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Certificate of Higher Education in Design and Innovation - Learning outcomes

Educational aims

The aim of this Certificate is to broaden your design thinking around your own particular interests by allowing you to:

  • develop understanding of the principles and issues involved in designing new products
  • understand the issues and challenges associated with designing
  • gain basic skills in applying and managing design processes
  • understand the role of design thinking in a contemporary context
  • generate design ideas and concepts in response to set briefs

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this Certificate, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

  • understand and identify design thinking with design processes
  • know about and appreciate, the global context of design and designing
  • the fundamental characteristics of design thinking and be aware of the application of design thinking to a wide range of contexts

Cognitive skills

On completion of this Certificate, you will be able to:

  • able to map personal design process
  • appraise and evaluate design solutions in their context of use and production
  • investigate and think creatively about design problems and opportunities and initiate an attitude of playfulness to aid design thinking
  • explore, evaluate and critique the design thinking of others
  • appreciate the ethical significance of design decisions

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this Certificate, you will be able to:

  • take a creative and informed approach to designing
  • use prototyping techniques to help thinking and to communicate ideas
  • able to engage in debate around problems and solutions
  • understand how to produce a portfolio of work

Key skills

On completion of this Certificate, you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

  • develop visual literacy and articulacy to explain design decisions through selection and use of different forms of representation to explore and communicate design ideas at different stages of the design process
  • recognise and use the expertise of others in a design process
  • be aware of the ways in which you learn and begin to develop as an independent learner
  • use computing tools and online environments to aid design thinking

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

The compulsory Stage 1 module, Design thinking (U101), is taught online. However, there is a physical ‘Welcome Pack’. Assessment for this module is by an examined piece of coursework (EMA).

Learning and teaching and assessment methods for the complementary subject will depend on your choice of module.