Naarm always has and always will be unceded Kulin lands and waterways; the Colonial lens that has been perpetuated through design is so yesterday.

As forms of experience design within the tourism industry continue to shift, so can the content. What stories could be told about this place we live in? As designers in this time, we are in a unique position to recalibrate the 'Melbourne' narrative to be in response to Kulin. Because, that's where we actually are.

What does 'Melbourne' look like to you? What do you know about your favourite streets and public places? In this studio you will consider your knowledge and start to build skills of capturing and responding to more diverse resources.

Stepping out of your personal design taste and current knowledge and looking at perspectives critically will enable you to consider the long history of this place; leading to the development of new design narratives that consider multiple perspectives and communicate to diverse audiences on Kulin.

In this studio you will develop the skills and knowledge to design place based experiences. You will consider fiction and history; how do design narratives and storytelling shape learning and behaviours? You will learn how to design with empathy; how will your audience think, act and feel in response to your work? And you will develop visual, language and timing techniques that enable you as a designer to navigate potential social discomforts; ensuring your audience are actively engaged and able to adopt new perspectives.

We will get out and about so wear your kicks! This studio responds to the 'urban' environment by being in it— developing your ability to conduct research through lay of the land techniques, engaged theory and relationality.

Students will develop sophisticated experience design outcomes, considering multi-sensory and multi-dimensional ways of communicating with their audience.

Students will have the opportunity to share their unique experiences of Naarm/Melbourne to the Singapore Institute of Management Communication Design cohort.

Students will be encouraged to document each week's findings in preparation for the final SKO assessment.

Brief 1: Studio co-Knowledge Object (SKO) 30%
Brief 2: This is fiction (Animated Communication Narrative) 30%
Brief 3: Tour Guide (Experience Design) 40%

What is relationality? Indigenous knowledges, practices and responsibilities with kin (Tynan, 2020)

Decolonising Digital Dreams (Nally, 2020)

Where are we? We are here (Nally, 2023)

Public Journal

This studio is linked to our Communication Design program in Singapore, with the opportunity to meet global emerging designers during their visit at the end of semester.