Block Seminar Design Theory 5th semester

Lecturer:
Dr. Joëlle Bitton

The module takes place over 1 week, from 6.9.21 to 10.9.21, from Monday to Friday, 9.00-17.00 in room 5H02 & online.

Topic

Design and Technology share a similar destiny: imbued with the roles of solving problems, characterised by an expectation that they can change any situation for the better.
But what if this is an illusion?

With the society at large becoming more aware of issues related to top-down decisions and techno-centric solutions such as large-scale surveillance, ecological dooms and oppression of civic rights, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to rethink the place of design and technology.
What if we should reboot our mindset for design methods and technological tools to become truly inclusive?

Objectives of the course

The aim of the seminar is to reflect on the roles we attribute to design and technology currently, how it was set in pop culture narratives and how we could ‘reboot’ the disciplines in education to include urgent societal questions. The seminar is structured as a dialogue and the students will work on certain questions themselves. In the end, a one-page website should be created to showcase a proposal. 

In this course, we will look at a range of aspects:

• the hopes and fears that technologies of the 19th century generated and that are still prevalent nowadays
• the past ideas of futures and whether they happened or not
• pop culture references that support those narratives
• feminist & non-Western perspectives
• ways to move forward in education of the design discipline

Structure

The class will be structured around discussions, lectures, presentations of film and literature materials and in-class exercises.

Deliverables

• Assignment 0 (for Monday 6.9)
  • Read "Inventing the Expert. Technological Literacy as Social Currency" (pp.9-32) by Carolyn Marvin (attached in email and linked in Literature section below)
    
    
• Assignment 1 (for Tuesday 7.9)
  • Watch La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962, 28')
  • Answer with 1-2 paragraphs the question: What do you fear?
  • Find 1 or 2 design projects that has for you all the qualities you ambition for yourself (you will present them the next morning with 1 - 2 sentences each)
    
  • Read Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence (read intro + pick one of the case studies to browse further) - write one paragraph about what your impressions
    
    
• Assignment 2 (for Wednesday 8.9): 
  • Read 2 papers (see Literature references below) + one optional.
    Provide response notes to the papers: short remarks should be written that capture learning points and possible critiques of the papers

• Final Work: The format and platform of the final outcome is decided together with the students- it will be an online representation of your reboot ideas (possibly 1-page website, written essay, video, or use of hosting platform such as TikTok, filmed performance, games, new object). Preferably individual work (the works can be in connection with one another). Your work needs to be in adequacy with the intention and the process. The collection of works from each student will constitute together an online exhibition.
  • +150 words to give context to the piece.
  • 3-5 mn presentation : why you made it, how it relates to the topic
  • reboot ideas: design education, the notion of the future, expanding the design field, exploring the perception of design in the world, specific technologies/designs, biases and stereotypes, fostering inclusiveness and equity, opportunities of undesign/untechnologize
  • the ideas could represent your position on a topic above or on a case study discussed in class, your new proposal, or your interpretation of an issue
  • potential audience: defined together

• Final presentation on Zoom, ideally from a location related to your topic (it can be recorded ahead of the class session and you introduce the video in class).
  Final outcomes presented by the students are collected on one page.

Expectations and Gradings

Grades will be based on exercises, class participation and final work. 
Contributing to constructive group feedback is an essential aspect of class participation. 
Regular attendance of 80% is required. Arriving late on more than one occasion will also affect the grade.

Final work 50% 

Exercises/reading assignments 30% 

Class participation 20% 

Any assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade.  

Timetable