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Course Outline

DES222 Responsive Design and Technology

Course Coordinator:Toby Gifford (tgifford@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

Responsive design emphasises contextual awareness. This course introduces intermediate skills and concepts in interaction and experience design, with a focus on dynamic and adaptive designs that respond to the world in various ways. Topics covered include UI design for diverse devices and accessibility, wearable and awareable technology, and socially responsive design. A key project will explore responsive technology as a way of understanding the interplay between human factors, technology, and physicality.

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
Seminar – Seminar or Fieldwork 2hrs Week 5 2 times
Online
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Asynchronous online workshops 2hrs Week 1 10 times
Seminar – Seminar / fieldwork 2hrs Week 5 2 times

Course Topics

Responsive Web Design: Design and implementation of responsive web interfaces addressing

  • multiple screen sizes
  • light/dark mode
  • accessibility

Responding to Feedback: Iterative design processes, including

  • prototyping
  • user studies/focus groups
  • iteration

Responding to Context: Dynamic and adaptive designs that have some awareness of the physical or environmental context such as

  • ubiquitous computing, internet of things
  • location-based media
  • wearable and awareable technology

Socially Responsive Design: Design driven by need that considers

  • social context
  • ethics
  • sustainability

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?

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 Design a creative interactive media project using digital and physical forms Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
2 Develop technical skills to implement responsive technology Knowledgeable
Empowered
3 Demonstrate understanding of human and cultural factors in technological design, including connections to relevant sustainable development goals (SDGs). Ethical
Sustainability-focussed
4 Demonstrate and apply an understanding of responsive design principles. Creative and critical thinker
Ethical
5 Critically evaluate the effectiveness of interactive media solutions. Creative and critical thinker
Sustainability-focussed

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

DES221 or (CSC100 and ENG103)

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

By week 4 workshops, students will have made substantial progress on an initial assessment piece, and will have received in-class feedback on their progress with this task.

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 Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece Individual 20% 
Single or multipage web interface and short documentation.
 Week 4 Online Submission
All 2 Oral and Written Piece Individual and Group 30% 
5 minute presentation and preliminary process journal
 Week 8 Online Submission
All 3 Artefact - Creative Individual and Group 50% 
3-minute showcase video, plus process journal.
 Exam Period Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:Responsive Web Design
Goal: 
To design and implement a simple responsive web interface
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Design and implement a responsive web interface.

This should be accompanied by an individually written documentation of the design, interface and process.

Please refer to the Assessment 1 page on Canvas for the full task brief
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Communication
 3 4 5
2 
Technical Achievement
 2
3 
Creativity of Work
 1
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Applying technologies
All - Assessment Task 2:Project Proposal
Goal: 
To develop a project concept and early stage prototype of the project, and present preliminary process documentation.
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
You will create a novel responsive technology project, that demonstrates some form of adaptation or dynamic configuration, and is deliberately situated in the social and environmental context. The design process should be documented with a process journal. 

This assessment involves an oral presentation pitching your project and obtaining feedback in class. Accompanying the presentation you should submit a preliminary process journal online.

Please refer to the Assessment 2 page on Canvas for the full task brief
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Creativity and Design
 1 2
2 
Contextualisation
 3 4 5
3 
Communication and Engagement
 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation
All - Assessment Task 3:Responsive tech project prototype
Goal: 
To present a working prototype of a responsive technology project
Product: Artefact - Creative
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
You will create a novel responsive technology project, that demonstrates some form of adaptation or dynamic configuration, and is deliberately situated in the social and environmental context.

This task is to complete and document a working prototype of a piece of responsive technology. The documentation should include a process journal (to be completed continuously over the semester) and a short showcase video of the working prototype.

Please refer to the Assessment 3 page on Canvas for the full task brief
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Responsivity of Design
 2 4
2 
Technical Achievement
 1
3 
Creativity
 1 5
4 
Communication and Engagement
 3 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, 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

Core tech requirements will be available or students to use or loan, but depending on specific project choices, students might need to obtain additional tech components. Students will need to obtain materials for fabrication, but an emphasis is on finding low-cost solutions. Online students might need to obtain additional technology.

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all studio and laboratory classes and a low level of health and safety risk exists. Some risk concerns may include equipment, instruments, and tools; as well as manual handling items within the laboratory. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the 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

Task 2 requires class attendance weeks 5 and 8

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: 

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