Module code: BMA4004-20

Module title: Design Thinking for Enterprise

Subject field: Business and Management
Assignment: A1. An Individual Report
Assessment type: Individual Report
Weight: 60% of overall grade
Level: 4
Word Criteria: 2500 words (+/-10%)

Submission deadline: 22nd January 2024 at 23:59 pm

Assignment 1: Written Assignment (60% of total)

Title: An exploration of a specific and local problem using the 5W&H model.

Choose one of the United Nations (UN) Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) from the
following website URL: https://sdgs.un.org/goals. Then select a specific local news story as a
focus to develop the first three aspects of Design Thinking (Include elements of empathy,
definition, and ideation).

Summary: You will select and describe one SDG and link it to a range of issues that you are
interested in, have read about or are aware of. Next you will take a deep dive into the issues
surrounding the SDG (at a local level) using the 5W&H model. Then finally and tentatively,
explore some potential ideas that would theoretically help reduce the impact of the
problem in your capacity as a Design Thinker.

Rationale: Design Thinkers often use the 5W&1H model to explore complex issues in greater
detail. This is an opportunity for you to consider an aspect of sustainability in depth and to
understand how Design Thinking may help to provide solutions to “wicked” problems.

Section A: Current State Description (50% of Grade)

 Introduction: Describe the “current state” of your chosen project. Take a deep dive into
issues and show how they relate to a single, defined UN SDG. Provide the reader with
context for further discussion and potential scope and impact. You should narrow your
focus to a local issue(s) in local news media. Guide: We suggest researching in a 50-mile
radius of your normal campus or home town.
Then: Creatively and thoughtfully explore core issues using the 5W&H as section sub-
headings below using materials and theories introduced on the course.
 What needs to be done?
 Where should it be done?
 When does it need to be done?
 Who should do it?
 How should it be done?
 Why does it need to be done?

Section B. Future State Ideation (50% of Grade)

 What if? Now discuss your ideas for a “future state” solution (Based on Section
A). In this section, generate a “rich picture” (in both words and illustration) that
illuminates the future state potential of your ideation. Focus on laying out your
ambition and the potential of your ideas rather than fine detail. Also, highlight
any Design Thinking methods you found useful as you proceed. However, please
be mindful to consider genuine viability, rather than simply using a lot of
unsupported superlatives to describe potential.

Note: This report is your first iteration only. It may become the focus of
assignment 2. Assignment 2 will ask you to develop your initial ideas as part
of a team to produce a desirable (human), feasible (technical) and viable
(business) “call to action”.

Submission Checklist

 Include (Insert) a front cover with your Student Number, Title, and brief Abstract
(You may also add impact with an original image or artwork and a contents list).
 Submit through Turnitin via VLE before the due date.
 Harvard referencing is required for all cited materials and quotes.
o Use in-text citations to show the reader what you have found (include a
number of different academic sources and materials).
o Provide a list of these references at the end of the report. This should follow
Harvard conventions and be presented in alphabetical order.
o Where possible, try to use materials sourced through the Newton Park
Library databases (rather than Search Engine hits) and please also avoid
paraphrasing large sections of text from single sources.
 o Write in your own words and bring a variety of perspectives into your
submission.
o Secondary referencing: If you see a citation you want to use but you are
unable to find the original work, use the “cited-in” or ‘cited by” convention
(see: Secondary referencing on Cite them right).
 Word count: You should submit between 2250 and 2750 words. We will not count
abstract words on the front page, contents list or reference list, but everything else
(including tables) is included. Please include a WC at the end of each section. We
stop marking at 2750, so make sure you don’t go over the word limit. (Exception:
Hand written words illustrating graphics are not included – but these should be kept
to a minimum, so the marker can concentrate on your gradable content).
 All graphical illustrations must be your original work – Do not copy/paste any
illustrations from the internet – Marks may be deducted for using uncited copyright
materials.
 Your document will be standard A4 with numbered pages and oriented as portrait
(Note: Landscape submissions may be rejected/failed, as they can’t be assessed
easily).
o Font: Use a Calibri point size 12 or similar/equivalent. Avoid CAPITALISATION
where possible.
 Re-read the brief, make sure you have proofread the document at least twice before
submission and look at the marking criteria again. Then proofread again before
submission. Good luck!
 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Criteria Fail (0-39%) D (40-49%) C (50-59%) B (60-69%) A (70-85%) A+ (86-100%)
Poor quality Satisfactory quality Sound quality Good quality Excellent quality Outstanding quality
Choice and The choice and The choice and The choice and The choice and The choice and The choice and understanding
Understanding of the understanding of the issues understanding of the understanding of understanding of the issues understanding of the issues of the issues are fully justified,
issues are poorly justified and not issues are justified issues are justified are fully justified and are fully justified, empathetic, persuasive, and
appropriate to answer the sufficiently and is sufficiently well andappropriate to answer the empathetic and persuasive. original. Inspired and original.
brief satisfactorily. quite appropriate to are appropriate to brief clearly. Clear focus on a The submission is robust and
answer the brief. answer the brief. single issue. inspired.
Development of Insufficient attention to the Attention to the Attention to the Attention to the Attention to the Attention to the development
Discussion development of discussion. development of development of development of discussion is development of discussion is of critical argument is
Much is descriptive and discussion points is discussion is useful at
useful and offers interesting critical and particularly particularly useful and offers
argumentation is flawed or sufficient. times although some perspectives although some useful, it offers interesting interesting perspectives are
biased due to lack of further expansion is further expansion would add perspectives. discussed critically
academic research and required for clarity.to quality of discussion. The submission is throughout.
consideration. Logical use of tools and Persuasive and expansive. Highly persuasive and
techniques where necessary. focused.
Research and use of Research cited is low quality Research cited is of Research cited is of Research cited is generally Research cited is of high Research cited is of high
citations and and insufficient to support reasonable but mixed mixed quality but of good quality and quality and supports quality and supports detailed
supporting material arguments/ descriptions quality but is sufficient to support sufficient to support detailed argumentations and argumentations and identifies
presented. sufficient to support some arguments detailed argumentations. inspires further research. inspirational and original
some arguments. well. Good quality materials Comprehensive and critical. research strands.
selected. Comprehensive.
Communication and The document is difficult to The document is The document is The document is engaging The document is engaging, The document is engaging,
presentation of issues read and follow. readable, and most readable and well and informative. All sections and all sections are clear, and all sections are clear,
and ideas. sections are informed. All sections are sufficiently clear to read interesting, and engaging interesting, and engaging and
sufficiently clear to are sufficiently clear and follow. and offer a useful offer a useful contribution to
read and follow. to read and follow. contribution. academic. Few or very minor
Consistently high standards faults detected in approach
and few obvious errors. and or delivery. Faultless.