Outline

Overview

This unit gets students to consider the broader application of design thinking as a way of informing and creating social outcomes. Design for social impact aims to design solutions to meet social needs in a better way than the existing solution. Students will have the opportunity to develop their design thinking competency through the application of a real-world social problem. Students will address prevailing or emerging social issues through the design of products, services and experiences. Students will be guided through the design thinking process of understanding user and stakeholder needs, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping and testing design solutions. This unit gives students the opportunity to tackle the challenges of 21st Century life through the exploration of new technology and current practices to design the future they want to live in.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Design Lab
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	DECO2016 or DECO1006
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Knowledge of design thinking methods and processes
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Luke Hespanhol, luke.hespanhol@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Luke Hespanhol, luke.hespanhol@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Attendance	Attendance Students are required to meet minimum attendance of 90%. Students who do not meet this threshold, who have approved special consideration, may be offered the opportunity to sit an alternative assessment to qualify to pass this unit.	0%	Ongoing	90% of classes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Assessment 1: Designer statement – what is design for social impact? In-class presentation in response to question. Mandatory assessment.	25%	Week 04 Due date: 18 Mar 2024 at 11:00	3 minutes presentation, plus Q&A
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 2a: Social Impact Project Pitch - Problem Statement Written/verbal articulation of Design Project Pitch. Mandatory assessment.	15%	Week 08 Due date: 14 Apr 2025 at 23:59	20 slides maximum, plus appendix
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Assessment 2b: Social Impact Project Pitch - Participation in Group Present Verbal articulation of Design Project pitch. Mandatory assessment.	5%	Week 08 Due date: 15 Apr 2025 at 11:00	2 min within 10 min group presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Assessment 4: Work-In-Progress (WIP) Reflective Presentation Critical reflection on unit and Major Design Project. Mandatory assessment.	25%	Week 10 Due date: 06 May 2025 at 11:00	5 minutes presentation.
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 3a: Major Design Project - Report Report with complete design solution. Mandatory assessment.	25%	Week 13 Due date: 26 May 2025 at 23:59	20 slides slide deck, plus appendix
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Assessment 3b: Major Design Project - Participation in Group Presentation Verbal articulation of Design Project solution. Mandatory assessment.	5%	Week 13 Due date: 27 May 2025 at 11:00	2 min within 10 min group presentation.
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ? = AI allowed ?

Assessment summary

Assessment 1: Designer Statement: What is design for social impact?
This assessment asks you to prepare a very short in-class presentation, accompanied by a slide deck, on the question “What is design for social impact?”.

Assessment 2: Social Impact Project Pitch
In small groups, you are required to give a 10-minute presentation that communicates your research on Part 1 of the Major Design Project. Each group member is required to contribute. Presentation slides, plus an appendix that documents the breadth of research undertaken, must be submitted online.

Assessment 3: Major Design Project
In small groups, you are required to work on a social impact design project. The aim of this project is to explore how design can be used to respond to a social issue. The design project will be presented in the form of a brief. You will produce a visual report and deliver a 10-minute verbal presentation during class time on the due date. Each group member is required to contribute.

Assessment 4: Work-In-Progress (WIP) Reflective Presentation
This assessment requires you to prepare a very short in-class presentation reflecting and critically examining your personal response to learnings taken from DESN3003, using the work being developed as part of your Major Design Project as a point of reference. You are required to move beyond describing your experiences, to critically reflect upon your understanding of those experiences.

Assessment criteria

Result Name & Mark Range	Description
High Distinction 85–100	Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows significant innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or exceptional skill.
Distinction 75-84	Work of excellent quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or superior skill.
Credit 65–74	Work of good quality, demonstrating more than satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed, or work of excellent quality for a majority of the learning outcomes assessed.
Pass 50–65	Work demonstrating satisfactory achievement of the learning outcome assessed.
Fail 1–49	Work that does not demonstrate satisfactory achievement of one or more of the learning outcomes assessed.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction & Overview: New Notions of Design	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Design Practice 1: New Notions of Design	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	From Solo Designer to Social Designer	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Reading discussion and Design Practice 2: STEP Cards	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Contexts of Design: The Social as a Design Space	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Reading discussion and Design Practice 3: Systems Thinking and Systems Mapping	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Design Futuring: Design as a Redirective Practice	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Assessment 1 in-class presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Social Enterprises, Impact Measures and Theory of Change	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Design Practice 4: Theory of Change Logic Model and Social Lean Canvas	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Ethics of Design	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Design Practice 5: Design Timescapes	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Thinking About Value	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	In class working and feedback session on Assessment 2.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Approaches to Negotiation and Conflict Resolution	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Assessment 2 presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Leadership and Innovation to Social Impact	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	In class working and feedback session on Assessment 3	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Co-design is Collaborative	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Assessment 4 work-in-progress (WIP) reflection presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Transition Design	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Assessment 4 work-in-progress (WIP) reflection presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Sustainability and the Circular Economy	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	In class working and feedback session on Assessment 3	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Looking Back and Forward: DESN3003 Wrap-Up Lecture	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Assessment 3: presentations	Presentation (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Please refer to the Resolutions of the University School: https://www.sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2022/542&RendNum=0

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Prescribed Readings

Resnick, E. (Ed.). (2019). The Social Design Reader. London, UK: Bloomsbury.

Tomitsch, M., Borthwick, M., Ahmadpour, N., Cooper, C., Frawley, J.,...‎ Straker, K., ‎Wrigley, C. (2021). Design. Think. Make. Break. Repeat. A Handbook of Methods (revised edition). BIS Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Additional Resources

Becker, C. (2023). Insolvent: How to reorient computing for just sustainability. MIT Press.

Crocker, R. (2016). Somebody else’s problem : consumerism, sustainability & design. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Publishing Limited.

Fry, T. (2009). Design futuring : sustainability, ethics and new practice. Sydney: UNSW Press.

Fry, T. (2013). Becoming Human by Design. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Klein, N. (2014). This changes everything : capitalism vs. the climate. London: Allen Lane.

Klein, N. (2002). No logo : no space, no choice, no jobs (First rev. Picador USA pbk.ed.). New York: Picador.

Manzini, E. (2015). Design, when everybody designs : an introduction to design for social innovation. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate the effective use of oral, written and visual means to critique, negotiate, create and communicate understanding
LO2. Practice design skills reflectively
LO3. Work effectively in teams
LO4. Interrogate the capacity of design as an agent of change to respond to social issues

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

USS 2024 feedback was highly positive, so only minor changes will be made for 2025, including a couple of new lectures to offer students a greater perspective on social ventures and negotiation methods.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

DESN3003: Design for Social Impact

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links