Course Syllabus

Design in Action

In his seminal 1987 text Science in Action, Bruno Latour posited that the best way to understand how scientific knowledge is constructed is to study scientists at work. In doing so, he sought to break down the black boxes that conveniently turn messy social and technical processes into established truths that can be taken for granted and relied upon.

This course will study design computation in action by following the trajectory of the designer and the lifecycle of the design project. From Latour, we know that a great deal about design computation can be learned by putting it into practice; and simultaneously, that design work can never escape the circumstances of its production. Rather than look at the design project as the outcome of a particular brief, problem, or provocation, this course will peer inside the black box of computational design to interrogate how designers conceive, organize, and structure their projects; their studio environments, tools, and software; the means by which they perform, facilitate, or automate design labor; and the social circumstances of collaboration, criticism, pedagogy, and practice.

This course seeks to follow the path of its own making. In tandem with studying the practice of design through readings and discussions, students will apply their learnings to their own design process by developing capstone projects over the course of the semester. These diverse projects – which may include research reports, data visualizations, software prototypes, interactive exhibitions, art objects, or multi-scalar models – will all share a common awareness of their own conditions of production. Through research, laboratories, collaborative work, and group reviews the class will attempt to synthesize a shared understanding of design computation in action. Ultimately, students should be equipped to continue pursuing their interests and develop unique modes of practice that carry them through the conclusion of the course and the degree program and far into the future.

Course Structure

The colloquium will meet weekly on Wednesdays for a lecture and discussion of readings, along with a laboratory or group pin-up related to students’ capstone projects. On Mondays (TBD), students will have individual desk crits in studio to review progress on their projects. Outside of class, students will also have regular meetings with their advisors to discuss topics specific to their projects, research, and areas of interest.

In addition to weekly readings, students will be expected to make continuous, iterative progress on their capstone projects, culminating in midterm and final reviews. The format and deliverables for these projects will be specific to each student, as outlined in their project proposals from the previous Colloquium II: Explore, Explain, Propose.

Finally, students will be expected to develop a web-based, multimedia project statement that will accompany their capstone project. This web essay will be developed over the course of the semester through assignments and in-class laboratory exercises.