This module introduces you to the principles and practices of project management. You will have had some limited experience of working in projects during the Design Thinking (HA4303) module and will be able to use this as recognition of the need and benefits to developing skills in this aspect of creative professional practice. Much work in the Creative Industries is organised in projects and many creatives work as freelancers or in small agencies operating in a project based manner. Project management involves the identification and organisation of resources, aligning them to milestones and objectives so that at the completion of the project the outcome is valued by the client and the project team generates a return on their effort. While it is the case that creative projects share similar characteristics to those intended to be run by methodologies such as Prince2, they are also different. The module explores this difference and aims at providing an approach and encouraging attitudes to their organisation that will enable creative projects to be better managed.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Teaching and learning strategy will be based around the brief, the client and the tutor acting as guide and mentor to the students. There will be scheduled sessions on consulting skills, a deepening of the design thinking work carried out during HA4304, professional writing and presentation skills. Studio work will form the majority of time spent with milestones on project progress, informal reporting to the module tutor in the studio and completion deadlines.
A critical aspect to this module is the belief that for the challenges and experience of project management to be as close to what will be experienced during their career it is necessary for students to be able to commission work from other people not connected to the programme. Communicating with people who have other priorities and do not necessarily share one's world view or common vocabulary is part of the project management challenge. Accordingly, the project brief will require students to identify, commission and schedule work from other students within the faculty and also outside of it. The brief, where possible, will also have an external client to match the communication challenge and make concept testing and proof of concept prototyping more in keeping with real-world practices.
Projects will vary according to the clients attracted by the programme team, module leader and placement officer. It is expected that students will be able to complete some of the project tasks themselves, using the skills and understanding so far gathered during level 4. However the emphasis will be on commissioning work from others, interpreting, facilitating and reframing the work as it develops.
The module will make use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas for communication and dissemination of information between students and staff as well as making online learning materials available to all.
All courses based in the Kingston School of Art offer students free access to the online video tutorial platform Lynda.com. This provides a wide range of subjects to choose from, many with downloadable exercise files, including software tutorials covering photography, graphics, web design, audio and music, CAD and Microsoft Office software, as well as courses on Business and Management skills. Some of these are embedded in the curriculum and offer additional self-paced learning, others may be taken at will by students wishing to broaden their employability skills in other areas.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Tutor–led sessions and workshops | 48 |
| Guided independent study | Preparation for workshops Project work | 252 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Summative assessment will be based on a reflective log and the project outcome and report. The reflective log will be either digital or physical depending on taste on their actions (including all correspondence and meeting notes), effectiveness and the match between hope and expectations and realities and events. The project will be assessed based on a presentation of their decision making and evaluation of the outcomes compared to brief.
For the presentation an individual mark will be awarded based on each individual presenter's performance.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Understand the roles and objectives of a creative project manager | Reflective log |
| 2) Identify resource requirements and manage a workflow for a particular project | Project presentation (30 mins) |
| 3) To provide an opportunity for students to develop their scheduling and team co-ordination skills | Reflective log Project presentation (30 mins) |
| 4) Evaluate outcomes on project completion | Project presentation (30 mins) |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Reflective log (individual – 1,500) | Coursework | 30% |
| Project presentation (group - 30 mins) | Coursework | 70% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
Works cited are for initial reference only. Module leaders will further enhance and focus it depending on project and assessment tasks.
Cobb, C.G. (2015). The Project Manager's Guide to Mastering Agile Principles and Practices for an Adaptive Approach. Wiley: New York.
Ibach, H. (2009). How To Write An Inspired Creative Brief. iUniverse: Boston.
Hernandez, E. (2017). Leading Creative Teams: Management Career Paths for Designers, Developers, and Copywriters. Apress: New York.
Ideo (2015). The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design. Ideo: Stanford
Kelley, T., and Kelley, D. (2013). Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us. Crown Business: New York.