ABB103 Create and Represent: Process
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | ABB103 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent(s): | DYB111 or ABD103 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,192 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,704 |
| International unit fee | $5,436 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | ABB103 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | DYB111 or ABD103 |
| Coordinators: | Melissa Guyatt | melissa.guyatt@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit introduces foundational analogue and digital representational processes used in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design. Through drawing, modelling, and diagramming, you will explore how representation operates not only as a means of communication, but as a method of design thinking.
The unit emphasises observation, experimentation, and iteration across multiple scales. Students engage with hand drawing, physical model making, and digital workflows to analyse space, generate ideas, and test formal and spatial propositions. Rather than focusing on resolved outcomes, the unit prioritises design process, decision-making, and the clear communication of development over time.
The skills and approaches developed in this unit support concurrent and future design and technology units.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply analogue and digital representational techniques to explore and communicate spatial ideas across multiple scales.
- Experiment with drawing, modelling and diagramming as iterative design processes, using observation, testing and reflection to inform design decisions.
- Develop and compare design options through physical and digital models to demonstrate spatial, formal and material exploration.
- Curate and present a coherent visual narrative that communicates design thinking, process and development using accepted graphic conventions.
Content
Topics in this unit may include:
- Design principles and spatial organisation
- Orthogonal drawing conventions and scale
- Physical and digital model-making techniques
- Analytical and diagrammatic drawing
- Iterative design and option development
- Introduction to generative and parametric procedures
- Portfolio curation and visual communication
Learning Approaches
Learning in this unit is studio-based and process-driven. Students learn through making, drawing, modelling, testing, and reflecting across a sequence of weekly activities.
Studios, workshops, and computer labs provide structured opportunities to:
- Observe and analyse spatial conditions
- Develop representational skills through analogue and digital techniques
- Experiment with design ideas through iterative drawing and modelling
- Compare and refine options across multiple scales
Weekly activities are cumulative and generate the primary material used in assessment submissions. Independent practice between classes is expected to support skill development and experimentation.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit supports learning, development, and assessment readiness.
Formative feedback is provided throughout the semester to help you understand whether your work is progressing toward the standard required to pass the unit, as well as how it might be further developed.
This includes:
- In-class feedback on work-in-progress during studios and workshops
- Peer discussion and informal pin-ups
- A structured Week 9 checkpoint, which provides guidance on progress, identifies gaps or risks, and supports readiness for successful completion.
Formative feedback is developmental and does not contribute to final grades.
Summative feedback is provided after assessment submission using criteria-referenced assessment rubrics. This feedback explains how your work meets, exceeds, or falls below the required standard for each criterion.
Together, these feedback processes support continuous learning and help ensure transparency and fairness in assessment.
Assessment
Overview
This unit includes two individual portfolio assessments:
Assessment 1 focuses on analogue representation skills, observation, and early process development.
Assessment 2 focuses on iterative design exploration, option development, and the curation of a visual narrative using analogue and digital techniques.
To pass the unit, students must demonstrate engagement with design process, completion of required representational tasks, and evidence of development across time.
This unit places strong emphasis on authentic skill development and authorship. Students may be required to demonstrate how their work was produced through drafts, models, in-class activities, or process documentation. Clear records of development support both learning and assessment integrity.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations
This assessment focuses on the development of foundational representational skills through analogue drawing and diagramming techniques.
You will produce and curate a portfolio of drawings developed through weekly studio exercises. These exercises introduce key concepts of scale, orthographic projection, perspective, and diagramming, and support observation, experimentation, and reflection.
The assessment prioritises:
• Manual drawing skills and accuracy across multiple scales
• Engagement with learning through experimentation and comparison
• Evidence of skill development over time
• Clear and coherent visual communication through portfolio curation
This assessment establishes the representational and process foundations required for the second half of the semester.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration
This assessment focuses on iterative design exploration using a combination of analogue and digital techniques, including physical model making, digital modelling, and diagramming.
You will develop and curate a portfolio that documents your design process in response to a specified brief. The brief is intentionally open-ended; the assessment does not require a resolved or feasible design outcome. Instead, emphasis is placed on how ideas are generated, tested, compared, and communicated over time.
A formative Week 9 checkpoint provides feedback on progress and readiness to continue, supporting informed decision-making before later stages of the assessment.
The assessment prioritises:
• Experimentation across analogue and digital representational modes
• Development and comparison of multiple design options
• Iterative testing of spatial, formal, and material ideas
• Curation of a clear visual narrative that communicates design thinking and process
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Required and recommended readings and resources will be identified on Canvas prior to and during the semester.
Risk Assessment Statement
All commencing Faculty of Engineering students are required to complete the Mandatory Safety Induction
There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.AB01 Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours)
- Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills across a range of disciplines and specialist knowledge and skills in one built environment area.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Communicate knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Plan, develop and complete research and other projects.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations
AB05 Bachelor of Architectural Design
- Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills in architecture.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative architectural solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Communicate architectural knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Plan, develop and complete architectural research and projects.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | ABB103 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | DYB111 or ABD103 |
| Coordinators: | Alessio Russo | alessio.russo@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit introduces foundational analogue and digital representational processes used in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design. Through drawing, modelling, and diagramming, you will explore how representation operates not only as a means of communication, but as a method of design thinking.
