This is an INDIVIDUAL, WRITTEN assessment. You are required to design an A2-sized poster to demonstrate your visualisation, summarising, prioritising and sythesising skills (these are key skills in Design Thinking!). An effective poster is a communication tool that utilises structure, graphics and text to clearly convey complex messages, while being visually appealing and engaging; text, albeit important, is used sparingly. It is the responsibility of the poster designer to ensure the poster is self-explanatory and does not require extensive interpretation from the audience. In order to complete this assessment you are required to design a poster, which clearly addresses the following question: What does ‘human-centred design’ mean and how does the Design Thinking process place the human at its centre?

To be successful in this assessment, you are required to research academic/scholarly (published peer reviewed journals) literature and make use of effective and suitable visualisation techniques in order to design a carefully constructed and logical poster, which clearly displays your answer to the above question.

More specifically your poster should:

• clearly address the question;
• be logically structured and aesthetically pleasing;
• refer to correct material you have read in the literature (you should include a MINIMUM of 3 scholarly references - in-text references and a reference list in APA style must be included on the poster; please see Moodle for some examples of how this can be achieved in a visually pleasing manner);
• present a clear and concise message (in title and other content);
• contain sufficient detail that a layperson (without specific background in Design Thinking) can understand what you are trying to say;
• use relevant visualisation techniques* to visually display the message and content of your poster; and
• use text sparingly (MAXIMUM of 300 words, excluding title and reference list, is permitted).

*NOTE: This may include graphics, but you need to remember that this does NOT mean cutting and pasting graphics from the internet or other sources - plagiarism of visual content will be treated in the same manner as plagiarism of text. You must use ONE SINGLE PowerPoint slide as your poster (see the template on Moodle). For this unit, you do not have to print the poster but it has to be clearly visible on a standard-sized computer monitor once PowerPoint is set to 'Slide Show' mode. Please see Moodle for further advice on how to create, structure and design effective posters. Supporting material and additional advice is available in Moodle and during class times.

• Demonstrated understanding of Design Thinking by providing correct information on the poster (30%)
• Demonstrated synthesis and summarising skills by displaying a clear and concise message on the poster (30%)
• Ability to effectively use visualisation techniques, structure, aesthetics and layout on the poster (20%)
• Demonstrate a breadth and depth of research by using a minimum of 3 academic sources (10%)
• Correct use of the APA referencing system (10%)

See Moodle for a more detailed assessment rubric. Late submission and academic misconduct penalties apply as per the university regulations.

At the start of term, you are required to join a team (3-5 students per team). Throughout the term, teams will undertake the following activities:

• identify a problem that could be addressed/improved through Design Thinking (the problem may be of a social, service, commercial, or digital nature);
• use Design Thinking tools, techniques and mind-set to 'deep dive' and thoroughly understand the chosen problem (you may also develop ideas for innovations that address/improve the problem you have identified but this is not compulsory);
• present the Design Thinking process that you have applied to identify and understand the problem; and
• develop a brief written report (which may include visualisations) critically exploring how your group could carry out iterative rapid prototyping for your chosen problem if social distancing, funds and time were not an issue.

You will have the opportunity to experience and apply relevant tools and techniques throughout the term and you are STRONGLY encouraged to actively and creatively make use of opportunities provided in-class (synchronous) and via Discussion Forums (asynchronous) to practice and refine your Design Thinking skills.

This is a GROUP assessment that consists of two components:

1. Oral presentation of your group's Design Thinking process
2. Written report that critically reflects on iterative rapid prototyping without constraints

Presentation:

The presentation explains and critiques the specific Design Thinking activities your team has carried out to deeply understand the problem you have chosen - there is no maximum of activities you should carry out as this depends upon how you progress with your problem finding and deep dive, and whether you have repeated some activities multiple times. However, as an absolute minimum, you are expected to report on 10 activities as per the prescribed textbook. Your presentation must cover the following:

1. A visual representation of the Design Thinking process you have carried out by the time of the presentation (i.e. How do the Design Thinking activities you carried out relate to one another?).
2. A brief description and critique of each activity you have carried out (i.e. What did you do and why?).
3. A brief explanation of what your group has learnt about your chosen problem after each activity (i.e. How did your understanding of your chosen problem develop?).
4. Demonstrated evidence that you have carried out each activity you present (e.g. photos of your involvement with the activities; screenshots of group meetings with relevant shared screen; prototypes; scanned brainstorming notes; etc.).

Presentations should be between 15 and 20 minutes in duration - presenters will be stopped if they go over the 20 minute mark. Each team member should contribute roughly equally. Presentations should make use of PowerPoint slides, which have to be submitted via Moodle by the given deadline. 

Student groups will present live in the zoom (online) workshop in week 10 or 11. Students who do not attend their timetabled workshop class or are late for their presentation will receive a mark of 0 (zero) for the entire presentation component; if unforeseen emergency situations occur, clear evidence thereof is required to avoid this penalty. Please note that it is important that you are visible in the presentation - hence, please ensure you have access to a webcam with microphone.

Report:

This is a GROUP report, which should be 1,000 to 1,500 words, excluding preliminaries, tables, figures, references and appendices. The report will differ in content to the presentation. To successfully complete this part of the assessment, you must critically explore how your group could carry out iterative rapid prototyping for your chosen problem if social distancing, funds and time were not an issue. The report may contain visualisations or other visual aids if suitable and it must be fully referenced in accordance with the APA referencing system - an absolute MINIMUM of 8 academic references is required.

****Submission: One group member must submit the report AND the presentation slides via Moodle by the given deadline. Irrespective of when you carry out your presentation, you will be presenting the slides you have submitted by the deadline. Changes to the slides between submission and presentation are NOT permitted.

