Design, Business, and Technology 2: Understanding Users (EN) 2021/2022

Danish title

Design, Business, and Technology 2: Understanding Users (EN)

Study programme

Design & business

Type of education

Full time education

Level of education

Bachelor (top-up)

Semester

5. semester

Duration of the subject/module

6 Weeks

Ects

Programme elements

Compulsory

Language

English

Start time

Autumn

Location

Guldbergsgade 29 N, København N

Subject number

4156502

Responsible for the subject(s)/modul(es)

Rasmus Rahbek Simonsen ‏

Marie-Louise Lynge Jensen ‏

Nanna Kanneworff ‏

Helene Niclasen Jeune ‏

Purpose and learning objectives
The purpose of this module is to train students in understanding users based on data collection methods and cultural theory at the intersections of design, business, and technology. During the module, students will learn how to investigate and map users according to their needs and values, as well as in relation to cultural, digital, and social behavioural patterns in a specific context. 

The module thus focuses on social structures and behaviours in relation to both digital and offline situations. Students will learn to view their target group from several perspectives. Working with empirical concepts and methods, students will engage in exercises and class discussions to prep them for conducting their own field studies, which will also involve analysing qualitative data, primarily. 

With a curious and exploratory approach, students must work both online and in the field. To strengthen the students’ analytical competencies, digital research tools are introduced. The students’ exercises will culminate in a user profile, which can be used to support the work students carry out on their respective specialisations.
Knowledge
The student will gain knowledge about:

- culture, including knowledge of cultural and intercultural relationships in relation to market and user.

- practice, applied theory and method in the business area.
Skills
The student will get the skills to:

- select and assess practice-orientated and theoretical issues using a sociological focus and analysis of target group and market.

- realise and communicate practice-orientated and design-related issues to partners and users.

- communicate practice-orientated and professional issues and solutions within the business area to partners and users.

- communicate practice-orientated and professional issues and solutions within the subject area of technology to partners and users.
Competences
The student will learn to:

- independently enter into professional and interdisciplinary collaborations and thus gain a comprehensive understanding of the interrelation of the business elements.

- handle complex and development-oriented design processes in order to realise value-adding products and / or concepts.
Type of instruction
On this module, teaching will consist of a series of lectures and related exercises, class discussions, desk research, and fieldwork.
Subject/module requirement for participation
Academic requirement for participation
None.
Equipment needed to participate
Personal computer with Internet access.
Exam
The learning outcomes of the exam are identical with the learning outcomes of the subject(s)/modul(es)
Exam in one or more subjects
Subject/module is tested with the following modules
4156501, 4156503
Type of exam
Written examination
Individual written home exam.
Type of assignment
The purpose of the examination in Design, Business, and Technology is that the student demonstrates fulfillment of the learning objectives within the subject areas design, business, and technology from the modules Design, Business, and Technology 1, 2 and 3 during the 5th semester corresponding to 15 ECTS. The learning objectives appear in the module descriptions for Design, business and technology 1: Value creation, Design, business and technology 2: User understanding, Design, business and technology 3: Process, design experiments and prototyping on KEA's subject and module catalog.

The basis for the test is an individual written assignment, which is prepared on the basis of an assigned task description within the three common subject areas design, business and technology. The assignment description will be released at the end of Design, Business and Technology 3, after which the student has 5 days to prepare the written assignment.
Formal requirements
The scope of the written home assignment is max. 5 standard pages.

A standard page corresponds to 2,400 characters incl. spaces. When calculating the scope, footnotes are included, but not the front page, table of contents, bibliography and appendices. In addition, photos, illustrations and figures do not count. The title, the student's name, class, date and number of characters must appear on the front page of the assignment.

Definition of normal page
A normal page corresponds to 2,400 characters incl. spaces. When calculating the scope, footnotes and source references are included, but not the front page, declaration of confidentiality / declaration of faith and law, table of contents, list of sources (bibliography) and appendices. In addition, photos, illustrations and figures do not count.

Reference system used
Source list, source references and citations must be handled according to the Harvard Referencing System.

Special requirements for the reference list
In the assignment, you must refer to the theories and methods that you apply. You must ensure that the reference list (bibliography) contains all the theories and methods that you use in the assignment and that you refer to the correct materials, cf. the curriculum. For example, you must not refer to a teacher's presentation, but must refer to the original source from the curriculum.

Appendix
Appendices are placed according to the reference list and should only be included if the student refers to it in the assignment. An appendix is materials that the student makes available to the reader, but which do not belong in his full excerpt in the assignment. Attachments can be - but are not limited to - interview transcripts, questionnaires, statistical summaries, hard-to-access documents, etc. An appendix must bear the appendix number, title, explanatory text and any references. For several appendices, the student must make an appendix overview. Each new appendix starts on a new page.
Individual exam or group exam
Individual
Exam languages
English
Duration
5 study days are given for the preparation of the assignment.
Permitted exam aids
All.
Available exam aids
None.
Type of evaluation
7-point grading scale
Examiners
Internal censure
Exam criteria
The test is assessed on the basis of the specific learning objectives that appear in each module.
Deadline for submission
At the end of the semester. Date and time are announced on Fronter and in Wiseflow.
Re-examination and re-examination due to illness
As an ordinary test and according to current rules, cf. the curriculum.
Preliminary literature list
This is a preliminary literature list. A final literature list will be provided in connection with study start.
The curriculum is published on Fronter at the start of the module.

hours of teaching

hours of preparation

The figure shows the extent of workload related to the subject divided into different study activities.

In the subject Design, Business, and Technology 2: Understanding Users (EN) you will receive 41 hours of instruction, which corresponds to 55 lessons (1 lesson = 45 min.) and 30% of your total workload for the subject.

The teaching primarily consists of the following activities: group work, internal lecturers, exercises.
The preparation primarily consists of the following activities: reading the curriculum, collecting empiricism, watching video tapes from class.

Read about KEAs Study Activity Model

*KEA can deviate from the number of hours if this is justified by special circumstances