Master of Design in Designed Objects: Courses

In framing and confirming their position and voice as designers, students imagine and advance a self-directed project. This thesis studio provides a platform for developing a durable philosophy and mode of practice. Emphasis is given to determining potent vehicles through which the instance of the thesis is exhibited and engages public consciousness.

Students develop professional quality design portfolios through workshops on advanced modeling and rendering techniques, visual composition, portfolio layout, design communication and presentation skills. Portfolio reviews by invited professionals are an integral component of this course.

By considering the entire life-cycle of a product, from it?s conception through production, distribution, consumption, use, maintenance and disposal, this seminar positions 'objects as systems'. Towards the development of a self-principled design methodology, students will learn how design decisions emanate into and impact the global ecology. Students will become familiar with the primary aspects and methods of the OKALA approach through group research projects and examination of relevant case studies. Readings and lectures contextualize the broader theoretical and philosophical debates surrounding the issue of design for sustainment.

The aim of the Summer intensive is for students to develop the skills essential to the practice of design and communicating design ideas. The goal is for students to establish a fluid working process that utilizes integrated digital and analog processes as a means to move through ideation, iteration, material testing, visualization and design communication. To this end, the class provides training in software including Adobe Suite, Rhino, Bunkspeed, computer aided fabrication (CNC milling, 3D scanning and printing, laser cutting), as well as manual techniques such as rapid sketching, various prototyping techniques, data visualization and visual communication strategies. Working both collaboratively and independently students will consider Chicago as a lab and explore its potential as a source and resource for design practice. Existing design skills will honed to new levels through the integration of studio work, demonstrations and hands-on workshops. You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.

This studio challenges students to reconsider standard models of design practice and process, and explore new odes of object making. Students are introduced to a range of design approaches which are dissected, critiqued and retaught. A series of exercises and projects encourage them to embark upon a rapid process of action and reflection across multiple contexts, promoting risk-taking and discovery. The studio is conceived from the standpoint that the methods of the past are not necessarily appropriate for the future and that designers have a role to play in redefining their tools, as well as the outcomes of their work. It considers designers as autonomous agents able to lead by example and position themselves within the realms of cultural production, entrepreneurship and corporate business. You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.

Research is the foundation of an informed design process and this lab helps students understand the ways in which research can add value to the practice of design. Students will be introduced to a variety of methods, strategies, frameworks and tools for the capturing, synthesis and translation of varied research material. By demonstrating how primary and secondary methods can be utilized, this class provides a practical guide to navigating the ways in which research can be integrated into the design process as a source of inspiration, a method of knowledge building, and a means of testing assumptions. You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.

Leadership in today?s contingent design arenas requires nuanced understanding of the dynamic reciprocities between globalization, localization, and well-being. In learning to re-code flows of exchange; interpersonal, transactional, and ecological, designers come to see themselves as dynamic actors capable of responsibly influencing cultural, social, political, monetary and ecological spheres. Course inquiry is structured to facilitate development of inclusive understandings of contexts within which compelling project propositions are situated and the considerations that translate values and futures into real consequences. You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.

In this two-day a week thesis studio students frame their position and voice as designers by defining, advancing, critically examining and verifying a self-selected thesis project. Students combine studio investigation with primary and secondary research techniques to uncover, test and solidify new design ideas, processes, materials, technologies and behavioral insights. Through seminars and in class workshops this body of investigation is formed into a highly directed thesis proposal. Students are tasked with building relationships with external research partners and mentors to define parameters for decision making and verify the efficacy of their projects. The semester concludes with a peer and faculty review at which students must defend the formulation, investigation and synthesis of their thesis proposals.

The subject of this studio seminar is Futuring, more specifically, how the field of futuring relates to imagining humane, sustainable, and desirable futures from the vantage points of designers, producers and users. In addition to learning about the practice, purpose and application of futuring, students will gain knowledge of related fields such as trend analysis, extrapolation and forecasting. We will explore the new roles, contexts and approaches for design in relation to the impacts, implications and future possibilities of existing and emerging technologies and pioneering science. The seminar aims to move beyond the problem-solving paradigm to position the designer as a researcher with a distinct point-of-view who uses design to speculate, understand and engage with the world. Lectures and workshops by visiting experts on current and future advances in materials, technology, production, energy, and behavior will provide insight, knowledge and inspiration for the students? independent research. Each student will develop and deliver a complete future report that anticipates and interprets the impact and potential of next generation materials, methods, processes, services and supply chains.