Postgraduate Diploma in Design – PGDipDes

In this course, students from a broad range of creative practices will work together to situate themselves within the spectrum of the creative industries. Serving their communities as creative leaders, students will apply research and innovation theories to business and social-enterprise practices in order to conceptualise, develop, and deliver a strategic offering for a defined audience.

In this studio-based course students situate their creative practice through exhibition. Students work in a collaborative group to develop and realise an exhibition project. One of the key focus points for the course is students' growing understanding of the reality of public presentation of the creative output. This advanced programme of study will encourage discussion and critical reflection on diverse approaches to the exhibition of creative work and its relevance for a range of academic and/or professional contexts.

In this course students will situate their creative practice through writing. They will extend and hone their critical, analytical and reflective skills through written exposition that focuses on projecting themselves and their practice externally. This advanced programme of study will encourage discussion on diverse approaches to creative research exposition and its relevance for a range of academic and/or professional contexts.

Students will advance their understanding of approaches to creative practice research, methods and theory in relation to their specific practice orientation.

Students will consider tikanga and methodologies relevant to their own creative practice, which may incorporate the use of customary and/or new technologies, innovations, and knowledge. This will include developing an understanding of tikanga, ethics and accountabilities around the use of mātauranga toi Māori, mātauranga-ā-iwi, mātauranga-ā-hapū and mātauranga-a-whānau in the development of their own creative outputs. Students will be supported to locate and articulate their own creative practice in a continuum of mātauranga toi Māori.

In this course, students further develop, research and resolve the project that they proposed in their honours research development. Completed work is to a high level of resolution, making tangible links between theory and practice appropriate to the design specialization and project parameters. The completion of the research project is complemented by supplementary documentation that will position the student as a design practitioner within their specialization.

Development and application of research to an independent industrial design project.

Application and development of research in an independent fashion design project.

Application and development of research to an independent Photographic Design project.

Application of research to the development and production of an approved independent visual communication design project.

Application of research to the development and production of an approved textile design project.

Application and development of research in an independent spatial design project.

Realise and manifest a research-led independent project that communicates integrated design strategies and methods.

Application of research to the development and production of an independent concept design project.

This course guides students through processes and practices for developing a postgraduate research project in design.

Research methods, processes and practices for industrial design and their application through a research project.

Research methods, practices and processes for fashion design and their application through a research design project.

Research methods, practices and processes for Photographic Design and their application.

Application of research methods and processes to investigate social, cultural, aesthetic and technical issues and strategies in an approved visual communication design project.

Research methods processes and practices for Textile Design and their application through a research project.

Research methods, processes and practices for Spatial Design and their application through a research project.

Using integrated design strategies, explore and apply methods, processes and practices through a research investigation that incorporates diverse design approaches. Students will undertake advanced research on a project of their choice.

Application of research methods and processes to investigate social, cultural, aesthetic and technical issues and strategies in an approved concept design project.