Aims:

In a global context, design increasingly impacts and drives positive changes in society, presenting Hong Kong and the School of Design with unique challenges and opportunities. Accordingly, design integration with other knowledge fields and professions is increasingly recognised as important for innovation in other fields of knowledge and in other disciplines.

Professionals of tomorrow with an understanding of the importance of design will be better able to integrate and steer these positive impacts.

The increasing relevance of design and design thinking to the management of technological, market, and social innovation projects is seen in the engineering and business disciplines as an added value, enriching their tertiary education programmes. Professionals graduating with science and humanities degrees will benefit from an integration of the broad scope of design's transferrable competencies with their respective specialist skillsets accrued through inspirational design education. By working in cross-disciplinary design-oriented teams and engaging with users and stakeholders, they will benefit from design thinking’s adaptive potential.

Strategically located in one of the most culturally open communication hubs on the Pacific Rim, with an international faculty working in a bilingual environment, the School of Design develops research, education, and consultancy programmes with an emphasis on an integrated design approach.

Students enrolling on SD's Minor BA (Hons) Programme will acquire lifelong learning and knowledge skills, including critical analysis, cultural insight, and applied creativity, empowering them with the high order design thinking skills needed to remain relevant in a competitive economy.

Learning Outcomes:

The School is a leader in design education, research, outreach and consultancy. SD’s increased international prominence has translated into a diverse influx of expert perspectives on innovative design processes and methodology, thus nurturing the best educational design practices and ensuring the aims of the Minor Programme will be met. The BA (Hons) in Design Minor Programme provides registered students access to this knowledge and expertise.

Upon graduation, students will have gained insight enabling them to:

1. Identify design innovation opportunities pertinent to their future profession through design- thinking and development;

2. Be able to gain an introductory understanding of the cultural, social, technological and economic basis of design through design-related studies;

3. Become aware of how design relates to sustainability and design ecosystems;

4. Gain an introduction to design-based research methodologies that drive and inform problem-solving processes for users, contexts and stakeholders;

6. Apply aspects of design thinking as a problem-solving approach that integrates multiple stakeholders involved;

7. Be able to document and communicate design project development processes in design language terms such as visual, verbal and written communication and presentation reports.

PolyU aspires to develop its students into all-rounded competent professionals and has identified a set of high-value transferrable graduate attributes as learning goals. Attributes such as critical and analytical thinking, communication skills, and team management skills can also be accrued by participating in co-curricular activities offered by other faculties, departments, or the various teaching and learning support units of the University. Students are encouraged to make full use of such opportunities to develop these attributes.

Quota:

Credit Requirements:

(a)  Core (compulsory subjects)

(b)   Electives