The unit emphasises observation, experimentation, and iteration across multiple scales. Students engage with hand drawing, physical model making, and digital workflows to analyse space, generate ideas, and test formal and spatial propositions. Rather than focusing on resolved outcomes, the unit prioritises design process, decision-making, and the clear communication of development over time.
The skills and approaches developed in this unit support concurrent and future design and technology units.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply analogue and digital representational techniques to explore and communicate spatial ideas across multiple scales.
- Experiment with drawing, modelling and diagramming as iterative design processes, using observation, testing and reflection to inform design decisions.
- Develop and compare design options through physical and digital models to demonstrate spatial, formal and material exploration.
- Curate and present a coherent visual narrative that communicates design thinking, process and development using accepted graphic conventions.
Content
Topics in this unit may include:
- Design principles and spatial organisation
- Orthogonal drawing conventions and scale
- Physical and digital model-making techniques
- Analytical and diagrammatic drawing
- Iterative design and option development
- Introduction to generative and parametric procedures
- Portfolio curation and visual communication
Learning Approaches
Learning in this unit is studio-based and process-driven. Students learn through making, drawing, modelling, testing, and reflecting across a sequence of weekly activities.
Studios, workshops, and computer labs provide structured opportunities to:
- Observe and analyse spatial conditions
- Develop representational skills through analogue and digital techniques
- Experiment with design ideas through iterative drawing and modelling
- Compare and refine options across multiple scales
Weekly activities are cumulative and generate the primary material used in assessment submissions. Independent practice between classes is expected to support skill development and experimentation.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit supports learning, development, and assessment readiness.
Formative feedback is provided throughout the semester to help you understand whether your work is progressing toward the standard required to pass the unit, as well as how it might be further developed.
This includes:
- In-class feedback on work-in-progress during studios and workshops
- Peer discussion and informal pin-ups
- A structured Week 9 checkpoint, which provides guidance on progress, identifies gaps or risks, and supports readiness for successful completion.
Formative feedback is developmental and does not contribute to final grades.
Summative feedback is provided after assessment submission using criteria-referenced assessment rubrics. This feedback explains how your work meets, exceeds, or falls below the required standard for each criterion.
Together, these feedback processes support continuous learning and help ensure transparency and fairness in assessment.
Assessment
Overview
This unit includes two individual portfolio assessments:
Assessment 1 focuses on analogue representation skills, observation, and early process development.
Assessment 2 focuses on iterative design exploration, option development, and the curation of a visual narrative using analogue and digital techniques.
To pass the unit, students must demonstrate engagement with design process, completion of required representational tasks, and evidence of development across time.
This unit places strong emphasis on authentic skill development and authorship. Students may be required to demonstrate how their work was produced through drafts, models, in-class activities, or process documentation. Clear records of development support both learning and assessment integrity.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations
This assessment focuses on the development of foundational representational skills through analogue drawing and diagramming techniques.
You will produce and curate a portfolio of drawings developed through weekly studio exercises. These exercises introduce key concepts of scale, orthographic projection, perspective, and diagramming, and support observation, experimentation, and reflection.
The assessment prioritises:
• Manual drawing skills and accuracy across multiple scales
• Engagement with learning through experimentation and comparison
• Evidence of skill development over time
• Clear and coherent visual communication through portfolio curation
This assessment establishes the representational and process foundations required for the second half of the semester.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration
This assessment focuses on iterative design exploration using a combination of analogue and digital techniques, including physical model making, digital modelling, and diagramming.
You will develop and curate a portfolio that documents your design process in response to a specified brief. The brief is intentionally open-ended; the assessment does not require a resolved or feasible design outcome. Instead, emphasis is placed on how ideas are generated, tested, compared, and communicated over time.
A formative Week 9 checkpoint provides feedback on progress and readiness to continue, supporting informed decision-making before later stages of the assessment.
The assessment prioritises:
• Experimentation across analogue and digital representational modes
• Development and comparison of multiple design options
• Iterative testing of spatial, formal, and material ideas
• Curation of a clear visual narrative that communicates design thinking and process
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Required and recommended readings and resources will be identified on Canvas prior to and during the semester.
Risk Assessment Statement
All commencing Faculty of Engineering students are required to complete the Mandatory Safety Induction
There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.AB01 Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours)
- Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills across a range of disciplines and specialist knowledge and skills in one built environment area.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Communicate knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Plan, develop and complete research and other projects.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations
AB05 Bachelor of Architectural Design
- Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills in architecture.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative architectural solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Communicate architectural knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations, Portfolio 2 - Design process and iteration - Plan, develop and complete architectural research and projects.
Relates to: Portfolio 1 - Representational Foundations