Design (DESN)

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DESN 2000  3 credits  
Academic Research and Writing for Design  

Students will study and practice academic research methods, and written and oral communication skills as these apply to design studies. They will acquire a variety of research, communication, and editing skills. They will learn principles, theories, and techniques required for creating design documents, proposals, reports, and project plans. Students will develop their writing skills through assignments that focus on describing, analyzing, and discussing topics relevant to their area of design focus.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Attribute: DESN

DESN 2001  3 credits  
Design Thinking and Methodology  

Students will study the iterative process of designing. They will evaluate how current social perspectives on sustainability, ethics, and universality drive design decisions. They will define a design problem, and begin to develop a personal methodology for design.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Co-requisite(s): DESN 2002

Attribute: DESN

DESN 2002  3 credits  
Design Concept and Process Studio  

Students will research, explore, and ideate the principles and elements involved in creating design solutions. They will test design concepts in two- and three-dimensions, documenting their discoveries in a process book.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Co-requisite(s): DESN 2001

Attribute: DESN

DESN 2003  3 credits  
East Meets West – Vancouver Field School  

Students will critically examine, interact with, and document the power of Vancouver's natural landscape and its effect on the unique cultural heritage of "North America's gateway to the Asia Pacific". They will explore through the region's built and natural environments the cultural, creative collision that happens when east meets west. Students will share their conceptual analysis and conclusions through social media with communities around the world.

Level: UG

Attribute: DESN

DESN 2004  3 credits  
Design Thinking & Innovation  

Students apply design thinking methodologies to create solutions for social, cultural, environmental, and/or organizational challenges. They will engage in collaborative processes to research, develop, test, and present innovative solutions to benefit user group experiences through project work that reflects student areas of interest. (Design thinking is creative problem solving that involves critical analysis of problems and contexts employing interdisciplinary perspectives, an emphasis on human-centric research to determine user needs, iterative processes of idea generation and testing, and development of innovative strategies to arrive at creative and viable solutions.)

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1100

Attributes: ASTR, DESN

DESN 2100  3 credits  
The Vancouver Design Experience  

Learners will engage in an intensive field study around the Metro Vancouver region and Canada's West Coast for a period of two weeks (14 days). They will take part in scheduled immersion activities and explore design applications in an integrative learning environment. They will explore the region’s built and natural environments from a design lens and contextualize their field learning with respect to the context of site, culture, history, climate, and geography. They will develop interdisciplinary skills in creativity, design thinking, academic inquiry, as well as cultural awareness. Students will share their analysis and conclusions through social media. Note: Students must be nineteen years or older at the start of the course. The cost of travel and related expenses are borne by the student.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Attribute: DESN

DESN 2500  6 credits  
Design Thinking: Food System Connectivity in Design, Business and Agriculture  

The study of agriculture-business and food systems facilitates transdisciplinary learning and research that is intimately linked to the understanding of sustainability and the cultures that they are embedded in. This Field School will provide opportunities for students to implement problem solving and critical thinking methodologies to help students develop an understanding of the important role that agriculture and food systems play in connecting all aspects of the economy, business, environment and society as well as the value of regional food systems. Students will visit farms and food related businesses locally, nationally and/or internationally. When studying food systems, students will compare and contrast financing, marketing, pricing and logistics of food production. NOTE: Students will spend two weeks at the Field School site in addition to class sessions on campus before and after travel. Students must be nineteen years or older at the start of the course. Students may earn credit for only one of DESN 2500, AGRI 2500 or BUSI 2500 as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher.

Cross-listing: BUSI 2500

Attributes: ASTR, DESN

DESN 3000  6 credits  
Interdisciplinary Amazon Field School  

Learners will engage in an intensive interdisciplinary field school in the Amazon rain forest. They will take part in cultural and creative immersion activities, participate in community engagement projects, and contextualize their field learning by classroom-based analysis and critical reflection before and after their field experiences. They will develop interdisciplinary skills in creativity, academic inquiry, ecology and conservation, cultural awareness, environmental design, design thinking, and community development. Learners will become familiar with various expressive modalities of the Amazon region (e.g. design, writing, music, movement, expressive arts, materiality, storytelling, etc.) and will explore the application of those modalities in an integrative learning environment. Note: Students will spend two weeks at the Field School site in addition to class sessions on campus before and after travel. Students must be nineteen years or older at the start of the course. Students may earn credit for only one of DESN 3000 or ARTS 3000 as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Cross-listing: ARTS 3000

Attribute: DESN

DESN 3100  3 credits  
Design Field School  

Learners will engage in an intensive, design-focused, faculty-led field school for a period of two weeks. They will travel to a contextually distinct destination, differing from metro-Vancouver, and participate in scheduled experiences related to local culture and design. The field school will provide an immersive and interactive learning environment where students will gain an understanding of the contextual nature of design through place-based learning, active experimentation, observation, analysis, and critical reflection. Class sessions will be held on campus before and after the travel portion of the course. Note: Students must be 19 years or older at the start of the course. In addition to course tuition, program travel fees will also be applied, and students will be informed of details and application dates prior to each offering.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 45 credits of 1100-level courses or higher

Attribute: DESN

DESN 3900  3 credits  
Special Topics  

Students will examine a selected topic relating to the field of design through a critical analysis of relevant literature, case studies, recent developments, and/or contemporary issues. They will engage in research and analysis, dialogue, presentations, and project work. Note: The specific topic for the course will be established in advance by the department. Please check with the department for proposed offerings. Students may take this course twice, so long as each time the course is taken, the specific topics under examination are different.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at 1100-level or higher, including ENGL 1100

Attribute: DESN

DESN 4100  3 credits  
Innovation Project  

Students will critically examine complex, open-ended challenges and issues that impact people, services, systems, workplaces, and organizations in an innovation project. They will apply design thinking to an innovation project. They will apply methodologies, stakeholder and user group research, trans-disciplinary theories, and collaborative approaches to ideate, iterate, create, and test innovative strategies and solutions that have the potential to initiate positive, transformational change. (Design thinking is a creative, human-centric, problem-solving process that can help communities, small businesses, corporations, not-for-profits, institutions, and others create responsive and innovative solutions for services, products, systems, environments, and technologies).

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 60 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including ENGL 1100 and 6 credits from courses at the 3000 level or higher.

Attribute: DESN

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