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eSpring 2024: March 18 - April 19Spring 2025: March 17 - April 17.

Instructors:
Dr Joëlle Bitton
joelle.bitton@zhdk.ch 

Nicole Foelsterl
nicole.foelsterl@zhdk.chOffice hours by appointment 

The module takes place from March 17 - April 1817, over 5 weeks, from Monday to Friday each week, 9.00-17.00 (.
On Mondays, depending on the week, the Method class takes place in mornings or afternoons overlapping with the Process class, and Friday mornings are for your BA theory courses)
- See detailed hours in calendar below (room info in Evento). 
**Some sessions may take place via Zoom (although sessions happening both in Zoom and in presence at the same time will not be possible).

Class sessions include lectures, discussions, mentoring sessions, in-class exercises, home assignments and independent study blocks (students are expected to iterate and advance versions in between sessions together).

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This course puts the students in the context of realising an interaction design outcome from initial idea to final proposal, with a particular emphasis on field research and user-experience.
In this interaction design process, students work through the several stages of project development: Context/User Inquiry, Concept Generation and Iteration, Idea Testing, Prototype Development , and Evaluation and Concept Iteration. 

Following Within these stages of observation, creation, and evaluation, we will discuss and apply situated and user-centered methods (eg. bodystorming, context analysis, video scenarios, etc).

This course is project-based and will allow students to have a hands-on experience.
Organised in groups, students will develop innovative design concept for a product, a service or an experience. 


Overarching Topic: Absurdity in a world of systemic issues

The topic for this class addresses the typical design premise of interaction designers' wishes to have a societal impact. People-centered design is at the core of interaction design studies and human-computer interaction research. What does this premise actually mean? What are the limitations, frustrations, realities of designing on the ground?

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  Should we still consider the role of designer as "problem-solver"? And what if we should move away from a human-centric design to a non-human one?

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We thus uncover the contradictions of a designer's responsibility, agency and idealisation. The class looks indeed at changes not in term of individual behaviours but

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checking if systemic changes

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could happen from a design proposal.

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A design proposal can often seem insignificant in response to events and conjunctures that are overwhelming and bleak, such as global warming, the collapse of ecosystems, wars, economic struggles, social injustices etc They can make us feel powerless and make design proposals seem insignificant. Yet. So, in this dark context, we have the opportunity to re-value choose as a creative condition for this class to rediscover the values of humour and gaiety as points of counterbalance and as design tools. Hence this year, your aim for the course is to address systemic issues and propose a design outcome with that fosters a sense of playfulness, absurdity and humour. 
For this courseIn addition, each group of students will engage designing design in a specific social context that they will identify and they will argue , and students are expected to provide rigorous arguments for their intervention, in conjunction with working with people (or non-people) involved on the ground.
During the course the student will learn:
  • how to design through personal exploration and in communication with others (participatory design)
  • how to search for new possibilities/opportunites/alternatives for interactive products, rather than responding to a set of given requirements
  • how to use a variety of methods and tools which can be existing design practices, can be borrowed from other disciplines and can be developed by designers themselves 
  • how to apply ethical guidelines in co-design 

The student is expected to produce these final deliverables:

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  • to apply ethical guidelines in co-design 

Course Outline

Your project development is structured in following steps:

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  • Week 2: Idea Transfers
    Researching, Enacting and testing ideas, 
    Methods: sketching, rapid mockups, bodystorming, brainstorming, participatory methods, extreme characters, etc

  • Week 3: Play 
    Creating prototypes and confronting them to the 'real world'
    Methods: cultural probes, participatory methods with mockups, cartoon scenarios, acting out an experience, etccreating and testing prototype in specific locations, engaging further with users in participatory methods, with mockups, scenarios, cultural probes, ...
  • Week 4: Stories and users  Storytelling 
    How can you use storytelling to prototype your concept and evaluate its relevance? This is also an opportunity to further engage with your users.
    Methods: forms of evaluation, from user-testing to narratives enacting scenarios

  • Week 5: Final Production: last user tests, prototype and Production film
    Evaluating the relevance of your work with users (has it achieved its goals?), Finalising the prototype and Producing a video

  • (Week 6: Polishing details/Final Documentation)

Mandatory Assignments & Deliverables

  • Final WorkWorks

The final outcome of the class is the class is in two-parts: a working prototype, user-tested and demoed/exhibited and presented in context in a short film. For this class, there will be an emphasis on the narrative - it can be an interaction design product, service and/or experience. And a short film showing the prototype in use, grounded in the understanding of the users and the context. This film is also as a way to prototype, evaluate and disseminate your proposal.

    • An advanced first cut of the video should be delivered by Monday 14.4 morning on server

  • Home/In-class assignments

Throughout the module, various short home & in-class assignments will be given to practice concepts discussed in class.

  • Group presentationspresentations & regular check-ins

Interval group presentations/check-ins each week present the advancement of the group's project and highlight the specific requirements of that week. For some presentations, all the class attends and for 'check-ins', the session is with each group (see calendar below for details).
Each presentation are is structured so that each group member will introduce introduces an aspect of the project (all group members are required to attend and to take part). On average, the presentation should be 5-7 minutes.

    • Week 2 check-ins has specific requirements:
      Name of group/project
      Knowledge Inquiry
      5 related works

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    • Findings from the field / probes
      Where do you want to go
      How do you get there (identify roles, needs, actions)
      Demo of Prototype 1.0

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  • Journal/Blog

A separate 'Journal' is developed by each group that reflects on learnings from the seminar. It should be in the form of an online blogthe design process and findings of the project development. It should be in the form of an online blog publicly accessible.

