Industry Pitch

Overview

Industry Pitch assessments are capstone presentations where students develop professional-level project proposals and present them to expert panels, emulating real-world industry competition formats. This assessment transforms traditional project presentations by requiring students to meet professional competition standards while demonstrating comprehensive design thinking, technical resolution, and compelling communication skills. 

Key features

• Lane 1: Secure assessment 
• Supported by in-person presentation formats with flexible visual communication methods 
• Scalable for individual projects, partnerships, or group work while maintaining professional presentation standards 
• Creates portfolio-quality work suitable for job applications, industry showcases, and professional development 
• Supports diverse presentation formats (visual boards, digital media, interactive demonstrations) allowing creative communication approaches 
• Develops professional presentation skills through authentic competition-style panel critiques with external industry experts 
• Includes defence component where students justify design decisions and respond to challenging questions from the panel 

How it works

Curtin snapshot   

Chris’ example assessment

About my unit: Faculty of Humanities | 100-150 students | In-person | Group work 

I designed this as a competition showcase because traditional final presentations felt disconnected from how architects actually present work in professional contexts. Students need experience defending their ideas to panels of experts who will ask challenging questions about feasibility, ethics, and innovation. 

The format mirrors real architecture competitions like the Australian Institute of Architects awards process. Students develop comprehensive design packages with competition-standard boards, detailed technical drawings, and experiential media. They might create VR walkthroughs, cinematic films, or interactive demonstrations – whatever best communicates their post-AI architecture vision. 

The expert panel includes external professionals alongside faculty, creating authentic pressure and feedback. Students present for 10-15 minutes then face Q&A about their design decisions, sustainability considerations, and societal implications. This mirrors professional practice while producing portfolio-quality work that demonstrates job readiness. 

Students are required to submit the following deliverables as a single, cohesive competition entry: 

• Comprehensive design package, including visual slides, detailed drawings, and phenomenological/experiential media 
• Written design statement 
• Oral presentation 
• Process portfolio documenting iterative development 

The design showcase creates capstone pieces suitable for professional portfolios, job applications, and industry networking. Students often use these projects as centrepiece examples when seeking employment or further study opportunities. 

My advice 

It’s important to help students understand they’re not just presenting to get a grade – they’re presenting as future professionals to industry experts. This mindset shift elevates the quality of work dramatically. 

Strong scaffolding through previous assignments is essential so students aren’t overwhelmed by the comprehensive final requirements. Break down the competition format requirements early and provide examples of professional competition entries. Most importantly, ensure multiple rehearsal opportunities – the presentation skills development is often as valuable as the design work itself. 

Suggested marking criteria

Note: Marking criteria and weighting are suggested guidelines. Specific descriptions should be adapted to relevant content and learning objectives.