The aim of this unit of study is the learning of key technical skills for prototyping and building interactive digital media within a creative design framework. The unit provides an introduction to the fundamentals of various software and hardware construction tools, and the technological platforms available for building sensor-based interfaces. The lab sessions will be conducted as a series of intensive lectures/tutorials during the first half of the semester. Students will gain practical experience through a series of exercises and assignments. For those students enrolled in IDEA9102 IDEA Studio 1, it will provide the foundation for the technical implementation of the studio project.

The aim of the studio is to explore new interaction possibilities offered by emerging digital technologies through a design-led approach. Each studio is based around one or more design projects, which address a specialised area of study, supported by lectures and seminars to introduce the relevant theory, knowledge and design precedents. The specialized areas of study will vary from semester to semester, ranging for example from small-scale wearable devices to large-scale environments, and will reflect contemporary issues in interaction, art, design, culture and technology. The studio aims to develop the student's conceptual design abilities together with their technical skills, within the framework of a highly creative, research-based and human-centred design process. Students will be expected to apply interaction design methodologies to their project work and follow a design-oriented approach to the development of hardware and software, through experimentation and iterative prototyping.

This unit of study aims to introduce students to design thinking and how it can be productively applied to different design situations, in both traditional design contexts and to the broader issues faced in contemporary society. Students will acquire the following learning outcomes:
1. An appreciation of the role of design thinking and strategy in traditional and cross-disciplinary contexts
2. Theoretical and practical understanding and application of design theories, methodologies and methods, with a particular emphasis on human-centred design
3. Demonstration of ideation and concept development to innovate solutions to complex problems
4. Awareness of design processes and cognition in collaborative, inter-disciplinary teams
5. Demonstration of persuasive oral/visual communication techniques

The aim of this unit of study is the learning of key technical skills for prototyping and building interactive digital media within a creative design framework. The unit provides an introduction to the fundamentals of various software and hardware construction tools, and the technological platforms available for building sensor-based interfaces. The lab sessions will be conducted as a series of intensive lectures/tutorials during the first half of the semester. Students will gain practical experience through a series of exercises and assignments. For those students enrolled in IDEA9202 IDEA Studio 2, it will provide the foundation for the technical implementation of the studio project.

The aim of the studio is to explore new interaction possibilities offered by emerging digital technologies through a design-led approach. Each studio is based around one or more design projects, which address a specialised area of study, supported by lectures and seminars to introduce the relevant theory, knowledge and design precedents. The specialized areas of study will vary from semester to semester, ranging for example from small-scale wearable devices to large-scale environments, and will reflect contemporary issues in interaction, art, design, culture and technology. The studio aims to develop the student's conceptual design abilities together with their technical skills, within the framework of a highly creative, research-based and human-centred design process. Students will be expected to apply interaction design methodologies to their project work and follow a design-oriented approach to the development of hardware and software, through experimentation and iterative prototyping.

The research project/dissertation offers students the opportunity to work on an individual research project exploring current problems and issues in a wide range of application areas that would benefit from an inter-disciplinary design research approach to design, technology and human-computer interaction. Students can choose to follow one of the primary types of design research: design (a fundamental component of the research is the design and implementation of an artefact/system); empirical (empirical data gathering is required to understand a phenomenon); model (a computational model is generated to understand a phenomenon); and studio-based (creative/experimental design or artform is produced for exhibition).
Students must prepare a research proposal outlining the research objectives and questions, a brief literature review, the research methodology and a timeline. At completion, students must submit a written dissertation and documentation of any designed/built artefacts produced during the research. A research dissertation should be 8,000 to 10,000 words in length.
The designed/built artefacts will be assessed on the merits of their underlying design rationale or original conceptual thinking, and their implementation in the form of software, hardware, theoretical discourse or other physical manifestation. The dissertation is assessed on its design methodology/rationale, empirical evaluation, analysis or description within related theories or critical reflection, and the presentation, using appropriate visual, written, verbal and multimedia presentation techniques.
IDEA9302 IDEA Research Project and IDEA9303 IDEA Dissertation are not assessed separately. A single result is given for the combined project and dissertation.
This unit of study is available to MIDEA students only. Students must seek permission to enrol from the program coordinator before the start of the teaching semester.

The research project/dissertation offers students the opportunity to work on an individual research project exploring current problems and issues in a wide range of application areas that would benefit from an inter-disciplinary design research approach to design, technology and human-computer interaction. Students can choose to follow one of the primary types of design research: design (a fundamental component of the research is the design and implementation of an artefact/system); empirical (empirical data gathering is required to understand a phenomenon); model (a computational model is generated to understand a phenomenon); and studio-based (creative/experimental design or artform is produced for exhibition).
Students must prepare a research proposal outlining the research objectives and questions, a brief literature review, the research methodology and a timeline. At completion, students must submit a written dissertation and documentation of any designed/built artefacts produced during the research. A research dissertation should be 8,000 to 10,000 words in length.
The designed/built artefacts will be assessed on the merits of their underlying design rationale or original conceptual thinking, and their implementation in the form of software, hardware, theoretical discourse or other physical manifestation. The dissertation is assessed on its design methodology/rationale, empirical evaluation, analysis or description within related theories or critical reflection, and the presentation, using appropriate visual, written, verbal and multimedia presentation techniques.
IDEA9302 IDEA Research Project and IDEA9303 IDEA Dissertation are not assessed separately. A single result is given for the combined project and dissertation.
This unit of study is available to MIDEA students only. Students must seek permission to enrol from the program coordinator before the start of the teaching semester.

This unit allows students to collaborate with a private partner on a project with a strong design research character. Such project would typically not be connected to the direct commercial goals, require a certain degree of risk, and necessitates a level of technical and design expertise that is not available by the private partner. The program coordinator can choose to offer pre-approved client briefs from known external partners to interested students.
Students need to submit a written project proposal, detailing the project objectives, the approach, the intended outcomes and timeline of the internship, and the agreement from the private partner. The proposal must describe how the outcomes of the internship will include the design and production of a design work that has a clear relationship to the skills and knowledge taught in the IDEA program. The total workload should reflect a 12 credit point unit of study in this degree.
At completion, the student must submit: a log book (physical or digital) of their internship activities, together with a critical reflection on their design process (of at least 1000 words); a written report describing the design concept, rationale, design methodology, the development structure, and an evaluation of the design work undertaken at the internship (of at least 5000 words); and mixed media documentation of the work. The student is expected to present their work to peers and assessors. The academic supervisor, the program coordinator and the private partner will jointly assess the work.
Students must seek permission to enrol from the program coordinator before the start of the teaching semester. It is at the sole discretion of the Program Director to approve the private partner and project. Approval must be sought before enrolling. Internship must end before end of semester. Credit will not be granted for this unit of study.