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Fall 2019

Lecturer: Dr Roman Kirschner
roman.kirschner@zhdk.ch 

Guest Lecturer: Timo Grossenbacher


ABSTRACT


This seminar proposes to investigate the aesthetics of interaction design by connecting theory and practice. Students will learn how to contextualise their practical projects within current discourses and reflect on how their design practice may transform their theoretical assumptions and knowledge. The students will examine relevant readings and concepts both through discussions and through their practical work. The theory seminar is connected with two studio courses, Soft Architecture and Interactive Visualisation.  Related to the Soft Architecture course, each student will write an essay on a topic related to their project. Within the Interactive Visualisation course, topics such as data literacy, AI and blockchain will be discussed and connected to the practical exercises. 

The seminar will explore the aesthetics of interaction including topics such as ecological design, performative experimentation, public interventions, spatial and political design, speculative design, bio design, creative coding, data literacy, AI and blockchain. We will address these aesthetics from the perspective of their origins, cultural contexts and case studies. 


COURSE OUTLINE 

The class usually takes place on Mondays, from 8.30-10.30, in room 4K11 - yet with many exceptions(!). So please pay attention to the schedule. The course is structured in two parts. the first (class 2 - 8) is connected to the Soft Architecture Studio and the second (class 9-11) to the Interactive Visualisation Studio. In class 2 - 8 two teams of two students will give a presentation in each session: one based on readings and the other one based on art and design projects. Each presentation is followed by a discussion and/or an in-class assignment. Each student has to write a final essay based on a topic chosen by the student in relation to a class assignment from part one.


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.

Readings-based presentation 25% 
Projects-based presentation 25%
Final essay 30%
Class participation 20% 

Any assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade. 
 


ASSIGNMENTS 

Oral presentations
Students must independently prepare lectures on selected texts from the week. These can be presented in different formats. 
Possible presentation formats are:
Live sketching
Demo with prototyping
Classic Slides presentation
etc.

The presentation should include a 2-pages written discussion, made available to the class and instructor via email three days prior to the day of the class to ensure a general discussion.
The paper should include title, author, date, context, summary, bibliography.
Additional sources can be added to inform the discussion if necessary.

The reading-based presentation should include answers to these questions: who are the authors? where do they work? what concepts do they propose? what year was the document published? what was the context at the time of publication? what are other contemporary theorists and practitioners perspectives on the authors proposal? what influence did the proposal have? what was your research process to go over your findings? how can you apply the proposed ideas in your design work or others' design work? how can you challenge the ideas presented?

The project-based presentation should include at least 5 projects illustrating each topic, that are gender-balanced, from various countries of origin. Projects can be taken in design, art, ethnography, science and other disciplines. What 'taxonomy' can you provide to categorize the 5+ projects? How these 5+ projects help get a sense of the field that you're presenting? How do they relate to the topic of the week and the readings of that week?

Final Essay
The essay is a final 1500-words essay with a diversity of sources and bibliography (classified by genre: book, book chapter, journal article, conference article, academic thesis, newspaper article, web article, etc). 

The topic of the essay is chosen by the student in relation to a class assignment and proposed by Class 8 in half a written page explaining the topic and the questions at stake, and in the form of presentation (1mn) to the class. The final essay has to be submitted by December (9? still tbd).

The paper can be written in English or German.


COURSE MATERIALS 

Readings are made available in the shared IAD server per session.

Additional readings can be proposed to underline a particular aspect and should be considered.



CALENDAR 


Class 1 - Monday, 16.9.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Introduction


Classes connected to Soft Architecture Studio (instructor RK)

Class 2 - Wednesday, 2.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - 4K11 - Bodies and Spaces

Class 3 - Thursday, 3.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Material and Environmental Dynamics

Class 4 - Friday, 4.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Wavescapes

Class 5 - Saturday, 5.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Services and Infrastructure

Class 6 - Monday, 7.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Anthropocene

Class 7 - Monday, 14.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - 4K11- Cybernetics: Conversation and Fabrics

Class 8 - Monday, 21.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - 4K11 - Systems and Environments


– still in preparation –

Classes connected to Interactive Visualisation Studio (instructor TG)

Class 9 - Monday, 4.11.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Introduction to data and data literacy

Class 10 - Friday, 8.11.19 - afternoon - Data literacy I

Class 11 - Friday, 15.11.19 - afternoon - Data literacy II

(+ one more afternoon - but when??)



