Learning to design is not achieved through reading books. Traditionally students learn in a very practical and applied manner, engaging projects with empathy, skill and ingenuity. The design studio model, for example, consists of the learners collaboratively working in small groups, organized around projects of simulated practice. It is not about applying theoretical knowledge to practical problems. Instead students are asked to act before they know what they need to be doing or learning. It is a hands-on and bottom-up learning approach in which feedback is provided by an experienced designer. Thus, the design process is one of making, reflecting and learning. The design process is a research process, a learning journey.

In our seminar you need to foster an attitude of being self motivated, pro-active and research driven. Also strive to foster a community of openness, trust, and generous listening among your colleagues. You will spend a lot of time with them. Learning is also taking place together, within a community. And it should be fun!

The course gives an overview of the most important traditions in the field of design research. Among those gender design, transition design, service design, designs for the pluriverse, and others. It gives an introduction to such notions as research, knowledge, and creativity in the design field. It offers analytical tools for understanding creative processes and their products.

The course specifically tends to the question what research means for the practitioner, how theory and practice might relate to one another.

Please navigate to 'files & links' to get an overview of the texts we will be working with.

Grading

Your grade will be determined in equal parts by:

- a 20-25 Min presentation (followed by a 10 Min discussion),

OR organising a discussion of the paper content.

- a Poster 80x100 cm

- a short reflective essay at the end of the semester.

Active participation & roles will also be taking into account

If you miss more than two sessions of the seminar (without doctors attestation) you will not pass.

Essay/critical Reflection

Your essay should be around 1500 words long. The title should be a question and the main ideas should be structured with sub-headings. In it you critically discuss what you learned in design theory this semester, and how this relates to your own observations and experiences with designing. You don’t need to focus on your own topic that you have been presenting (even though you know it best) but you should also connect it to the different themes that your colleagues have been presenting, for example gender design, service design, the Pluriverse, transition design or a design process model.

Please conclude your essay with a brief self-evaluation of your own contributions to our seminar, your attendance and participation. What grade would you give yourself, and why?

The title can be a question, for example: What did i learn in design theory this semester? Structure it into an introduction, main part, summary & conclusions. Make use of sub-headings and add a bibliography (quotes and references in Harvard citation format) Also add a date and your name. Send the essay to me as an email.

In your essay i will evaluate your skills in analysis, critical discussion and academic skills.

Please send your essay by February 2022, 15th latest.

Our schedule for WS 2021/2022:

October 6th, 2020

Introduction, dates and topics

Homework:

Read: Schön, Donald, 1987, Educating the Reflective Practitioner (2014.04.24-19.23.30Z).epub

October 13th, 2020

Discussion Donald Schon

October 20th, 2020

Excursion

October 27th, 2020

Ehrnberger-2011-gender-design-semantics-offenbach.pdf - Shakeeb + Darakhshan

Discussion Donald Schon, continued

November 3th, 2020

Orr-1991-What_is_Education_For.pdf

Bonsiepe-2004_-design-and-research.pdf

Dubberly_designprocess-models.pdf + double-diamond model + Garrett-2010-The Elements of User Experience- User-Centered Design for the Web and Beyond, 2nd Edition (Voices That Matter) 2010.pdf

November 10th, 2020

Mie-Maria_2014-EcoFeminism.pdf - Fernanda

Irwin-Transition_Design_Monograph_final.pdf

November 17th, 2020

November 24th, 2020

Escobar-2014-Designs_for_the_Pluriverse_Radical_Inter.pdf (only introduction! 40 pages) - Ali 

December 1st, 2021

Burdick_2009_Design Without Designers.pdf - Ruth

Speidel-1994-the-ocean-is-my-classroom.pdf

December 8th, 2020

Sanders-2008-evolving-map.pdf - Boran

Mager-2010-Service_Design_-_An_Emerging_Field.pdf 

December 15th, 2020

Sennett-02019-the-fight-for-the-city.pdf - Saniya

December 22nd, 2020

Escobar - designs for the pluriverse (Video) OR we will be talking about the MA Thesis

January 12th, 2021

Homework reading:

Speidel-1997?-The Ocean is my classroom

January 19th, 2021

Nelson-1994-The_Necessity_of_being_Undisciplined_and.pdf

January 26th, 2021

Final discussion, feedback and evaluation