Design is central to our everyday lives, from the websites we browse, to the clothes we wear, or simply getting from A to B. Swinburne’s global reputation for design excellence now gives you even more advantage with our unique Bachelor of Design/Bachelor of Applied Innovation double degree.

These combined degrees provide a unique range of skills and knowledge to get a head start in the evolving and dynamic design and innovation industries.

Your design studies delve into a comprehensive variety of core subjects such as typography, digital media, and brand and identity design. You’ll also benefit from a host of Work Integrated Learning opportunities, including placements, internships or industry-linked projects tailored to your chosen major.

While design is innovative by nature, your studies in applied innovation can complement your abilities – and your career potential – in many ways. Develop your interdisciplinary collaboration, facilitation, and complex problem-solving skills in real-world contexts. Conceive, develop and deliver transformative projects around your passions and interests. Leverage analytical and strategic thinking, human understanding, and respect for future generations, with the technological know-how to build a better future.

Whether you’re interested in a career in design specialising in disciplines such as graphic design, multimedia design, UX or interactive design, or want to pursue roles such as innovation lead, strategic designer and innovation strategist, this double degree is made for you.

Course learning outcomes

On successful completion of the Bachelor of Design, graduates will be able to:

• Develop knowledge and cognitive skills to review critically, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge and apply this with initiative and judgement
• Demonstrate technical and practical skills, and a broad understanding of key concepts in their chosen field of study
• Critically apply knowledge, cognitive and creative skills to exercise critical thinking and judgment in identifying and solving problems independently and collaboratively, in diverse contexts
• Articulate a clear, coherent and independent exposition of knowledge and ideas to different audiences and stakeholders
• Apply cognitive and technical skills and to principles of sustainability and respectful design to their knowledge and development of their design solution with responsibility and accountability
• Exercise organisational and leadership skills, and demonstrate the ability to plan and execute a project and/or piece of research with groups that may include academics, industry professionals and students
• Apply a series of thinking systems, creativity toolkits and innovation frameworks to design contextually-relevant solutions addressing local and global challenges in and outside their discipline
• Identify and articulate opportunities to innovate and create impact informed by user-centred research and/or data
• Adapt their discipline skillsets in new situations in response to complex and changing contexts, including interdisciplinary environments
• Facilitate and contribute to innovation teams that seek solutions to complex challenges, using inclusive collaboration practices to leverage different skills and perspectives
• Navigate commercial, human and technical requirements aided by prototyping and testing to deliver solutions that create value
• Communicate the value of experimentation, ideas and innovation with confidence in developing solutions to investors, potential partners, employers or other stakeholders
• Develop futures-focused innovations that integrate responsible social, technological and environmental factors