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BA concept seminar structure:
Lecturers:
Dr. Joëlle Bitton
Prof. Jürgen Späth
Mag. Dipl. Des. Nicole Foelsterl
Office hours by appointment
The module takes place over 2 weeks, from 01.12.25 to 12.12.25, from Monday to Friday, 9.00-17.00 - see intranet for room details.
Class sessions include lectures, discussions, mentoring sessions, in-class exercises, assignments and independent study blocks.
Projects are conducted individually or with team of two students at most.
(1) Overview and Objectives
The BA concept seminar is considered as a way to quickly prototype and showcase the thesis project in a video narrative. Students will develop a conceptual and practical exploration for their final BA thesis and present the experience they aim to create in the form of a 3-page project description, a prototype/mock-up showing up showing the core aspects of the interactive experience they are aiming to create and a video communicating the thesis concept and intent. A miro board will support notes and sketches gathered in the 2-weeks.
The concept seminar addresses notions in preparation for their final thesis work:
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- how to present the desired embodied experience that the BA thesis should engender?
(2) Course Outline
The 2 weeks are divided into two parts: an investigative week with quick exercises, iterations, field studies and achieving a first initial prototype and a second week where they continue the process and summarise their BA idea and related experience in a video.
See below for a detailed calendar.
(3) Expectations and Grading
Grades will be based on class participation and final works.
Contributing to constructive group feedback is an essential aspect of class participation.
Regular attendance of 80% is required. Two or more unexcused absences will affect the final grade. Arriving late on more than one occasion will also affect the grade.
Video-Storytelling
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30%
Mock up 30%
Project Description 20%
Exercises & Class participation 20%
Any assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade.
(5) Deliverables
Exercises 1-6
Video - Storytelling
Your objective and the experience you want to create should be presented in a video format with a narrative - think of it as a way to communicate to others your concept and as a way to test if your concept comes across.
Prototype/Mock-up
The mock up or prototype is the manifestation of your ideas into a service, a product, a method, a user's experience, etc - use basic or advanced materials to showcase your ideas in the shape of a rapid prototype (go into the field if needed for your project). It should be "functional" so we can experience it when exhibited.
Project Description & Related Works
A 2-3-page text should answer the following questions - since your last disposition how did it evolve?
what is the context, topic, problem?
who are the audience / participants?
who will be impacted by your design (which people/animals/plants, which locations, which systems&infrastructures, which ecologies)?
what do you want to create and how it should work?
what values and potential do you want to address / generate?
what are the other projects in this field? what gap are you filling?
The essay expands the thesis disposition with observations and conclusions drawn from the two weeks BA concept seminar.
You may use a diversity of sources and bibliography (classified by genre: book, book chapter, journal article, conference article, academic thesis, newspaper article, web article, etc).
In addition, add your up-to-date mapping of related works.
Mockup to be presented on 4.12.
Choice of mentor teams to be sent to Duy via email by Monday 8.12, 17:00.
Storytelling to be presented on 11.12
Final Deliverables to be uploaded on the server by Monday 15.12 at 9:00.
Calendar
See description of exercises below
Week 1 | Monday 1.12 | Tuesday 2.12 | Wednesday 3.12 | Thursday 4.12 | Friday 5.12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Morning |
9.00 Brief Introduction about the module and quick keywords round 9.30 Exercise 1: 20 ways of description in 20 minutes 10.00 Start Exercise 2: Topic Mapping (Lotus Blossom method) 11.10-12.00: Exercise 3: Ideation Speed dating / table sketching |
12.00 Quick round - 2 highlights
9.00 |
Observations & Findings |
11. |
15 Exercise 5: |
Data Visualisation of your 'design space' |
9.00 Mentoring (js) Prepare in advance exercise 6: Develop 2-3 "How might we" - Questions
| Develop prototype | Prepare next assignments | ||
Afternoon | 13.00 Quick round - highlights / exercises takeaways Embodied Exercise 4: field study/observations/interviews - put notes on Miro board by 18.00 | 13.00-14.00 Round: Highlights "design exploration area" Continue exercise 2, 4.. Develop prototype - put notes on Miro board by 18.00 | Develop prototype - Put concepts, sketches, mock-ups on Miro board by 18.00 | 14.00 |
of Prototypes/Mock-ups (jb, js) | Minor | ||||
Week 2 | Monday 8.12 | Tuesday 9.12 | Wednesday 10.12 | Thursday 11.12 | Friday 12.12 |
Morning | Input/workshop - storytelling |
send choice of mentoring team by 17:00
Mentoring storytelling - Prepare storyboard (on Zoom) | Mentoring on request (jb) | 11.00 Presentations 2: Develop narrative | Work on final assignments | ||
Afternoon | 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Mentoring — Storyboard on Request (nf) 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Closing session mandatory— Storyboard Contest - (nf) send choice of mentoring team by 17:00 | Develop narrative | Mentoring on request (js) Develop narrative | Continued Presentations 2: | Minor |
Exercises
Exercise 1: 20 ways of description
Write down and/or sketch out twenty ways to define your thesis project as if a journalist would write an article about ityou would send a pitch to a curator, or a publication to a conference: it has to have several elements of description, ie. "this brainstorm app provides a way to schedule todo lists"; "this service for elderly supports their morning routing"; "this public space interactive installation connects people from two cities at a distance", etc...
Write on post its and later sort them into categories. Define two or three most important statements.
Exercise 2: Topic mapping - Lotus Blossom method + moodboard/benchmark
Define a central idea and design a matrix of 3x3 around it to expand related themes & elements - make a new matrix for each of the 8 additions.
In addition, list all the qualities that make your approach unique, the parameters you commit to and the values your project conveys that are important for your thesis and your ambition as a designer.
Find the most relevant existing projects that match your criteria (it could be a particular aspect of a project). Use sketches, photos or collages to present projects on your wall. This mapping will continue & evolve throughout the seminar.
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5-minutes exchange around the table, talk, be concise in your feedback, draw & move fast...
Exercise 4: Embodied Exercise: Observation / Field inquiry
Find out through a quick observation and field inquiry some elements that could inspire the directions you take. *It could also be in the form of bodystorming, auto-ethnography, role playing, short workshop with participants, etc... Post photos & findings on Miro Board.
Exercise 5: Design Exploration Space (data visualisation)
Based on findings from previous exercises, make a data visualisation of the essentials of your thesis project: include stakeholders, contradictions, assumptions, skills, actionable moments, creative & unique 'selling points', workshop ideas, etc... Use all the tools of a data vis: graphics, colours, structure of info, diagrams, etc..
Exercise 6: Develop 2-3 "How might we" - Questions
Develop two to three "How might we" - Questions!
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