MDes Textiles with Business Studies
MDes Fashion with Business Studies
MDes/MFA Materials Practice (Wood, Metal, Ceramics and Plastics)
MDes Three Dimensional Design
Title
Professional Practice: The Business
Environment in the Creative Industries
Code
Status
Mandatory Core Unit
Credits
Level
1
Study Hours
Prerequisite
Terms
Co-requisite
none
Lead Tutor
Jake Leith / Kelly Sant
AD129
10
100
1&2
Introduction
This unit is designed to introduce and equip students with a range of transferable skills, qualities and
attitudes that prepare them for life beyond graduation. Through investigation and critical reflection
students will develop their appreciation of the scale and scope of the creative industries and begin to
locate themselves, their individual interests and practice within a vocational context. It will include
practical work to develop research methods and skills, enhanced by reflective, practical and critical
investigative assignments.
This unit has been designed to develop students’ ability to understand the fundamentals of professional
practice within their particular discipline in relation to industry.
Aims (A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, A9, A10, A11, A12)
Within this unit the particular aims are:
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To provide a sound basis for academic study in succeeding years and to provide students with the
intellectual tools for objective business assessment and engagement with industry
To introduce students to the context of their chosen discipline and the scale and scope of the
creative industries
To orientate new students both geographically and contextually
To develop students’ awareness of their personal and professional development through self
directed learning
To encourage the development of basic skills in communication, organisation and presentation,
research methods, self-reflection and analysis, teamwork and networking
Content
The programme will be a combination of formal lectures, individual and group orientation assignments
aimed at developing individual learning, self-reflection and team skills. The course will provide an outline
of the scope of students’ chosen field and its context within the creative industries nationally and
internationally.
Students will develop an awareness of SME’s (small/medium enterprise) and the range of professional
and supporting bodies that exist to promote products and services and the range of media employed to
do this.
The course is designed to develop skills and knowledge required for successful post graduation
vocational activity, career planning and the integrated management of the creative process. In particular
the students will develop an understanding of exhibitions and the logistics of planning of events through
visits, critical review, discussions and support for their peers.
Learning Outcomes (O1.1, O1.2, O1.3, O1.4, O1.5, O1.6, O1.7)
By the end of this unit of study students will be required to demonstrate:
Subject specific
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An understanding of their knowledge of the creative industries nationally and internationally
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An awareness of SME’s and the vocational opportunities available for career development
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A basic level of competence and skill in communication and presentation, evaluation, reflection,
analysis and report writing, primary and secondary research
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A broad understanding of their chosen discipline and its vocational and/or professional context.
On completion of this unit students will have successfully fulfilled outcomes of the Career Planning
Agreement, and where appropriate, work for this unit will be linked to studentprofile, the University’s
framework for Personal Development Planning.
Transferable Skills
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Independent learning and the importance of reflective practice
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Working in collaboration with others
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Basic level of written and verbal presentation skills
Critical skills and analysis of research, primary and secondary
Communications both verbal, written and visual
IT skills
Teaching and Learning strategies
Students attend lectures, group tutorials and workshops in which they engage in experiential learning
and case studies. Tutorials will support guided independent study, and students will work in small
project groups on developing and applying basic research methods and analysis for their assignments.
They will present their findings through group seminars, oral and written presentation and finally selfevaluation and assessment.
The Careers Centre will provide additional support and guidance in relation to career planning
Up to 30% of this Unit will involve academic contact and 70% will be undertaken as independent study.
Learning Support
Indicative reading:
Hanna, B., Becoming a Product Designer, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2004
Ball, L & Chapman, N., Careers in Art and Design, Kogan Page Ltd, 1996
Charlton, A., Creative Futures: Guide to Courses and Careers in Art, Craft and Design, National Society
for Education in Art & Design, 1996
Bayley, S & Mavity, R., Life’s a Pitch, Bantam Press, 2007
Atrill, P & McLaney, E., Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists, FT Prentice Hall, 2004
Berry, A & Jarvis, R., Accounting in a Business Context, Thomson Learning, 1997
Davies, D., Managing Financial Information, CIPD, 2005
Drury, C., Management Accounting for Business, Thomson Learning, 2004
Jones, M., Accounting for Non-Specialists, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2002
Design Council website., Design in Britain 2004-2005, www.designcouncil.org.uk
Design Council website., Design in Britain 2001, www.designcouncil.org.uk
Design Council website., Inspired Business, www.designcouncil.org.uk
Assessment
Assessment Tasks
The Business and Professional Practice assignment is handed in spring term and must contain:
3 visual outcomes (appropriate media) showing solutions to critical aspects of the use of promotional
media in relation to product and artefact - accompanied by 150 word supporting text for each aspect.
Including individual and group presentations and evaluation. ( 100% )
All students will assist Level 3 or 4 students in the production of their graduate exhibition and participate
in a group evaluation of the graduate show.
Assessment Criteria:
Students in all fields required to attempt and submit all elements of the work set to pass the unit.
Students will be required to achieve an aggregated pass in all elements.
Assessment Process:
Assessment will be made by the subject tutors and by self-assessment. Marking sheets for the two
assessment tasks are supplied in the briefing document given to each student at the start of the unit.