  • Final Documentation

Typical IAD requirements to post on server by the end of the course: authors & abstract, high-res images, selected process moments in PDF, video.

Expectations and Grading

Grades will be based on group presentations, class participation, home assignments, documentation (journal) and final work. 
Contributing to constructive group feedback is an essential aspect of class participation.
Regular attendance of 80% is required in all contact sessions. Two or more unexcused absences will affect the final grade. Arriving late on more than one occasion will also affect the grade.

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The course IAD Design Methods provides the background literature for this class.
Additional readings can be provided as the class progresses.

Teams projects

tba

Calendar

Week 1
Into the Wild!

Monday 17.03

Tuesday 18.03

Wednesday 19.03

Thursday 20.03

Friday 21.03

Morning

(starts at 9.00 otherwise noted)



  • Method & Process class classes
    kick-offs
    Introduction about the two modules

  • Lecture: "Design/Undesign: Perspectives & Biases Biases"

    + Discussion 
    + Overview of the IAD Process class topic & scope (jb)
    Discussion following the lecture + scope 
  • Exercise, part 1: Topics and themes emerging

(jb)

*we may finish slightly after 12.00

  • More detailed Overview of IAD Process module
  • Students present First unedited results (sound, photos, videos, observations)

    + Discussion 

  • Overview of IAD Process module part 2

  • Exercise part 2: topic and group building (clustering by themes)


(jb)

  • Input:
    Ethnographic study & 
    Sense Making

    (nf)








Field Research



Afternoon
(starts at 13.00 otherwise noted)


  • Assignment: spontaneous observations - post on Miro board by 19.00



Going back to the Field 



Going back to Field 

  • 14.30 Group presentations: Inspirations and Field Research (First impressions of 2-3 iterations, narrative over 1.5 daysthat has emerged, questions/reflections that drove your choices for the field studystudy...) 5-7mn/group
    (jb, nf) 
     
  • Expectations for the following week

Independent study

Week 2
Idea Transfers

Monday 24.03




(Bits & Atoms)




Tuesday 25.03

Wednesday 26.03

Thursday 27.03

Friday 28.03

Morning
(starts at 9.00 otherwise noted)

Field Research & Desk-based Research
(Related work, 
References)


Field Research & Desk-based Research
(Related work, 
References)

Field Research & Desk-based Research
(Related work, 
References)

Afternoon
(starts at 13.00 otherwise noted)


  • 13.00-14.30
    Theory class:     Experience and the "user"
    14.45-15.25 Process class Exercise: 'Observations & Experiences'

  • Process class Exercise:
    Very rapid prototyping 
    (jb)

  • 15.30 Group Presentations:
    mock-ups
    (jb) 


  • Input: "Narrowing Down" (nf) 

  • Mentorings per Group (30 Min)

    (nf) 

Field Research & Desk-based Research
(Related work, 
References)

  • 14.30 Check-in by groups: Advanced concept:
    Related Work/Inspirations, Further field research, Directions and Demo of Prototype 1.0 (see details in deliverables section)

(jb, nf)		Independent study

Week 3
Play

Monday 31.3



(Bits & Atoms)

Tuesday 1.4

Wednesday 2.4

Thursday  3.04

Friday 4.4




Morning
(starts at 9.00 otherwise noted)

  • 10.00 Present Students present Exercise:  
    Prototyping ideas with Performance enactment / Bodystorming
    (jb)

  • quick Quick catch up per group in atelier or class (jb) 

(jb)

Independent Study



Independent Study





Afternoon

(starts at 13.00 otherwise noted)



  • 13.00-14.30
    Theory class: 'Prototyping concepts, prototyping everything'


    Assignment:Prototyping with Bodystorming in the field: follow/observe situation in the field (outside Toni)

    (jb)

Independent Study

  • tbc: on On request: quick catch up (zoom tbc)

    (jb) 
  • Demoes on location (all groups together):
    Prototypes demoes in situation 

    (jb, nf)

Week 4
Stories and Users

Monday 7.4

Tuesday 8.4

Wednesday 9.4

Thursday 10.4

Friday 11.4

Morning
(starts at 9.00 otherwise noted)

(Bits & Atoms)

  •  

  • Workshop/
Input 
  • Input:
    'Storytelling &
Storyboards 
  • Storyboards' 

    (nf) 



Independent Study

  • 10.30 Check-In by groups: Video showcase:
    Narratives showcasing prototypes in action

    (nf, jb)

Afternoon
(starts at 13.00 otherwise noted)



13.00-14.30
Theory class: Storytelling as a Prototype (jb)'Pop Culture & Storytelling'



  • 14:00-17:00
Mentoring
  • Mentorings:  Storyboard (nf)

Independent Study: Start final production

Independent Study

Week 5
Production 

Monday 14.04

Tuesday 15.04

Wednesday 16.04

Thursday  17.04

Friday 18.04


Morning
(starts at 9.00 otherwise noted)

  • 9.30-11.00
    Theory class: 'Outcomes and Findings, Evaluating     Outcomes ( with participants) (jb)'



Production 


Production




Production


Afternoon
(starts at 13.00 otherwise noted)


Production


 *Booking photo studio Deadline
  • Atelier
/
  • walk-thru /
Mentoring
  • Mentorings

    (jb)


Editing Mentoring: *Booking photo studio Deadline

*Send by email: project title, author names, 1 enticing sentence, 1 email-friendly image for invitation

  • Mentorings: Editing

    (nf)
  • Final Group presentations - choose locationFeedback session: recap main findings, demo final prototype, short film (locations tbd)
  • Discussion & Feedback
    (jb, nf)







JB: Dr. Joëlle Bitton, NF: Nicole Foesterl

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