George Guffey

This core skills studio teaches how to generate impactful visual materials to effectively communicate interactions with objects, digital interfaces and within virtual spaces. Students will learn professional communication tools for prototyping screen-based interfaces, vector illustration, typographic and visual composition, and data visualization. As well as aiding design development, the tools covered will enable the successful communication of storyboarded scenarios, design research, and finished proposals for physical and screen-based presentation. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.

'You are not the user. As objects become 'smart,' a designer should not only think about its form but also think about how others will interface with it. These days, a user can interact directly with an object, talk to an object, or interact remotely through a smartphone or hub. It is also important that the designer has a general understanding of the technology that makes an object ?smart? and how that can be used to construct a desired experience. Through presentations and discussions, this studio-seminar rapidly introduces methods to understand objects, technology and their relationship with users. Projects in this class can also explore how an app can be used to enhance an object and not replace it. Weekly presentations will focus on various interface technologies or user interface (UI) development methods and examples that will be explored in the assignments. Work examples will consist of both historic and current objects as well as samples of professional work. Suggested readings: 'Enhanced Objects' by David Rose, 'Don't Make Me Think Revisited' by Steve Krug, and the writings of Donald Norman. Over the course of the semester, students can expect to produce at least two different interface projects. Weekly assignments will explore various steps in a UI development process such as persona development, flow diagramming, graphic design, iconography, typography, concept simulation, and user testing. The assignments and projects will be reviewed and critiqued with the class. Please note that this is not a programming class, and the projects only require the development of a simulated interface.

As the second studio in the MDDO graduate sequence, this course gives students the opportunity to develop their skills in individual project development and form-giving while practicing the use of research and design tools. The primary purpose of this studio is to help students identify their individual motivations as designers by working on a self-defined design project within a structured iterative design process. As a complement to this inquiry, in-class presentations, readings, and discussions will familiarize students with the landscape of contemporary design practice. Readings will include theoretical, historical and critical texts. Design as a process will also be discussed. Students can expect to complete a multi-stage semester long project. You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.