INTERACTION DESIGN THEORY SEMINAR 5th semester
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"Sweet Dreams are Made of This" proposes to dive into the very essence of interaction design agency, ahead of the thesis semester. How does a design project emerges from a particular interest? Should it have an impact? And at what scale? Through a variety of references, we'll address notions of dreams, contribution, position and ownership, especially as they relate to contemporary societal questions. We usually consider that a novel contribution to knowledge has to be read about, dreamed about in a visionary sense, used and related to, through hands on testing, iterations and prototyping at various stages, explored orally and visually, and discussed by peers and tutors. The course is structured around materials discussions showcasing social engagement, activism and aesthetic movements, various assignments such as fictional dream-like scenarios and practical workshop formats.
This course is also a guided exercise in your autonomy to look for relevant references and to integrate them as part of your research endeavour. You should start early with topics of interest for your diploma work, even it is expected that they might evolve or even change completely. In that sense, even if your topic changes, the questions & methods that will be addressed in this class will be valid throughout your diploma work. Different than previous theory classes, with mostly discussions based on readings, this class is a continuous assignment-based exploration of your research engagement. It is required that you follow through and ride the wave.
COURSE OUTLINE
12 sessions structured around 4 sections: the notions of engagement, positioning, research and ownership.
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- Readings where indicated
- Present a activist's campaign poster
- Present a position pre-1920s
- Present books and artefacts
- Literature review and related work matrix
- 1-page observation essay
- Dream
Final assignments - deliver on the server
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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.
Session 02 – 30.09.2019 – In Formation
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Assignment for the following session: we meet again in one month. During that time, you'll make a detailed literature review of 8 essays (no web articles or entries) that help you advance your research and unpack your topic. By the end of that month, you'll narrow your topic from big overview to 2-3 possible angles - make one paragraph introduction in that sense to your literature review. Additionally, find 8 related projects and make a matrix of them where you situate your own interest. This should keep being developed until the final assignment which is an extension and update of this work. Share on the server.
Session 08 – 11.11.2019 – Learning by Doing
In your studios and theory classes, you have encountered many research methods. In a group discussion, you'll come up with the many different ones and discuss how they have been relevant. Each group will present in class.
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Look at examples of research & design in HCI:
- Zimmermann J., Forlizzi J. 2014. "Research Through Design in HCI" in J.S. Olson and W.A. Kellogg (eds.), Ways of Knowing in HCI, Springer Science+Business Media, New York.
Assignment for the following week: do an observation of a situation that you want to tackle, and if applicable meet and interview the people involved. Present the results in a short essay (1-page). Publish in your blog and share on the server.
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Jarvis, N., Cameron, D., Boucher, A. 2012. Attention To Detail: Annotations of a design process. pp. 11-20.
Gaver, W. 2011. "Making spaces: How design workbooks work" in Proceedings of CHI 2011, Vancouver.
Assignment for the following week: Identify research methods that you think will be relevant to you and organise them according to what they can help you with. Publish on your blog.dream.
Session 10 – 25.11.2018 – How Far?
Dream it bigger and create an ongoing dialog between what is and what might be. Which aspects could be extended? How could you add something? Make it smaller: What could you leave out? Which aspects could be reduced? How far can you go? What is your ambition? What should you be aware of in terms of responsibility? Do you want the largest audience? Do you want media coverage? Who is your audience?
During class, share your ultimate dream.
Video and readings:
Being creative with the creative process: watch the Importance of Self-Delusion.
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In a parallel note, a thesis work has to stand the grounds of an academic endeavour while bringing a unique contribution.
What is truly unique about your contribution?
Exercise tba
Readings:
Eco, U. 2015. How to Write a Thesis. MIT Press. 1st ed. 1977.
Koskinen, I., Zimmerman, J., Binder, T., Redström, J., & Wensveen, S. 2011. Design research through practice: From lab, field, and showroom. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
Session 12 – 09.12.2019 – Re-Positioning
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- Statement of Intent for the BA thesis.
- Related Work Visual Map with annotations
Following your statement, and with your choice of visual representation/metaphor, design a map showcasing where your project is situated among existing projects and references that address similar questions.
Related projects include design and art projects, literature, movies, initiatives, etc.
The projects should be commented within the map or separately (1000 words).
Map can be an online or a print work.