The Designer as Moral Intermediary

The Designer as Moral Intermediary

by College of Design Comment Closed
The Role of the Designer as Moral Intermediary by Nick Gregory In Peter-Paul Verbeek’s “Materializing Morality: Design Ethics and Technological Mediation,” the author argues that designed technology shapes both the way that we interact with the world and the way that we perceive the world. He defines technological mediation as “the role of technology in human action (conceived as the ways in which human beings are present in their world) and human experience (conceived as the ways in which their world is present to them).” In summary, designed objects affect us through mediation of perception and mediation of action. Technology can shape the way that we perceive the world. mediating our perception of anything and everything. Objects such as glasses modify the way in which we see the world in a literal sense. A thermometer “establishes a relationship between humans and reality in terms of temperature.” These objects are tools that give us insight into situations that we previously may not have had....
Read More
Design as a Vehicle for Social Change

Design as a Vehicle for Social Change

by College of Design Comment Closed
Design Activism by Amanda Nguyen Like any citizen, all actions of a designer impact others and they must be professionally, culturally, and socially responsible for their impact. Victor Margolin, co-editor of Design Issues, suggests that in a world of emerging manufacturing technologies, communication networks, and global marketing structures, designers can affect social change by embracing activism and entrepreneurship (Sisson). Designers are promoting conversation and social change through their work at a local level. such as Skillet Gilmore’s “Shame Pat McCrory” banners to fight against HB2 and Kevin Lyons’ Raleigh mural in collaboration with the anti-smoking campaign, Truth. “Design activism” has disrupted the world of design by empowering designers to be a part of a movement for social change, explore answers to problems in the community, and change their role as designers. Design as a vehicle for social change In 2012, a graphic design conference in Belgrade, Serbia, called “Graphic Designer: Author or Universal Soldier.” underscored the idea that designers need to produce content beyond...
Read More
Public Interest Design in Transition

Public Interest Design in Transition

by College of Design Comment Closed
Public Interest Design in Transition by Lauren Krutchen “The human backside is a dimension architects seem to have forgotten,” said William H. Whyte, a well-known American urbanist (“William H. Whyte”). Whyte is describing how, historically, architects failed to include human perspective in their designs. However, Whyte, and a handful of other designers, realize that the most important goal of a design is that it responds to the needs of the people and communities it’s made for. Public interest design is a human-centered practice that enables designers to serve specific needs in communities, with an emphasis on social, economical, and environmental developments (“Public Interest Design”). It relies on a participatory approach of community development in which designers assess the needs and resources existing within a community and involve citizens in the process of “putting creative abilities to practical use to improve communities,” according to Bryan Bell, architect and founder of Design Corps (“Bryan Bell, AIA”). Public interest design got its start in 1968...
Read More

Writing Assignment: Opinion

by College of Design Comment Closed
Using the reading Tania assigned you as a starting place (see below), you will create a 1000-word opinion piece that reacts to the ideas in that article. Think about how the article as a whole, or some topic within it, is arguing for, or against, design in transition. A constraint to this assignment: You may not use the phrase "I think" nor any variation of that phrase. See this overview of writing a critical essay. Drossscape by Alan Berger (Landscape Urbanism) Mapping Social Messes in Elsewhere Mapping (Cartographies) Why Problems Like Homelessness might be easier to solve than manage (Malcolm Gladwell) Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital by Robert Putnam Clutter, Writing and Design by Steven Baker in Emigre, vol 35, 1995 What is Digital Cinema? by Lev Manovitch Play Anything by Ian Bogost (Adapted Essay from his book, Play Anything) Introduction to Alone Together by Sherry Turkle The Science of Design: Creating the Artificial by Herb Simon Design Ethics and Technological Mediation by Peter Paul...
Read More

Writing Prompt #2: Case Study as Argument

by College of Design Comment Closed
Writing a Case Study: Case studies are a type of writing and/or research that aims to understand and explain a phenomena or pattern. They are used in many fields to promote critical thinking and to understand a problem better. They are not meant to solve the problem, but instead to provoke an analytical discussion. In this assignment, you are being asked to look at the work of one of our contributors as a case study and to extract from that examination a larger argument about how design is in transition.  Prompt: Using the contributor who's name Tania supplied to you (see below), write a case study of the person + their work and how that is evidence of some aspect of the them of Volume 38 (Flux: Design in Transition.) You should plan to use 1 specific project from their work as a specific example of this relationship. You should also do outside research to validate your ideas for the importance of...
Read More

Phase II: Student Writing + Contributor Reminders

by College of Design Comment Closed
Tuesday, September 20 Advisory Board Meeting at 12:30 in Leazar 316 Team Debrief; Identify any key action items Share and review initial drafts of Personal Essay Discuss Zinsser reading in the review of essays Tuesday, September 27 Discuss Readings (Turchi, maps of the imagination; Zinsser, On Writing Well, p6-23.) Review initial ideas for Illustration of essay. Team Updates (Editorial: Contributors*; Marketing; Design) We will decide on second pass of contributor "asks" based on confirmed declines. For Tuesday, October 4: Read Zinnser, p. 24 - 45 Tuesday, October 4 Review of illustrated essays 3/4 done Team Updates: Editorial Update on Contributors Tuesday, October 11 Final Review, Illustrated Essays (1:30 - 3:00) Introduce Writing Assignment 2 Team Meetings: Editorial Update on confirmed Contributors Editorial Team meets with Dean Hoeverston at 3:00pm Tuesday, October 18  ...
Read More

Writing Prompt #1: Personal Essay

by College of Design Comment Closed
Prompt: Looking at the familiar experiences of our own life and work can provide important opportunities to unpack the complex ideas and arguments embedded in critical writing. We will use Debbie Millman’s “Look Both Ways” as inspiration for developing personal, illustrated essay that describes the intersection of your personal interest area and the topic of Volume 38: Flux: Design in Transition Process: Step 1: Start with the presentation that you made at the beginning of the semester (or choose another topic that you are currently interested in) and identify how that might relate or intersect with the current topic of Volume 38 of The Publication. Step 2: Freewrite your initial ideas about how this intersection might be formed. What are you initial inclinations? What do you intuit about the topic as it relates to your own work and experience Step 3: Spend 2-3 days taking notes and observing instances and evidence of your ideas in the world and in your everyday experience. Try to find patterns,...
Read More

Phase I Schedule: Volume 38 Theme Development

by College of Design Comment Closed
Phase 01: Theme development During this phase, students will each develop an abstract for the theme of Volume 38 of The Student Publication. Additionally, students will develop a personal essay to facilitate thinking and conversation about relevant and current topics in design. August 23 - September 13 (4 weeks) At the end of this phase we will have: Abstract List of potential contributors Calls out for participation Week 01: August 23 | Theme brainstorming In Class: Lecture on History of the Student Publication Class Structure and Expectations Overview of Publication "teams / roles": Editorial, Marketing, Design, Project Manager(s) Student Presentations on Individual Topics. 5-10 minute presentation followed by questions and discussion Writing an Abstract For Tuesday, August 23, Read and Prepare: Read: Norman, Don. "Writing as Design. Design as Writing" in Design for People.  Write a 250 word abstract on the subject that most resonated with you as a theme for Volume 38 of The Student Publication. In addition to the explanation of the theme, this abstract should include...
Read More