Syllabus

MFA Design and Technology

Major Studio 2: Interaction, Spring 2011

PGTE 5201 A / CRN 1912
Parsons the New School for Design
TUESDAYS: 12:00 pm – 2:40 pm, 2 W 13th 1101
THURSDAYS: 12:00 pm – 2:40 pm, 66 5th Ave 402
Katherine Moriwaki, Assistant Professor

Overview

The goal of Major Studio: Spring Concentrations (Narrative, Interaction, Computation) is to introduce students to a body of knowledge specific to the studio’s concentration topic, to develop the design process and the expand upon the studio and critique environment upon which most MFADT classes are based, to teach effective presentation skills, to help students develop a summer research plan in preparation for their thesis year, and to engage students in challenging and meaningful discussions about the dynamic relationship between design and technology practices. As a Major Studio, this course is the core course within the curriculum in the spring semester, and is designed as a stepping stone to a student’s own investigations and interests, as well as a space for exploration and experimentation with alternative design processes and methodologies. The course is run in a studio format, which means all students are expected to participate in the making, discussion, and critique of work.

Interaction

This studio advocates the design of interactive artifacts as an integrated practice comprised of both theoretical investigation and “hands-on” research. Throughout the semester we will seek to incorporate interaction design methodology into a wide spectrum of creative pursuits. The particular strategies and technologies applied by each student will vary according to individual interest; however the development and usage of a shared vocabulary and context with which to critique work will be emphasized. To this end we will collectively read and discuss a number of written texts and discuss the role technology, society, and particular approaches to interactive design might have within varied disciplinary domains. The studio will posit a critical approach towards technology discourse, analyzing not only the application of technology and the context from which innovation emerges, but also the agendas and interests that are furthered by such developments.

It is important to emphasize the active role each student will take in this class. This is the bridge semester between induction into the MFADT degree program and the thesis year. It is the critical juncture where students should begin to discover and define their research interests and nurture the emergence of their creative voice. Additionally this semester should prepare students for the academic demands of a graduate level thesis, which in this case includes both strong design ability and writing and critical thinking skills. This studio seeks to achieve this undertaking by emphasizing an approach that places high value on literate and articulate reflection throughout all phases of the design process. The aim is to encourage innovation grounded in theoretical context, with informed awareness of related work and material precedents

Studio Policies

The course meets for two, two-hour and forty-minute sessions per week. As per University policy, 5 absences constitute grounds for failure. Two absences will result in an automatic academic warning. Arriving fifteen minutes after the start of class also constitutes an absence. There is no such thing as an excused absence; any failure to attend a class sessions shall be marked as an absence. In addition, all students are required to present at the two major critiques during the semester. Any student who does not participate in these scheduled critiques may receive a failing grade at the discretion of the instructor.

Studio Objectives

  1. To build a common vocabulary within a multi-disciplinary environment
  2. To refine presentation and critique at the graduate level
  3. To emphasize and articulate process and methods
  4. To reinforce rigorous conceptual development and introduce a range of methods for the expression and articulation of ideas
  5. To explore forms of writing, including but not limited to research papers, critical writing, design briefs, self-assessment, personal statements, scenarios, project reviews.
  6. To establish your own voice as a creative author of works including text, performance, object making and evaluation.
  7. To integrate both in theory and practice, principles of interaction design across varied engagement structures.
  8. To develop a strong self-directed research agenda and foundation for thesis development.

Criteria for evaluation

Students in the course will receive feedback on the following areas:

  1. Communication: How well is the student able to express their ideas, both verbally and in written form?
  2. Critical Thinking: To what degree has the student demonstrated and developed critical thinking skills over the course of the semester? Is critical thinking evident in the visual work, in critiques and presentations, and in written assignments?
  3. Design Process: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the student’s design process? Is the student able to evaluate the work at different points in the process and to identify areas in their work for future development?
  4. Contextualization and Connection: To what degree has the student been able to connect the themes and core concepts of the course to concepts introduced in other classes? Has the student been able to connect their work and ideas to historical and contemporary precedents, and to situate their work within the larger discourse surrounding ideas of “interaction?”
  5. Integration and Appropriate Use of Technology: Is the student making good choices about the form and type of technology they are using to express their design concepts? Is the student able to integrate technology into the conceptualization of their projects?

Course Components

Major Studio Assignments

The semester roughly comprises two parts. In the first unit, students conduct a series of short assignments to understand and explore various issues related to interaction design. These projects allow students to define domains of inquiry and possible areas of exploration for the Final project. Students are evaluated on participation in the reading discussions, classroom activities, Midterm Review, and Final Review, including written deliverables.

The second unit focuses on a Final project as determined by the student. The Final project prepares for the thesis process, especially planning for the third MFA semester. The Final project will cover approximately seven weeks and will conclude with a strong written component.

