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INTERACTION DESIGN THEORY SEMINAR 5th semester
Fall 2018
Instructors
Dr Joëlle Bitton,
joelle.bitton@zhdk.ch
Dr Björn Franke
Verena Ziegler
Office hours by appointment
Class sessions include a lecture/discussion each Monday from in 4.K14.
OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES
This course proposes to dive into notions of contribution, ownership and the framing of a research question, ahead of the thesis semester.
Those notions are addressed through a diverse set of materials showcasing social engagement, activism, aesthetic movements, etc.
COURSE OUTLINE
12 sessions -
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 20%
Journal/Blog 20%
Assignments 60%
Any assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade.
ASSIGNMENTS
- Journal/Blog
A separate 'Journal' is developed by each student that reflects on learnings from the seminar. It should be in the form of an online blog (ie. WordPress, Tumblr or other):
- The journal should be structured in a generally comprehensible manner
- The lecture notes, including annotations, are stored
- Notes, sketches for each lesson should be included as well
other:
COURSE MATERIALS
Readings are made available in the shared IAD server.
CALENDAR
24.09.18: Discussion What is the Action? (led by Joëlle Bitton)
Reflections from last years, what have students done so far
Students personal stand point/role/contribution, what contribution they would like to have next?
Show examples and discussion
01.10.18: Contribution and the meaning of a thesis work (led by Joëlle Bitton)
Articulating theory and practice, the specificity of Interaction Design, production of knowledge through prototyping, writing and desk-based research.
What are the values of a BA thesis?
08.10.18: Positions and Rhethoric I (led by Björn Franke)
Speakers’ Corner at Hyde Park in London is a forum for public speeches and exchange of meanings and positions to motivate and convince the public via stories and arguments. In Design, positions are often represented through manifests, texts, but also through conceptual, fictional and programmatic artefacts, which serve to convince the public from the particular Designer`s point of view. In this first block, we engage with positions, manifestos and processes in Design, as well as forms of presentation and rhetoric’s, to inspire to find one`s own position and voice as a designer.
This session is structured in two parts.
An initial discussion with students based on reflections from the last two years of studies and how they consider what a contribution is, as they head towards their thesis semester.
A second discussion based on watching excepts from two movies recalling the legacy of Act Up :
- How to Survive A Plague (David France, 2012)
- 120 BPM (Robin Campillo, 2013)
Assignment for the following week: print out a poster of a campaign that contributed to inspire, to bring awareness and to awake individuals and collectivity towards action. Put it on wall and plan to present the core of the contribution for two minutes. Look particularly into student activism throughout history, in various countries.
01.10.18: Between the lines (led by Joëlle Bitton)
Through a look at the prefix "inter" that poses the condition for "interaction", we address current notions of intersectionality and queer.
We first travel through a series of cultural and political protests in order to frame a discussion on the possible roles and failings of the design discipline in light of social engagement.
Materials presented on Anti-Apartheid activism in South Africa, Aaron Swartz, drag culture, representation in pop culture.
08.10.18: (led by Björn Franke)
18.10.18: Positions and Rhethoric II (led by Björn Franke)
23.10.18: Positions and Rhethoric III (led by Björn Franke)
29.10.18: Ownership (led by Björn Franke)
05.11.18: Introduction to paradigm, methodology and methods (led by Verena Ziegler)
While problem/solution may underlie practical design activity, question/answer relationships underlie design research (Poggenpohl, 2000: 150). The question will frame the research that sets the stage for the answer (ibid: 145). It directs the structure of a research project. Your position and what you intend to research will influence the selection of the research framework or paradigm. In this block, we will discuss the relationship between paradigm – methodoloy – method in research, because methodological decisions are influenced by the theoretical lenses employed by the researcher. In the introductory first phase, an overview of the heterogeneous field of design research and different “knowledge landscapes” within the field will be given. Students should be enabled to have confidence and position their own research framework, but also to develop a greater relational understanding of different methodological approaches.
>>> needs to be much more concrete. what is taught? what is the material used? how is the workshop conducted?
12.11.18: Workshop I – from research topic to research angle to research question (led by Verena Ziegler)
First of all, we will define a topic together in the class. In this workshop we will use a concept map to make a list of key terms associated with your research topic, these can be key concepts, contextual and process-oriented terms. From there we move on from research topic to developing a research angle. In an iterative process, we will use insights from personal experience , theory , observations , contemporary issues , engagement with the literature, dialogue, … to clarify the focus of your research. From developing a research angle, we will move on to develop several research questions in an iterative process of question formation that is informed by reading and doing at all stages. Your question (s) will change and be refined as you project develops, which is all part of the process, but will help you to clarify your research direction.
>>> notions of importance of related work, background research, role of prototyping, learning by doing need to be addressed here
19.11.18: Workshop II – from reality to fiction …(led by Verena Ziegler)
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Fiction: Make it bigger: How could things be expanded? Which aspects could be extended? How could you add something? Should you recapitulate anything? Make it smaller: What could you leave out? Which aspects could be reduced?
>>> here it's not clear what is meant by "fiction". it needs to be made more specific.
26.11.18: Workshop III – … to transformation (led by Verena Ziegler)
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Workshop I-III Presentations of various approaches in the class
>>> this needs to be less about methods and more about content of forms of transformations. and how to make their vision happened.
03.12.18: Final Arguments (led by Verena Ziegler)
A form of knowledge transformation
Blueprint
GitHub
(Role)
Assignment 500 words statement + Academic writing: Possible assignments
- Analysis of two research methods
For this assignment you are asked to identify two research methods that you think will be relevant to you. Write a short essay describing what these methods are generally used for, their intended purpose and the various stages or processes they entail. You may want to identify the range of methods you initially considered and briefly discuss why you selected the two particular methods you are analyzing for the assignment. Where relevant compare these two methods in terms of their purposes and approach. Please identify why and how you think these methods could be useful in the future of following your BA thesis.
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The focus of this assignment is on specific methods but you can discuss these methods in relation to their broader methodological frameworks if you think this is relevant. Please be mindful that there is a wide range of approaches available to you and that you might consider more formal research methods (like interviews or surveys) and/or design led methods like material probes, prototyping etc, - participatory methods, ideation methods, or more informal approaches.
- essay (apart from 500 words statement)? or other? (kit, narration...)
- exercises throughout?