Program Overview

Course Overview

DSDN 244: Ngā Whakaahuatanga (Photographics) is a course that explores photography as both a creative process and a design research tool. Students engage in photographic practice and theoretical exploration, articulating their response to the photographic medium and developing their theoretical toolkit for analyzing new image forms in relation to multiple types of design.

Course Details

• Dates: 6 July 2026 to 8 November 2026
• Starts: Trimester 2
• Fees:
  • Domestic students: NZ$1,083.45
  • International students: NZ$5,235.75
• Lecture Start Times: Friday, 12:40 pm
• Campus: Te Aro
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 150 hours or 8.3 hours per week for 18 weeks
• Points: 15 points (one point is about 10 hours of work)

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: 75 points, including 30 points from the BDI or BAS schedules
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: Students who have already passed MDDN 244 cannot take this course

Course Structure

• Taught By: School of Design Innovation, Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation
• Disclaimer: This course outline may be subject to change

Key Dates

• Important dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar
• Assessment dates will be announced once the course has begun

About This Course

• DSDN 244 is an on-campus only course, not available for distance study
• All class sessions will be delivered in person at the Te Aro Campus

Course Learning Objectives

1. Use relevant software and hardware to resolve problems and implement photographic design solutions
2. Communicate design concepts orally and visually with clarity and insight
3. Integrate artistic precedents and the practical and theoretical material introduced in lectures to create photographic output
4. Develop photographic practice for implementation in multiple design forms

How This Course Is Taught

• DSDN 244 studio sessions require in-person attendance
• There are no lectures for DSDN 244; all technical information is hands-on and practiced in studio time

Assessment

• Project I - Expanded Photographics: 40%
• Project II - Focused Photographics: 40%
• PBA - Progress-Based Assessment: 20% (Individual)

Lecture Times and Rooms

• 6 July 2026 to 16 August 2026
• 31 August 2026 to 11 October 2026

What You'll Need to Get

• Students will need to provide all materials and equipment necessary for the completion of coursework

Past Versions of This Course

• Older versions of this course may be accessible through the course archive

Student Feedback

• Previous students' feedback on this course can be found in the student feedback database