| Unit name | Learning through Failure: Prototyping and Testing |
|---|---|
| Unit code | INOV20009 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Mr. Bartlett |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | Centre for Innovation |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Embracing failure as a catalyst for innovation is crucial in the ever-evolving field of design. This unit teaches you to view setbacks as opportunities to refine and perfect your ideas through rapid prototyping and user testing. Learn how to iterate and improve designs effectively. Understand when is it appropriate to fail and when is it necessary to get it right the first time? The hands-on projects will build your resilience and adaptability, preparing you to tackle complex problems with confidence. This unit is not just about creating solutions—it’s about cultivating a mindset that thrives on feedback and experimentation. Be equipped to innovate boldly, ensuring your designs resonate with users and stand out in the competitive landscape.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
In Year 2, you are immersed in real-world design, rapid prototyping, and user testing, deepening your practical skills in transforming concepts into user-centred solutions. This unit reinforces the programme’s emphasis on hands-on, real-world application by shifting focus from theoretical knowledge to practical, interactive methods. You will explore various prototyping techniques and feedback loops, enhancing your ability to refine designs effectively. By engaging in these iterative processes, you will develop resilience and adaptability, preparing yourself for more complex design challenges.
An overview of content
You will learn to embrace failure as a catalyst for innovation by adopting an iterative design process that emphasizes rapid prototyping and testing of ideas. As part of this process, you will explore a range of prototyping methods, including paper prototypes and digital simulations, enabling you to bring concepts to life quickly and cost-effectively. By engaging in user testing and feedback loops, you will iteratively refine your designs to better meet user needs. Through hands-on projects, you will cultivate resilience and adaptability, essential skills for navigating the complexities of the design process.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will gain the ability to transform setbacks into stepping stones for innovation. You’ll learn to approach design with a mental mindset that values agile experimentation and user feedback. You will enhance your problem-solving skills, making you adept at rapidly prototyping and refining ideas based on user feedback. You’ll become more resilient and adaptable and develop the confidence to tackle complex design problems, knowing that each iteration brings you closer to an effective, user-centred solution.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
How you will learn
Teaching will be an interactive studio with live workshop sessions, in-person lectures and design critiques. The primary delivery mode is through problem-based projects and assignments of varying length. The pedagogy is discursive with an emphasis on student presentations, peer group learning, workshops and group critique. This simulates the group-based professional context of design practices and allows for the kind of discussion, debate, and diversity of perspective that really stimulates creative learning. Teaching and assessments are focused on real-world ‘live’ problems to build required technical skills and add to the authenticity of what is being learnt and why. Students regularly practise their subject outside formal taught sessions.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Prototype Development Project (group assessment) 3000 words or equivalent (50%), [ILOs 1,2,5]
Create and refine prototypes based on iterative design and user feedback. Present your process and final design.
User Testing Report (group assessment) 1500 words or equivalent (30%), [ILOs 2,4]
Conduct user testing on a given prototype and submit a detailed report analysing feedback and iterations.
Reflective Journal (individual assessment) 1200 words or equivalent (20%), [ILOs 3-4]
Maintain a journal reflecting on your experiences with prototyping, testing, and learning through failure.
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. INOV20009).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