Class 2 - Wednesday, 2.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Bodies and Spaces

Readings:
a) Hartmann, Klemmer, Takayama. 2006. "How Bodies Matter: Five Themes for Interaction Design". In DIS 2006.

b) Böhme, Gernot. 2000. "Leibliche Anwesenheit im Raum". In Ästhetik und Kommunikation 108. 67-76.

presented by tbd

Project Topics:
- tbd

presented by tbd


Class 3 - Thursday, 3.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Material and Environmental Dynamics

Readings:
a) Pickering, Andrew. 2013. "Being in an environment: a performative perspective". Natures Sciences Sociétés 21. 77-83.
b) Ingold, Tim. 2008. "Bringing Things to Life. Creative Entanglements in a World of Materials".

presented by tbd

Project Topics:
- tbd

presented by tbd


Class 4 - Friday, 4.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Wavescapes

Readings:
a) Husokawa, Shuhei. 1984. "The Walkman Effect". In Popular Music. 4. Performers and Audiences. 165-180.

b)    I) Hessler, Stefanie. 2018. "Tidalectics: Imagining an Oceanic World view through Art and Science“. In Hessler (ed.). "Tidalectics". 31-34,43.
       II) Tamatoa Bambridge and Stephanie Leyronas. 2018. "The Polynesian Rahui and Global Issues of Climate". In Hessler (ed.). "Tidalectics". 133-141.

presented by tbd

Project Topics:
- tbd

presented by tbd


Class 5 - Saturday, 5.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Services and Infrastructure

Readings:
a) Starosielski, Nicole. 2012. "Warning: Do Not Dig’: Negotiating the Visibility of Critical Infrastructures." Journal of Visual Culture. 11:1. April 2012. 38–57.
b) tbd

presented by tbd

Project Topics:
- tbd

presented by tbd


Class 6 - Monday, 7.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Anthropocene

Readings:
a) Latour, Bruno. 2018. "Das terrestrische Manifest". 21-25, 35-68.
b)    I) Gombiner, Joel. 2011. "Carbon Footprinting the Internet“. In Consilience: "The Journal of Sustainable Development“. Vol. 5. 119-124
       II) "‘Tsunami of data’ could consume one fifth of global electricity by 2025“. view article online
       III) Cook, Gary. 2017. "Clicking clean: Who is winning the race to build a green internet?". view article online

presented by tbd

Project Topics:
- tbd

presented by tbd


Class 7 - Monday, 14.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Cybernetics: Conversation and Fabrics

Readings:
a) Pask, Gordon: A comment, a case history and a plan, in REICHARDT, Jasia (Hrsg.): Cybernetics, Art, and Ideas, New York Graphics Society 1971, 76–99
b) Beer, Stafford. 1962. "Progress Note on Research into a Cybernetic Analogue of Fabric", in Harnden, R. et al. (Eds.). 1994. "How many grapes went into the wine. Stafford Beer on the art and science of holistic management". 25–32.

presented by tbd

Project Topics:
- tbd

presented by tbd


Class 8 - Monday, 21.10.19 - 8:30-10:30 - Systems and Environments

Readings:
a) Burnham, Jack. 1969. "Systems and Art". In Arts in Society. 6:2. University of Wisconsin, Summer/Fall 1969. 194-204.
b) Olson, Valerie. 2018. "Into the Extreme: U.S. Environmental Systems and Politics beyond Earth“. 6-20.

presented by tbd

Project Topics:
- tbd

presented by tbd