sensing, perception & action 2019

Dozierende: Verena Ziegler



Coop Himmelb(l)au in Basel, 1971

We would start our journey in Interaction Design in a manner of Alchemic wondering about the world, to stimulate first thoughts on the role of design, human and technology. How will we might become a designer and what do we face in the university as well as the outside world? Therefore, we will investigate in designing within room and space - discussing about our local surroundings and global interdependencies. We will dive through different episodes of becoming an Interaction Designer – adequate to the stages of becoming an Alchemist – with all the expectations, experiences we learn, and reflections and actions on it. This seminar should give a fundamental base for the upcoming semesters interweaving theory and practice into discourse.

Part I: sensing

We are dealing with our role as prospective Interaction Designers through the "Alchemic Stages of Knowing and Becoming".

18. September 2019. Sensing the Environment. Everything originates out of a certain nature, field trip "interaction design in context” 

1. Interactive Things

9.15 - 10.30am

Interactive Things, Benjamin Wiederkehr

Brauerstrasse 37, 8004 Zürich

2. Schlaganfallzentrum USZ

11.00 - 12.00pm

Extraordinarius für vaskuläre Neurologie und Rehabilitation
Klinik für Neurologie, Universitätsspital Zürich

Frauenklinikstrasse 26, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland

3. Museum for Design

13.30 - 15.30pm

Museum for Design

Ausstellungsstrasse 60, 8005 Zürich

4. Tauschen am Fluss

16.30 - 17.30pm

Tauschen am Fluss

Breitensteinstrasse 19A, 8037 Zürich

Equipment: pen, notebook, mobile phone, camera, bag, raincoat, good shoes and something to eat and drink.

Tour: Link Google Maps https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KPwP7R3ids_w6dkF4UCPnr0I85Zzkadz&usp=sharing

We take a walk through the city of Zurich and develop ways of observation. Through the technique of Promenadology developed by Swiss sociologist and design theorist Lucius Burckhardt, a vivid attitude towards perception and reality arises. This gives us the opportunity for an in-depth understanding of urban space, its infrastructures and interactions, and thus the basis for a human- or community-centered design. Let´s see how everything originates out of a certain nature.

• Schmitz, M. (14.06.2015). Von der Urbanismuskritik zur Spaziergangswissenschaft. Deutschlandfunk. Essay und Diskurs.
• Burckhardt, L. (2006). Warum ist Landschaft schön? Die Spaziergangswissenschaft. Berlin: Martin Schmitz Verlag      
• Burckhardt, L. (1980). Design ist unsichtbar. In Gsöllpointner, H.; Hareiter, A.; Ortner, L. 

DeutschlandFunk_Urbanismuskritik_2015.pdf
BurckhardtL_WarumistLandschaftschoen_1977.pdf

Please read the texts in preparation to the walk!!!

23. September 2019. The Human being. First stage of becoming an Interaction Designer.

time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
location: seminar room 4.T31

What means being human in the world? In this essential of all questions Immanuel Kant´s three fundamental questions arose: What can I know? What should I do? What can I hope? Before we deal with the shaping of our world, let us examine the question of what humanity means at all. Is there a sufficient answer to this question and where do we find a systematic discourse?

Questions: What means environment, human, affordance, technology, art, design, user?

• Burckhardt, L. (1980). Design ist unsichtbar. In Gsöllpointner, H.; Hareiter, A.; Ortner, L. (1981). Design ist unsichtbar. Wien: Loecker.
• Gibson, J.J.  (1986). The Theory of Affordances. In Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.
• Connor, S.  (2011) Paraphernalia: The Curious Lives of Magical Things). Wires. In Profile Books

01_BurckhardtL_Designistunsichtbar_1980.pdf
02_GibsonJ-The-Theory-of-Affordances.pdf
03_Connor_Wires_Paraphernalia.pdf
04_Burckhardt_Lucius_1981_2012_Design_is_Invisible.pdf

30. September 2019. Human behaviour. Second stage of becoming an Interaction Designer.

time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
location: seminar room 4.T31

We discuss concepts such as "embodiment", "mind-body dualism", "education", "affordance", "affect", and take a quick look at the Skinner Box. We talk about the design and readability of incentives in our environment and ask: Is there a difference between behaviour, social behaviour, and conditioned behaviour? What do we have to consider as a designer when we first know this difference?

Questions: What means human behaviour, embodiment, mediation and thinking through design?

• Skinner, B.F. (1948). Walden Two. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.
• Skinner, B.F. (1986). Some Thoughts about the future. In: Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior. Boston, Mass.: Harvard University. p 229-235
• Plessner, H.(1982).Elemente menschlichen Verhaltens. In: Mit anderen Augen. Aspekte einer philosophischen Anthropologie. Stuttgart: Reclam. 

• Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009).The concept of flow. In Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. (Ed.). Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press, USA. 89-105

01_Skinner_Walden_Two_Die_Vision_einer_aggressionsfreien_Gesellschaft.pdf
02_Skinner_Somethoughtsabouthefuture.pdf03_Plessner_1982.pdf
04_Concept_of_Flow_Csikszentmihalyi_2009.pdf

07. October 2019. Thinking and Action.  Third stage of becoming an Interaction Designer.

time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
location: seminar room 4.T31

What means consciousness? How do we think, what a personified experience is and how can we maneuver between atomism and holistic world experience? What is certain, is Bruno Labour: "As soon as theory has performed its analytical section and the sound of the breaking bones is heard, it is no longer possible to explain how we are to construct and how to live. Then there is only an attempt to subdue subjects and objects, words, and the world, society, nature, mind, and matter, all of which are mere shards, which are made to prevent any harmony."

Questions: What means thinking, consciousness, control, human experience and responsibilty?

• Noë, A. (2010). Du bist nicht Dein Gehirn. Eine radikale Philosophie des Bewusstseins. München: Piper Verlag, München.

• Latour, B. (1999). Pandora's Hope: An Essay on the Reality of Science Studies. Boston, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

01_Noe_DubistnichtdeinGehirn.pdf
02_Latour_VorsichtigerPrometheus.pdf

14. October 2019. The Social, Networks, Economies and Space for Experiences. Fourth stage of becoming an Interaction Designer.

time: 10.30 - 12.30pm
location: seminar room 4.T31

What happens, if relationships between people change and what might this be related to technology? We are trying to develop an idea about what we call the social, about networks and the role of design.

Questions: What means social, frameworks, economies, cyber culture, surveillance?

• Elias, N. (1987/1991). Wandlungen der Wir-Ich_Balance. In: Die Gesellschaft der Individuen. Suhrkamp Taschenbuch, S. 209 - 226.

• Hardin, G. (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science 162 (3859): 1243–1248.

• Sassen, S. (2001) Die Rolle der neuen Technologien . Freies, informelles Wissen  und wozu es befähigt. In: Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik 2/2011.

01_Elias_WasistSoziologie.pdf
02_Hardin_Tragedyofthecommons.pdf
03_Sassen_Rolle-Neuer-Technologien.pdf

Part II: Writing Practice 

11. November 2019, We are imagining our career path and possible future success as Interaction Designer.

time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
location: seminar room 4.T31

We will be mapping our Alchemic Journey and furthermore investigate into academic writing.

• Papanek, V. (1971). Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change. New York: Pantheon Books.

01_Papanek_design_victor_whatisdesign.pdf
02_Writing_at_University.pdf
03_Energy-harvesting & Self-Actuated Textiles for the home- Designing with New Materials & Technologies.pdf

18. November 2019

time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
location: seminar room 4.T31

Individuelles Mentoring

10.30 - 10.40 Apeltsotou, Kimon Aris 

10.40 - 10.50 Brigatti, Nemo Vinzent

10.50 - 11.00 Delany, Nicola

11.00 - 11.10 Ettlinger, Kiliian

11.10 - 11.20 Güneysel, Baran Yüksel

11.20 - 11.30 Huber, Gian-Carlo

11.30 - 11.40 Jegatheeswaran, Aathmigan

11.40 - 11.50 Nikolov, Alec Sean

11.50 - 12.00 Rüttimann, Ramona Elisabeth

12.00 - 12.10 Springer, Celina

12.10 - 12-20 Spühler, Daniela Andrea

12.20 - 12.30 Tao, Sonia

12.30 - 12.40 Waldburger, Andreas

12.40 - 12.50 Watanabe, Miriam Mai

12.50 - 13.00 Wiss, Alessia

13.00 - 13.10 Wollschlegel, David

25. November 2019, We present our short stories and fictions about the everyday life of tomorrow.

time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
location: Seminarraum 4.T31

We will write about the experience of what has happened or what might become real in the future through individual scopes. We will investigate towards approaches, questions and points of interest to our future field of activity.

• Fisher, W. R. (1987). Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value, and Action. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.

01_Fisher_HumanCommunicationasNarration.pdf

Essay writing (ca. 5 Seiten) Abgabe 15. Dezember auf IAD server

- What is the topic/issue/phenomenon that you aim to investigate?
- Is it a problem that you want to solve or an opportunity that presents itself?
- What research questions could you ask or what statements could you make?
- What methods would you use to to answer the questions or prove your hypothesis?
- What is your motivation for investigating this topic?

EXPECTATIONS AND GRADING

Grades will be based on the oral and written presentations and on class participation. Contributing to constructive group feedback is an essential aspect of class participation. Regular attendance is required. Two or more unexcused absences will affect the final grade. Arriving late on more than one occasion will also affect the grade.

Class participation 30% 

Presentation Short Stories 30%

Final Assignment 40%

Any assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade.