Block Seminar Design Theory 5th semester

Lecturer:
Dr. Joëlle Bitton

The module takes place over 1 week, from 31.08.2020 to 04.09.2020, from Monday to Friday, 9.30-17.00 in room 4.T09.

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 1 (for Tuesday 1.9)

  • Watch La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962, 28')

  • Watch artist Sanford Bigger's presentation Moon Medicine (2016 - first half mostly)

  • Answer with 1-2 paragraphs the question: What do you fear?

  • Find 1-2 design projects that has for you all the qualities you ambition for yourself

• Assignment 2 (for Wednesday 2.9): 

  • Reading response notes: short remarks should be written on papers provided that capture learning points and possible critiques. See Literature section for 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, video, or use of hosting platform such as SnapChat, written essay, filmed performance, games, new object). Preferably individual work (the works can be in connection with one another). Your work needs to be in adequation 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: zett, population of zhdk, design/tech communities, social media users

• Final presentation at Pavillon Le Corbusier pursuit.stars.front. Meeting at 12.50 in front of the Pavillon. (Beer afterwards). 
  Final outcomes presented by the students are collected on this 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

Literature/References

• To prepare for Monday 31.08:
  Carolyn Marvin. 1990. When Old Technologies Were New. Thinking About Electric Communication in the Late Nineteenth Century. Oxford University Press.
  1st chapter. "Inventing the Expert. Technological Literacy as Social Currency" (pp.9-32)
  
  To read for Wednesday 2.08 (underline 2-3 points that sparked questions and possibly points that you felt should have been addressed in the paper)

•  (read intro + pick one of the case studies to browse further)

•  (the author speaks here of global health but this could also be about design projects)