****Self- and Peer-Assessment (SPA): At the end of term, you are required to complete an SPA questionnaire, in which you are evaluating yourself and your team members; your personal SPA result will be part of assessment 3 (see assessment 3 for more details).

Assessment criteria - Presentation:

• Ability to describe and critically evaluate a minimum of 10 suitable Design Thinking tools/techniques that your group has utilised (10%)
• Ability to describe how each activity developed your group's understanding of the chosen problem (10%)
• Presentation of evidence that your group has utilised these tools/techniques (10%)
• Ability to visually display the group's Design Thinking process (5%)
• Demonstrate a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 10 academic sources (5%)
• Correct use of the APA referencing system (5%)
• Ability to work cooperatively in a work-based team to prepare a professional presentation (appropriate personal professional standards in terms of dress, verbal and non-verbal communication consistent with standards expected of professional leaders and managers in the work context) in the nominated format (5%)

Assessment criteria - Report:

• Ability to critically evaluate iterative rapid prototyping options (15%)
• Ability to apply knowledge of Design Thinking rapid prototyping to own chosen Design Thinking problem (15%)
• Ability to construct a complete and professional report in the nominated format consistent with standards expected of professional leaders and managers in the work context (10%)
• Demonstrate a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 8 high-quality academic sources (5%)
• Correct use of the APA referencing system (5%)

See Moodle for a more detailed assessment rubric. Late submission and academic misconduct penalties apply as per the university regulations.

This is an INDIVIDUAL assessment that consists of three components:

1. Blog detailing your weekly activities and learning (multi-media)

2. Reflective report, which details your learning journey and explicitly cross-references the blog (written)

3. Self- and Peer-Assessment of groups from assessment 2 (online questionnaire)

Weekly blog:

Blogs are a useful tool for yourself to keep track of activities you have carried out, to keep a record of your learning, and to nurture your writing and reflection skills. When published, blogs can also become powerful communication tools that enable you to share your experiences and learning with your stakeholders and the wider community. This assessment enables you to practice your practical blogging skills.

For this assessment, you are required to regularly record your weekly activities in the form of a blog. Blog entries need to be time stamped and demonstrate regular engagement with the Moodle blogging tool THROUGHOUT the term. Students who do not engage with the regular blogging activity and attempt to retrospectively write up their thoughts in one go at the end of term will lose out on important marks. Blog entries MUST NOT BE EDITED - if you wish to add or change something you wrote earlier, please write another entry instead of editing and outline what you would change.

You should make sure your blog entries are reflective in nature, rather than merely describing the activities you have carried out – a template will be provided in Moodle to help you with this and students will be encouraged to use some of the timetabled workshop time to record their reflections. The fact that you are recording your activities and learning on a weekly basis helps you develop your group presentation (assessment 2), as well as your individual reflective report (assessment 3). You are strongly encouraged to add photographs, images, videos, reading material, or other supporting material that may help you reflect. There is no prescribed maximum of entries or words per entry as experience showed that many students find this a useful learning exercise that they want to utilise to its full potential. However, the absolute minimum is 8 time-stamped entries spread across the term. It is best to write at least one entry per week and each entry should be no shorter than 150 words. The blog component of assessment 3 is part of the assessment requirements and markers will check it for completeness, suitability as a communication tool, and reference material for your reflective report.

Reflective report:

While the blog is built throughout the term, the reflective report is to be developed towards the end of the term, as it requires you to present a critical self-analysis and reflection of your learning as a result of experiencing Design Thinking activity within this unit - the report is NOT a weekly repetition or summary of the blogs. Instead, it is an overall self-analysis and reflection of your own strengths and weaknesses in terms of: (1) your knowledge of Design Thinking and related topics; (2) your Design Thinking skills; and (3) your Design Thinking mind-set. It is recommended you seek to reflect on these elements during your weekly blogs to facilitate development of the report. 

As a conclusion, you are to develop an action plan of specific key events and activities that you can undertake over the next 6 months to acquire any knowledge, skills and mind-set changes that your report identified as being weak. The reflective report should be submitted as a Word document with a length of 2,500 words (+/- 10%), excluding preliminaries, tables, figures and references. Your reflective report must make reference to appropriate academic literature and theory in a critical way. Moreover, the report MUST explicitly reference appropriate evidence in your blog using a clear cross-reference system. The reflective report must make use of at least 10 high-quality academic references (APA style).

Self- and Peer-Assessment (SPA):

You are required to fill in an online questionnaire, evaluating yourself and the peers you worked with for assessment 2 according to various team working criteria. This SPA questionnaire will be open for two weeks at the end of term and you will receive email communication about it. You are required to provide candid and fair evaluations of yourself and your group mates and – in controversial cases – you may be required to provide additional evidence to back up your evaluations. Please note that there is NO extension to the cut-off point for this SPA questionnaire and late completion is NOT possible – students who fail to fill in the SPA by the given deadline will receive a mark of 0 (zero) for this component of assessment 3.

• Demonstrate regular use of the weekly blog by providing clear cross-referencing between report and at least 8 time-stamped meaningful blog entries THROUGHOUT the term (20%)
• Demonstration of candid and critical reflection on knowledge, skills AND mind-set directly linked to examples of own behaviour from engagement with Design Thinking (20%)
• Demonstration of candid and critical self-analysis to identify personal strengths and weaknesses as a result of the reflection (15%)
• Ability to devise an action plan, supported by literature, that addresses key development needs and identifies specific activities and appropriate time frames for implementation (15%)
• Demonstrate a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 10 high-quality sources (10%)
• Correct use of the APA referencing system (10%)
• Contribution to the group in assessment 2 as evaluated by yourself and your group members (Self- and Peer- Assessment) (10%)