Professional Design Practice 5 (SP 4103) - (Visual Communication Design).
This module facilitates an integrated approach to design project management and raises the learner’s awareness of the issues in starting and running a design enterprise.
Module Delivery
This module is delivered in Semesters 1 and 2, Year 4 of TU973, the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Design—Visual Communication, at the TU Dublin School of Art and Design (Option).
Learning and Teaching Methods
Learning modes include weekly lectures, presentations, and hands-on demonstrations of the various topics covered in the course. This module predominantly uses project-based learning to ensure active participation and encourage students to learn by doing and reflect on their learning. Group discussions are facilitated with practical laboratory practice.
This module is delivered through lectures, workshops, class discussions, Studio projects, team-based learning, guest lecturers, group discussions, peer-based critiques, and studio visits.
Delivery will align with best practices and use student-centred, active, communicative, and problem-based methodologies. The lecturer will act as a facilitator in the classroom, ensuring students actively contribute through pair work, group work and peer learning activities. Students will receive regular feedback on their progress per the concept of ‘feedback to feedforward’. More specifically, the feedback will inform students what they need to do to improve their professional design knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The lecturer will advise them on how to amend their class materials to meet students’ needs.
The module will allow students to understand and critique design practice through real-world cases.
Assessment
This module is assessed through two written reports. The first is a written reflective learning log in which students discuss key literature on the lecture topics. The log will demonstrate the students’ self-directed learning capacities. The second assessment is a group assignment where students propose and prototype a hypothetical design enterprise, showing what they have learned by producing a business plan.
Upon successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
Formation of a design business
Business Planning, Business Modelling & Finance
Identify and select appropriate support services for design enterprises
Marketing of design practice and self-promotion
Exercise informed approach in project management
Learning Hours: Lecture 48 / Self-Directed 152
ECTS Credits: 5.
Reading List
Kennedy, C. (2023) What is the Entrepreneurship Process for Communication Design Enterprises? Pub. TU Dublin. DOI: 10.21427/FHJG-JQ54.
Kennedy, C. (2016) Profile of Business in the Traditional Design Sectors Pub. Design and Crafts Council of Ireland. DOI: 10.21427/D79N5F.
DJEI (2016) Policy Framework for Design in Enterprise in Ireland Pub. DJEI
Osterwalder, A. and Pigneur, Y. (2010) Business Model Generation Pub. John Wiley & Sons, p.295, [ISBN: 9780470876411].
Best, B. (2015) Design Management Pub. Bloomsbury Publishing, p.216, [ISBN: 9781472573674].
Shaughnessy, S. (2010) How to be a Graphic Designer, Without Losing Your Soul Pub. Laurence King Publishing[ISBN: 9781856697095].
Shaughnessy, A. and Brook, T. (2009) Studio Culture Pub. Laurence King Publishing [ISBN: 0956207103].
O’Kane, B. (2009) Starting a Business in Ireland Pub. Oak Tree Press [ISBN: 9781904887379].
Foote, C.S. (1996) The Business Side of Creativity Pub. W. W. Norton, p.444, [ISBN: 0393730093].