BA Thesis Concept Seminar 2024
- Joëlle Bitton
- Johannes Lucian Reck
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 08.01.24 to 19.01.24, 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 the core aspects of the interactive experience they are aiming to create and a video showcasing the prototype in use. A blog documenting the 2-weeks progress is recommended.
The concept seminar addresses notions in preparation for their final thesis work:
- what does it mean to make a statement and a contribution to the field of interaction design?
- how to identify the design, social and experiential opportunities within the topic of interest?
- how to define a space of potential design explorations?
- how to narrow down the topic following own personal positioning, approach and interests?
- 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.
Storytelling (video) 30%
Mock up 30%
Project Description 20%
Exercises & Class participation 20%
Any assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade.
(5) Deliverables
- Storytelling
The experience you want to create should be presented in a video format with a narrative, showcasing prototype and user's journey (go into the field if needed for your project).
- 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 Update
This 2-3-page text should answer the following questions - since December 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?
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).
Mockup to be presented on 12.1.
Choice of mentor teams to be sent to Johannes via email by Monday 15.1.24, 17:00.
Storytelling to be presented on 19.1.
Final Deliverables to be uploaded on the server by Monday 22.1 at 9:00.
Calendar
See description of exercises below
| Week 1 | Monday 8.1 | Tuesday 9.1 | Wednesday 10.1 | Thursday 11.1 | Friday 12.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning 9.00 - 12.00 (unless otherwise noted) | Brief Introduction about the module and quick keywords round Exercise 1: 20 ways of description | Exercise 3: Design Area | Input/workshop - storytelling | Mentoring (js) | Develop prototype |
| Afternoon 13.00 - 17.00 | Exercise 2: Topic Area | 13.00 Quick round design area | Develop prototype | Develop prototype | 14.30 (jb, js) |
| Week 2 | Monday 15.1 | Tuesday 16.1 | Wednesday 17.1 | Thursday 18.1 | Friday 19.1 |
| Morning 9.00 - 12.00 | Develop narrative | Mentoring storytelling | Develop narrative | Develop narrative /Field Study | Presentations 2: |
| Afternoon 13.00 - 17.00 | send choice of mentoring team by 17:00 | Mentoring on request (js)
| Mentoring on request (jb) Develop narrative | Work on final assignments |
Exercises
Exercise 1: 20 ways of description
Write down and/or sketch out twenty ways to define your thesis project on post its and later sort them into categories. Define two or three most important statements.
Exercise 2:
Define the all the qualities, parameters and values that are important for the 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.
Exercise 3: 50 Sketches of design
Identify the two or three most important dimensions of your topic area. This will be your design area. Sketch quickly 50 ideas to populate your design area. Place them on your design area in relation to criteria and parameters (sketches, photos or collages).
Also think of how you want to execute your ideas and exhibit them.
Exercise 4: Develop 2-3 "How might we" - Questions
Develop two to three "How might we" - Questions!