Design (DESN)
This is a list of the Design (DESN) courses available at KPU.
For information about transfer of credit amongst institutions in B.C. and to see how individual courses transfer, go to the BC Transfer Guide bctransferguide.ca
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 from courses at the 1100 level or higher
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 from courses at the 1100 level or higher
Co-requisites: DESN 2002
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 from courses at the 1100 level or higher
Co-requisites: DESN 2001
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.
DESN 20043 Credits
Design Thinking & Innovation
Students apply design thinking methodologies to create solutions for social, cultural, environmental, and/or organizational challenges. They will engage in collaborative processes to research, develop, test, and present innovative solutions to benefit user group experiences through project work that reflects student areas of interest. (Design thinking is creative problem solving that involves critical analysis of problems and contexts employing interdisciplinary perspectives, an emphasis on human-centric research to determine user needs, iterative processes of idea generation and testing, and development of innovative strategies to arrive at creative and viable solutions.)
Prerequisites: ENGL 1100
DESN 21003 Credits
The Vancouver Design Experience
Learners will engage in an intensive field study around the Metro Vancouver region and Canada's West Coast for a period of two weeks (14 days). They will take part in scheduled immersion activities and explore design applications in an integrative learning environment. They will explore the region’s built and natural environments from a design lens and contextualize their field learning with respect to the context of site, culture, history, climate, and geography. They will develop interdisciplinary skills in creativity, design thinking, academic inquiry, as well as cultural awareness. Students will share their analysis and conclusions through social media. Note: Students must be nineteen years or older at the start of the course. The cost of travel and related expenses are borne by the student.
Prerequisites: 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher
DESN 25006 Credits
Design Thinking: Food System Connectivity in Design, Business and Agriculture
The study of agriculture-business and food systems facilitates transdisciplinary learning and research that is intimately linked to the understanding of sustainability and the cultures that they are embedded in. This Field School will provide opportunities for students to implement problem solving and critical thinking methodologies to help students develop an understanding of the important role that agriculture and food systems play in connecting all aspects of the economy, business, environment and society as well as the value of regional food systems. Students will visit farms and food related businesses locally, nationally and/or internationally. When studying food systems, students will compare and contrast financing, marketing, pricing and logistics of food production. 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 AGRI 2500, BUSI 2500, or DESN 2500 as they are identical courses. Additional fees will apply to meet field trip expenses.Prerequisites: 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher
DESN 30006 Credits
Interdisciplinary Amazon Field School
Learners will engage in an intensive interdisciplinary field school in the Amazon rain forest. They will 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 from courses at the 1100 level or higher
DESN 31003 Credits
Design Field School
Learners will engage in an intensive field study in another city or country for a period of two weeks. They will take part in scheduled immersion activities and contextualize their field learning by classroom-based analysis and critical reflection before and after their field experiences. Students will assimilate design theory and knowledge with respect to the context of site, culture, climate, geography, and explore design applications in an integrative learning environment. They will develop interdisciplinary skills in creativity, design thinking, academic inquiry, and cultural awareness. Students must be 19 years or older at the start of the course. There will be class sessions on campus before and after the travel portion.
Prerequisites: 60 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher
DESN 41003 Credits
Innovation Project
Students will critically examine complex, open-ended challenges and issues that impact people, services, systems, workplaces, and organizations in an innovation project. They will apply design thinking to an innovation project. They will apply methodologies, stakeholder and user group research, trans-disciplinary theories, and collaborative approaches to ideate, iterate, create, and test innovative strategies and solutions that have the potential to initiate positive, transformational change. (Design thinking is a creative, human-centric, problem-solving process that can help communities, small businesses, corporations, not-for-profits, institutions, and others create responsive and innovative solutions for services, products, systems, environments, and technologies).
Prerequisites: 60 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including ENGL 1100 and 6 credits from courses at the 3000 level or higher.