Design (DESN)
This is a list of the Design (DESN) courses available at KPU.
DESN 20003 Credits
Academic Research and Writing for Design
Students will study and practice academic research methods, and written and oral communication skills as these apply to design studies. They will acquire a variety of research, communication, and editing skills. They will learn principles, theories, and techniques required for creating design documents, proposals, reports, and project plans. Students will develop their writing skills through assignments that focus on describing, analyzing, and discussing topics relevant to their area of design focus.
Prerequisites: 30 credits of 1100 level courses or higher
Not Transferable
DESN 20013 Credits
Design Thinking and Methodology
Students will study the iterative process of designing. They will evaluate how current social perspectives on sustainability, ethics, and universality drive design decisions. They will define a design problem, and begin to develop a personal methodology for design.
Prerequisites: 30 credits of 1100 level courses or higher
Co-requisites: DESN 2002
Not Transferable
DESN 20023 Credits
Design Concept and Process Studio
Students will research,explore, and ideate the principles and elements involved in creating design solutions. They will test design concepts in two- and three-dimensions, documenting their discoveries in a process book.
Prerequisites: 30 credits of 1100 level courses or higher
Co-requisites: DESN 2001
Not Transferable
DESN 20033 Credits
East Meets West – Vancouver Field School
Students will critically examine, interact with, and document the power of Vancouver's natural landscape and its effect on the unique cultural heritage of "North America's gateway to the Asia Pacific". They will explore through the region's built and natural environments the cultural, creative collision that happens when east meets west. Students will share their conceptual analysis and conclusions through social media with communities around the world.
Not Transferable
DESN 30006 Credits
Interdisciplinary Amazon Field School
Learners will engage in an intensive interdisciplinary field school in the Amazon rain forest. Theywill take part in cultural and creative immersion activities, participate in community engagement
projects, and contextualize their field learning by classroom-based analysis and critical reflection
before and after their field experiences. They will develop interdisciplinary skills in creativity,
academic inquiry, ecology and conservation, cultural awareness, environmental design, design
thinking, and community development. Learners will become familiar with various expressive
modalities of the Amazon region (e.g. design, writing, music, movement, expressive arts,
materiality, storytelling, etc.) and will explore the application of those modalities in an integrative
learning environment. Note: Students will spend two weeks at the Field School site in addition to
class sessions on campus before and after travel. Students must be nineteen years or older at
the start of the course. Students may earn credit for only one of DESN 3000 or ARTS 3000 as they
are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 30 credits of 1100-level courses or higher, or permission of instructor
Not Transferable