Final Project

The Final project is a self-defined multi-week project to further acquaint students to the thesis process. The Final project incorporates skills and strategies learned throughout the first MFA year. Students should demonstrate an understanding of iterative design and prototyping methodology (user testing, scenario design) and situate their work within various historical, social, and theoretical contexts. In addition, students will realize a high fidelity prototype, addressing prototype characteristics identified by Houde and Hill (Implementation, Role, Look and Feel.) Students will consider relationships between the coherence and validity of their design concept against the appropriateness of the applied technology solution. A required design research paper (See: Section 4, Writing) accompanies Final projects, as presented on May 4 and May 6 for guest critics and MFA candidate peer attendance. The research paper is due on the last class meeting on May 13.

Domain Mapping

Throughout the semester students will engage in Domain-mapping exercises to help them refine their creative interests and summer research plan. Domain maps will play a key role in providing the “guiding questions” and contextual groundwork for students’ work.

Domain-specific Bibliography & Peer Networking

Throughout the semester each student will compile a set of “essential reading lists” related to their specific research domains. Furthermore, students should actively connect with relevant luminaries, scholars, artists, practitioners, critics and peers, forming and nurturing bonds online of shareable peer knowledge networks. (e.g., Twitter lists, join listserv, host a meetup) These lists are compiled through independent research and interviews with thesis faculty and other experts in the domain of concern. For example, a student interested in the domain of Information Architecture would compile a list of the five most important books, magazines, and journal articles written related to the topic and finally, consult a professional information architect. The lists produced by the studio should form a larger resource for all students towards shareable thesis research practices across the degree program and studio environments.

Summer Research Plan

Each student will work together with studio faculty to develop a concrete research plan for the summer, in preparation for thesis. Early in the semester students will define areas of interest and craft a set of design questions to guide summer research. Consider how to write stories, learn a new technology or programming language, build models to test interaction, take field trips, and interview people as experts or subjects. Describe your research as a written design brief, 2-3 pages in length, including an outline of specific deliverables for summer production. Prepare to present to thesis faculty during the first week of your third semester studio.

Short-Term Projects

A few short-term projects assigned at the beginning of the semester occur over short timeframes. Students will explore their own ideas and interests within the context of each of these assignments as described by their thematic constraints and guidelines meant to synthesize and standardize learning outcomes.

Critique and Presentation

At Final Review guest critics offer formal critique. Students will present their work clearly and concisely. In-class presentation practice sessions are provided to rehearse and refine presentation strategies. Final reviews are scheduled for May 3 and 5.

Reading and Discussion

Reading and discussion shapes a critical component of the studio environment. Students arrive to class prepared to participate in discussions while maintaining a blog or online reading space with thoughtful comments offered to each assigned text on their website. Discussions should last 15 minutes and cover the author’s relevant ideas, particularly those that pertain to activities or ideas brought up in class. Participants will seek connections between readings, peer practice and specific precedents. Readings are provided as handouts, PDFs, or as links to websites where appropriate. Courseware will be used to distribute copyrighted material to enrolled students.

Writing

Design writing represents a kind of formal articulation of MFA Design & Technology credentials. In the Major Studio, the active engagement in writing integrates the overall studio experience. In addition to smaller scale writing projects, students will also produce a longer research or design writing paper with their Final project. The following example offers content and structural guidance

Final Project Document

As part of the final project students will be asked to develop a written project document. This document will be written during the course of the project, and is due the day of final reviews. This document can be written in Chicago MLA style with endnotes and bibliography, adopt the ACM template or another academically or format accepted across the practice. The paper length can vary, depending on format, but is often  10-15 pages in length. The specific style and format best applicable to individual work will be discussed in class.

It is important to keep in mind that the following guidelines will generally apply to any research paper.

Document Objectives

  • Present a clear and concise overview of the project concept;
  • Situate the project within historical and creative contexts;
  • Provide a set of criteria used to evaluate the project;
  • Provide self-assessment of the project’s strengths and weaknesses;
  • Give an overview of the design process;
  • Present a list of related resources.

Guidelines

A final project research paper will contain the following information:

  1. Research Questions: a list of 2-4 primary questions that explain what it is that you are trying to discover. Your primary questions may contain a set of sub-questions as well.
  2. Domains: what are the domains with which your project engages? What relationships exist between these domains?
  3. Summary: a narrative description of the project. What it is, who it is designed for, what it is designed to do, what kind of technology it explores, etc.
  4. Precedents/Related Work: What are examples of work that share something in common with your project? These precedents can be contemporary or historical and can be drawn from the realms of design, technology, sociology, psychology, etc. In preparing this section of your document, please include the following information for each precedent discussed:
  • title of work and author/designer/artist
  • brief description of project
  • relevance of the project to your own work
  1. Process: a narrative description of your process, key methods and discoveries, sample sketches, storyboards, diagrams, paper prototypes, proof of user testing, artifact and specimen photos, illustrations, iterations of prototype fidelities.
  2. Evaluation: the Evaluation section of your document has two parts:
    1. A narrative summary that outlines your thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of your project.
    2. A list of criteria that you are using to evaluate the quality of your project. These criteria will be shared with the critics during your final presentation, and will serve as the basis for feedback during your review.
  3. Bibliography, References, Resources: a list of important works used to guide your project. Bibliographic information should include the title of the work, author(s), publication date, publisher, and pages cited.


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