Part 1: Online Research Presentation (Lecture)

Format: 10-12 minute group presentation (shared slides + spoken presentation)

Goal: demonstrate that you understand the original object’s history, context, and design logic by building a research story that sets the stage for your redesign.

Each group should include the following sections:

  1. Title & Team Slide
    • Object name
    • Group member names
    • Date
    • Provide an evocative or interesting image for your title slide.
  2. Object Overview
    • What’s the object’s origin story?
      • What is it? What does it do? How does it work?
      • Who designed it? When, and why?
    • What need, constraint, or context led to its invention?
    • What materials or technologies made it possible?
    • Include at least one image per slide.
  3. Impact and Evolution
    • How did it change the world, and how did it evolve?
      • Consider positive effects, negative effects, ambivalent effects
  4. The Ambiguous Brief
    • Reveal the new constraints / users you’re designing for
  5. Initial Redesign Sketches
    • Walk us through your various iterations
    • Emphasize visual documentation
  6. Your Process
    • Show us some info about what you’ll show us on Wednesday

Deliverables

  • Link to presentation posted in #project01-research
  • Link to shared archive folder
  • Each member should share in both the design and delivery of the presentation

Part 2 – In-Person Prototype Show-and-Tell

Goal: reveal how your redesign responds to ambiguous constraint through physical demonstration of your prototype; including some mention of your iterations & the story of your process

Each group will have 5-7 minutes + 2 minutes Q&A.

Be prepared to listen closely and ask questions of your peers.

Setup your object, demonstrate how it works / how it solves the new problem, briefly discuss the process of iterative prototyping, describe your process of creation.

Deliverables

  • Physical prototype

Presentation Tips

  • Avoid the ‘card of text’!
  • Use visuals instead of text; use demonstrations instead of explanations
  • Balance talking and showing.
  • Treat the demo as a performance.
  • Archive everything. Photos, videos, iteration notes.