The design proposal in situated learning

The design proposal is a standardized writing structure used in design business practice to rationalize, describe and persuade a client that a particular design outcome is the best solution to their brief, as such it is clearly a competitive document and instrumental to best design practice. In this paper I am proposing that with an augmented structure, it can also serve academic outcomes with equal alacrity Since moving to Swinburne University Faculty of Design five years ago, I have been heavily involved in honours and postgraduate teaching and instrumental in establishing research methodologies in Honours and Postgraduate Coursework studies. This opportunity has allowed me to inherit and modify the design proposal and develop it into a versatile vehicle for both academic and/or business oriented applications by selectively modifying its components according to the outcomes and requirements of the client. From the students point of view the design proposal gives continuity of experience with previous studio learning, while providing a structure for the incorporation of more rigorous and research driven components required for academic assessment. This article provides a modified structure for the design proposal as a hybrid form of writing that can serve as a powerful bridge to postgraduate study. At Swinburne it has also proven to be a versatile, subdividable structure that suits group work and collaborative learning.