Block Seminar Design Theory 5th semester

Lecturer:
Dr. Joëlle Bitton

The module takes place over 1 week, from 10-14.02.25, from Monday to Friday, 9.00-17.00 - see timetable below for details.

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 would reboot our mindset for design methods and technological tools so they become more open and inventive, rather than reinforcing stereotypes? With words-to-think-with such as "undesign", "reboot", "unmaking", "undisciplined" and others, we can explore what opportunities they allow for tackling systemic issues.

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, how non-Western narratives can propose alternatives, 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 narratives that have placed technology, tech gurus & design as "the world's saviors" since the 19th century

• 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 that open up the field

• 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 (before Monday 10.2)

  • Read  (pp.9-32) by Carolyn Marvin (attached in email and linked in Literature section below)
    

• Assignment 1 (prepare on Monday 10.2 afternoon) - send notes by email on 10.2 by 19.00

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

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

  • Read  

  • Write 2-3 paragraphs about your impressions on the paper, remarks (what concept is new to you, inspiring aspects, positions you disagree with, etc..), questions...
    The remarks should capture learning points and possible critiques of the papers.
    

• Assignment 2 (prepare on Tuesday 11.2 afternoon) - send notes by email on 11.2 by 19.00

  • Find 3 design projects that has for you all the qualities you ambition for yourself (you will present 1 or 2 of them in class with 1 - 2 sentences each). Post link, author(s), title, date, picture, comment on Miro board.

  • Read 

  • Write 2-3 paragraphs about your impressions on the paper, remarks (what concept is new to you, inspiring aspects, positions you disagree with, etc..), questions...
    

• Assignment 3 (prepare on Wednesday 12.2) - send notes by email on 12.2 by 19.00 

  • Read in depth 2 of those papers (your choice) and glance through the other two: , , Decolonising the Games Curriculum, 

  • Write 2-3 paragraphs about your impressions on each paper, remarks (what concept is new to you, inspiring aspects, positions you disagree with, etc..), questions...

  • Design your own curriculum: imagine how you would like to reinvent the education of design: what topics and methods could have important impacts? Post images/ideas/sketches on Miro board.
    

• Assignment 4 - Final Work: The format of the final outcome is decided by each student- 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..). Individual work (some 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.

  • +500 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. Ask yourself the question of 'what you would like to reboot' (in your studies, life, design field, in societal conventions, etc..), respond to the proposals of the papers you read (for instance, about undesigning, or considering unconventional ways to address a topic), go back to the initial questions at the beginning of the week (what would you do differently in your studies?), etc.... The final assignment is a statement or positioning or response to those provocative questions

  • 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: other people in the design fields or?
    

• Final presentation in class - upload on platform on 14.2 by 11.30 & present in class concisely. Send me as well a hard copy via email / wetransfer by 11.30.

Expectations, Gradings and Presence

Grades for this class are passing or failing. Assignments are general class participation, exercises, readings&reflections through response notes, and final work.
Any assignment that remains unfulfilled receives a failing grade.  

Arriving late may also affect the passing grade.
Contributing to constructive group discussion is an essential aspect of class participation. 

Attendance of all the in-class input sessions are imperative (3 mornings session and 1 afternoon session).  
The second session is online (Zoom link provided by email). 
Zoom-etiquette during online sessions: please be present on screen (no commuting/travelling or doing another activity in parallel of the class), on time, and with camera turned-on as much as possible. 
Classes online and in presence at the same time are not possible.

Timetable

Literature/References

• To prepare before class starts (optional):

  • Carolyn Marvin. 1990. When Old Technologies Were New. Thinking About Electric Communication in the Late Nineteenth Century. Oxford University Press.
    1st chapter. ", pp.9-32.
    

• To read Monday 11.2:

  • J. E. Lewis, N. Arista, A. Pechawis, S. Kite. 2019. . Journal of Design and Science.
    

• To read Tuesday 12.2

  • James Pierce. 2012. . CHI 2012.
    

• To read Wednesday 13.2 (choose two in depth + glance at the other two)  

  • A. Rowe. 2024. . In International Journal of Art & Design Education.

  • K. Song & E. Paulos. 2021. . CHI 2021

  • H. Geyser. 2018. Decolonising the Games Curriculum: Interventions in an Introductory Game Design Course. Open Library of Humanities, 4(1): 33, pp.1–31.

  • R. Ghoche. 2022. . In Les Cahiers de la recherche architecturale urbaine et paysagère.

    + Optional readings: 

    • Graham Burnett, . Spiralseed, 2008.

    • Carolyn Marvin "Inventing the Expert. Technological Literacy as Social Currency", pp.9-32.

Reminder: For each paper, you need to send response notes: underline 2-3 points that sparked questions and possibly points that you felt should have been addressed in the paper or that you want to challenge.
Use the Reading guideline to comment on the texts.