This course introduces students to design activity as a form of inquiry found across a broad range of disciplines. In particular, the course examines how design is engaged in the context of industrial design and development both locally and globally. Theoretical models of design and innovation are discussed with a view to different disciplinary conceptions of the design process. Examples of design inquiry are illustrated in historical and contemporary instances. As part of the course, students employ selected modes and methods of design research to generate innovative ideas and to translate these ideas into designed outcomes. To this end, students will engage in processes of design activity and inquiry in applied exercises throughout the course.