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Unit of study_
DESN5007: Communication by Design
2027 unit information
This unit introduces students to the concepts, methods, and practices of graphic design as a core communication design practice within a rapidly changing digital and post-digital world. Located within the wider creative industries and media environment, the unit engages students with contemporary communication challenges that require skillful and innovative responses, regardless of industry or discipline. Students develop foundational skills and methods for understanding communication across diverse technological, social, and global environments, grounded in the methods and practices of graphic design – the discipline most directly concerned with communication. Students acquire critical and practical skills for communicating through graphic design methods, designerly ways of thinking, and visual communication across rapidly changing media. This includes developing media communication literacy, applying graphic design methods and principles across professional and disciplinary contexts, and responding to design briefs as a critical communication tool. Students also examine how emerging technologies, including generative AI, automation, and template-driven systems, are reshaping communication design practice and the broader creative industries.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Design Lab |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
The learning outcomes for this unit will be available two weeks before the first day of teaching.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
There are no availabilities for this year.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2027
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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There are no availabilities for previous years.
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
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