Advanced Diploma in Industrial Design
Culture and Arts - Design Studies
Purpose and Rationale
Advanced Diploma in Industrial Design
The Advanced Diploma in Industrial Design will offer a cognitive focus to enable learners to apply the skills and knowledge of Industrial Design to the development of products driven by both market need and an understanding of the complex socio-technical and economic situations in South Africa.
Qualification Overview
The qualification comprises the four main phases of Industrial Design:
- Discover (problem identification and user-context analysis)
- Define (framing and reframing)
- Develop (concept and ideation)
- Deliver (manufacture and distribution)
Through this, a learner will build the capacity to advance their abilities and deepen their understanding of the Industrial Design profession and related areas of practice. The qualification aims to facilitate articulation into more diverse career paths, including research, set design, advanced product design and manufacture, and increase analytical thinking and advanced technical skills through areas of specialization.
Competency Development
The learner will achieve competency through the innovative application of technology and an understanding of technical, aesthetic, economic, environmental, and socio-technical issues within the field of Industrial Design. The qualification is intended for learners who want to practice their profession independently as entrepreneurs or with minimal supervision within a design organization as Industrial Designers where it is necessary to take full responsibility for their own work and decision-making.
Professional Development
The qualification offers further professional development towards a deep and systematic integrated understanding of current thinking, practice, and theory in order to evaluate the appropriateness and ethical impact of methodologies as applied in Industrial Design. It prepares learners for Postgraduate study through the deepening of their knowledge and understanding of theories, methodologies, and practices in Industrial Design, as well as the development of their ability to formulate, undertake, and resolve more complex problems through the purposeful selection and use of research and development methods and techniques in variable and unfamiliar contexts.
Rationale
The field of Industrial Design concerns itself with the design of functional products manufactured through industrialized processes from hard materials such as metals, woods, and polymers. The typical role of the Industrial Designer is to be part of a multidisciplinary team, keeping the focus on the initial idea and coordinating communication and decision-making between different role players.
Focus of the Program
The Advanced Diploma in Industrial Design focuses on improving the quality of life through the design of more appropriate functional products. It aims to equip learners with technical skills to design a new product, communicate design intentions through appropriate visual media, and create technical specifications for components. The qualification aims to provide learners with a deep understanding of the context where the intended product will function and the ability to develop a design brief through careful analysis of the situation with its social, cultural, environmental, and economic aspects.
Industrial Design Importance
The Department of Economic Development has identified design as an important catalyst for economic growth, with the design industry in the Western Cape contributing significantly to the country's GDP. Industrial Design is listed as a National Scarce Skill, highlighting the demand and importance of this qualification in the industry.
Outcomes
- Identify and analyse Industrial Design related problems and their parameters within South African society in order to develop contextually relevant industrial design solutions.
- Develop proposals and plans for contextually relevant Industrial Design solutions that are justified by evidence-based information and theory-driven arguments.
- Write and present reports to demonstrate and integrate specialised knowledge in the field of Industrial Design.
- Demonstrate basic ethical considerations in industrial design practice.
- Critically reflect on the influence of changing global and societal systems, new paradigms and related innovation and apply them to design processes, production and user integration in local contexts.
- Initiate, implement and review a collaborative entrepreneurial Industrial Design project in response to an identified business opportunity.
- Select and apply relevant emerging manufacturing technologies in Industrial Design projects, with justification.
- Display professional competencies as an Industrial Designer who can work independently and in teams in unfamiliar and varied corporate environments or as an entrepreneur.
Assessment Criteria
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
- Investigate, identify, and analyze industrial design problems in variable and unfamiliar South African contexts.
- Identify and report on stakeholders and on socio-cultural, technical, and environmental aspects of the problem.
- Define manageable problem parameters for industrial design solutions.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
- Present written and/or visual proposals and plans for appropriate, ethical industrial design solutions following the design methodology steps.
- Justify solutions with reference to relevant design theory, evidence from recent research/case studies, and empirical evidence from own field research.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
- Provide a comprehensive, written analysis of the identified problem and its context.
- Explain the project process and methodologies in detail and justify decisions made.
- Present professional quality illustrations and technical specifications of the product in the project report.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
- Discuss ethical considerations in project proposals and comply with institutional ethics policies.
- Evaluate the appropriateness and ethical impact of methodologies as applied in industrial design practice.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
- Refer to and critically engage with globally relevant concepts, paradigms, and innovations in assignments and projects.
- Situate and critique proposed design solutions, production, and user integration within a larger global system of change and innovation.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
- Identify scope and analyze the business opportunity, stakeholders, and design solution using appropriate research methodologies.
- Draw up a detailed business and marketing plan for the design solution.
- Implement the business and marketing plan and the design solution to deadlines.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
- Apply emerging manufacturing technologies correctly and accurately in the design of components.
- Formulate appropriate questions related to a given design project when confronted with new technologies.
- Provide comprehensive and accurate technical specifications for manufacture of various product components.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:
- Develop and communicate own ideas and design proposals clearly and confidently, using multi-media at a professional level.
- Display individuality in design work that is clearly recognizable.
- Work independently and in teams to produce work of professional quality by specified deadlines.
Integrated Assessment:
- Forms part of continuous assessment at the institution and includes formative and summative assessment methods.
- Assessment policy and practices promote constructive alignment of the curriculum, learners centered-learning, and feedback to enhance learner engagement.
- Includes a variety of tasks such as problem-solving assignments, projects, case studies, class discussions, quizzes, and academic poster design.
- Summative assessment takes place at the end of each semester and is internally and externally moderated.
- Aims at holistic development of learners and contributes to their personal and professional development in the field of study.
- Conducted at regular formative points throughout the year and includes written project reports, a final design portfolio, and an oral presentation relevant to industry needs.
- Aims to assess competency, integration of professional roles, knowledge, practice, and skills, and establish good practice with reflection during the design process.
Qualification Details
- Type
- Advanced Diploma
- NQF Level
- 07
- Min. Credits
- 120
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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This page includes information from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) . Builtneat Pty Ltd trading as Study Start, has modified all or some of this information. SAQA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.