Week 1

Tues. 2/1

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Orientation and course description: objectives, requirements, recommended texts, reading/homework expectations, grading and explanation of course projects. Exploring what Design Studio and design thinking is about.
  • Activities: Class introductions; discussion about using design for social impact and breakdowns of existing campaigns.
  • Homework: Research topics in civic and community engagement to spark an interest for potential project choices; read up to page 12 in Designer’s Research Manual (DRM); post thoughts about reading in OpenLab (link given during class).
  • Due Dates: Next class 2/9

Week 2

Tues. 2/9

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Creating a project plan; what is a process book; definitions of terms in social impact design and root cause analysis.
  • Activities: Breakout: Steps for a project plan; Investigating Root Cause and Creative Detective.
  • Homework: Map out your own project plan; choose 3 topics that interest you as potential projects; create a simple root cause analysis for each topic.
  • Due Dates: 2/16

Week 3

Tues. 2/16

  • Meeting Info: via Blackboard link sent by email
  • Topic: Learning about ethnographic research; creating insight statements; and understanding and creating a creative brief.
  • Activities: Making an insight statement; building a creative brief and Breakout: How Might We.
  • Homework: Create an insight statement for the topic of strongest interest; begin building a brief for your topic; read pages 34-72, 48-65, 128-129 in DRM; post thoughts about reading in OpenLab (link given during class).
  • Due Dates: 9/25

Week 4

Tues. 2/23

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Creating a concept, Part I; understanding your audience; creating a persona and how it’s used; visual exploration.
  • Activities: Visiting the Color Psychologist; Breakouts: Defining your Audience and The 5 Whys; and process book check-in.
  • Homework: Create 2 to 3 persona for your topic; develop a preliminary outline of your topic, statements, perspective, root cause to share next class; read pages 90-91, 92-101, 168-173 in DRM.
  • Due Dates: 3/2

Week 5

Tues. 3/2

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Creating a concept, Part II; communicating your conceptual plan; ideation and executing your concept; how to give a presentation.
  • Activities: Class sharing of personas and Tell Me About This Concept roleplay.
  • Homework: Refine your personas, topic, statements, perspective and root cause; read pages 180-185 in DRM; starting working on your conceptual plan for your topic.
  • Due Dates: 3/9

Week 6

Tues. 3/9

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Refresher on creating a creative brief; what’s in a research summary presentation; making your pitch.
  • Activities: Class share of personas; Breakout: The Pitch and and process book check-in.
  • Due Dates: 3/16

Week 7

Tues. 3/16

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Midterm research summary presentation.
  • Activities: All students present an 8 minute summary of their research and what they plan to do for their project.
  • Homework: Continue refining your conceptual plan and post your thoughts about industry topic in OpenLab (link will be given at end of class).
  • Due Dates: 3/23

Week 8

Tues. 3/23

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Breakdown of senior project research paper; Bonus Lecture : The Business of Design
  • Activities: Process book check-in
  • Homework: Continued refinement of concept plan and other project parameters; prepare rough sketches of your conceptual plan to share next class and begin outlines for senior project research paper.
  • Due Dates: 4/6

Week 9-10

Tues. 4/6 & 4/13

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: Class sharing of rough sketches of Project I; discussion/specs of final presenation.
  • Activities: Discussions of work from Group A & B; process book check-in.
  • Homework: Continued refinement of concept plan and other project parameters; finalize first draft of senior project research paper due next class; post your thoughts about industry topic in OpenLab (link will be given at end of class).
  • Due Dates: 4/13; 4/20

Week 11

Tues. 4/20

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: First Draft of Senior Research Paper Due.
  • Activities: Submit research paper for their senior project ideas. Include a process book and all accompanying research; Discussions of work from Group B; process book check-in.
  • Homework: Continue refining your conceptual plan and post your thoughts about industry topic in OpenLab (link will be given at end of class).
  • Due Dates: 4/27

Week 12

Tues. 4/27

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: First Draft of Senior Research Paper Due.
  • Activities: Discussions of work from Group A; process book check-in.
  • Homework: Continued refinement of Project I and senior project research paper.
  • Due Dates: 5/4

Week 13

Tues. 5/4

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Activities: Discussions of work from Group B; process book check-in.
  • Homework: Continued refinement of Project I; finalize senior project research paper due for submission next class; prepare PDFs to upload to Dropbox link that will be sent out.
  • Due Dates: 5/11

Week 14

Tues. 5/11

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: SENIOR PROJECT RESEARCH PAPER DUE
  • Activities: Finalizing all aspects of Project I and prepare PDFs to upload to Dropbox link that will be sent out.
  • Due Dates: 5/25

Week 15

Tues. 5/25

  • Meeting Info: via Zoom link sent by email
  • Topic: FINAL PRESENTATION

END OF SEMESTER. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER.

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