outline

DES201 Inclusive Digital Design for Business

Course Coordinator:Toby Gifford (tgifford@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2026Session 3

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

In this course, you will acquire skills for enhancing the inclusivity of digital business environments. You will learn about various dimensions of inclusivity in digital business environments and their importance for business success. By the end of this course, you will be able to apply principles of inclusive design to resolve inclusivity issues in business documents, interfaces, and communications. This course will enable you to create accessible digital experiences that not only improve business outcomes but also contribute to a more inclusive society.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Online
Learning materials – Online interactive learning material 4hrs Week 1 6 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Interactive online workshops (Recorded) 4hrs Week 1 6 times
Information session – Assessment task focused information sessions (online/recorded). 2hrs Week 3 2 times

Course Topics

  • Understanding inclusive design and accessibility
  • Business case for inclusive design
  • Digital culture and inclusivity
  • Legislative requirements for business inclusivity
  • Inclusive design principles
  • Analysing inclusivity
  • Exploring different dimensions of accessibility, with the focus on sensory, mobility, demographic, sociocultural and neurological dimensions of accessibility
  • Analysing accessibility of business documents
  • Creating accessible business documents
  • Analysing accessibility of business communications
  • Creating accessible business communications
  • Analysing accessibility of web interfaces
  • Creating accessible web interfaces

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

24 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 Describe the importance of digital inclusivity for business outcomes Knowledgeable
2 Analyse the accessibility of digital business environments Creative and critical thinker
3 Apply accessibility standards and principles to inclusive digital design Ethical
4 Evaluate the application of inclusive design principles in business settings Empowered
5 Create innovative digital assets based on the principles of inclusive design Engaged

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)

Not applicable

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

Early feedback is provided through formative online activities in each module.

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 Report Individual 50%
2,500 words
Week 4 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Artefact - Creative, and Oral Individual 50%
Four or more digital assets and documentation (2,500 words in total). 10 - 15 minute interview.
Week 8 Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:Business Proposal for Inclusion
Goal:
To demonstrate your ability in identifying inclusivity issues and analysing the accessibility of digital business environments.
Product: Report
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will analyse a business's digital environment for inclusion; identify dimensions of inclusion/exclusion; Identify accessibility standards, principles and applicable legislative frameworks; provide a rationale for inclusive design in business.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Justification of business case for inclusion
1
2
Application of legislative frameworks
3
3
Analysis of inclusivity issues
2
Generic Skills:
Communication, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Inclusive design portfolio and interview
Goal:
To demonstrate your skills in inclusive design and the creation of inclusive and accessible digital assets.
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Oral
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will apply accessibility standards and principles of inclusive design to develop a portfolio of inclusive digital assets that reflect on some aspect of inclusivity in society.  In a one-to-one interview you will describe the inclusivity and accessibility of your portfolio, and demonstrate how it was created.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Appropriate application of standards and Legislative frameworks
3
2
Effectiveness of inclusive design solutions
4
3
Breadth and creativity of portfolio
5
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Applying technologies

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

To get the most out of the course, students may wish to obtain a subscription for Adobe Acrobat Pro.

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: