BAPD3910 Bachelor Project Course description

The Bachelor’s thesis in Product Design consists of exploring, experimenting and developing an innovative design project, and of students demonstrating their understanding of and competence in design. Through research in the market and user-driven design processes, students are to choose an aesthetic and commercial product, concept or service and define how their solution or concept could change the future in a society highly focused on sustainability.

The first year of study or equivalent must be passed in order to start the course and take the exam. In addition, at least 130 credits in total from the programme or equivalent must be passed.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Preliminary project

Knowledge

The student

• is familiar with methods of collecting information about market players
• is familiar with and understands financial concepts and how methods from the marketing discipline can be used as a tool in the product design process
• is familiar with professional ethical and design issues related to the market
• has basic knowledge of market communication

Skills

The student is capable of:

• analysing market opportunities and dealing with competition
• devising a business plan and developing a project realisation
• using meeting techniques and meeting culture
• using innovation techniques
• using negotiation techniques
• drawing up a project strategy
• developing a product and a branding strategy

Competence

The student:

• is capable of taking a position as a designer who contribute to sustainability, both in the market and in a working environment
• is familiar with processes for working on experimental methods and for seeking untraditional solutions
• is capable of exchanging points of view and experience with others with backgrounds in the field and in this way contribute to developing good practice
• is capable of reflecting on his/her own development in the learning process and adjusting it under supervision

Bachelor’s thesis

Knowledge

The student

• is familiar with sustainable design
• is familiar with design concepts, theory and models that form the understanding of design as a subject and profession
• is familiar with relevant theory, methods and research

Skills

The student is capable of:

• defining and carrying out a design project
• designing a product in relation to a problem definition
• using the design process and adapting it to the relevant research question
• using relevant theory, methods and research
• selecting and using materials and expedient production methods
• working independently and purposefully on materiality, aesthetics, form and function
• using creativity and innovation
• communicating and presenting the project and involving users and reference persons to develop solutions based on an understanding of their needs
• viewing the design from a sustainable and global social perspective

Competence

The student is capable of:

• working independently and mastering project management in design projects
• mobilising all his/her expertise to realise good design solutions
• communication through exchanging opinions and experience with different resource persons and professional environments to promote professional development
• reflecting on his/her own development

The course is split into two main areas:

• The preliminary project, which must be approved in order to continue in the course and complete the bachelor’s thesis.
• The bachelor’s thesis.

The preliminary project gives the students an opportunity to prepare for the professional and personal challenges they will face when working on the bachelor’s thesis.

The bachelor’s thesis gives the students insight into leadership and innovation in relation to design and the designer’s role in society. The preliminary project gives the students an understanding of design as a market factor. Skills in developing market concepts on the basis of market data form a central part of this.

In the bachelor’s thesis, students will complete and document a design project where they take responsibility for their own choices and use all the expertise they have acquired throughout the programme. They must show further development, that they master the design process and demonstrate their level of competence as product designers.

The choices the students make in the field are their own responsibility and comprise part of the documentation of their knowledge, skills and competence on graduation from the programme.

Lectures, self-study, workshops, role play, group supervision/milestone meetings, individual supervision.

Individual assignment or group work, self-study with individual supervision and milestone meetings with mutual feedback from fellow students. In the bachelor’s thesis, students will complete and document a design project where they take responsibility for their own choices and use all the expertise they have acquired throughout the programme. They must show further development, that they master the design process and demonstrate their level of competence as product designers.

The choices the students make in the field are their own responsibility and comprise part of the documentation of their knowledge, skills and competence on graduation from the programme.

The following coursework is compulsory and must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• Project description for the bachelor’s thesis
• Preliminary project and concept proposal (must be approved by a given deadline in the sixth semester in order to proceed with the course)
• Participation in a midway assessment
• Reflection notes
• Individual plan for a public presentation of the Bachelor’s thesis

Portfolio assessment subject to the following requirements:

1. Detailed project description
2. Product
3. Documentation of the finished product
4. Documentation of the design process
5. Physical and/or digital material to present the bachelor’s thesis in a public setting
6. Presentation of the bachelor’s thesis to the examiners (may be open to supervisors and students).

A preliminary grade is awarded for parts 1-5 of the bachelor’s thesis. Candidates who are awarded a grade F (fail) for parts 1-5 are not allowed to take the oral exam. The exam result for parts 1 to 5 can be appealed.

After the oral presentation (part 6), the grade can be adjusted up or down by up to one grade.

The assessment of the oral presentation cannot be appealed.

All.

A grading scale from A-F where A is the best grade and F is fail.

One internal and one external examiner.