Undergraduate Overview
Architecture, Interior Architecture, & Designed Objects Undergraduate Overview
Spring 2026 Application Deadline: November 1
Fall 2026 Early Action & Priority Merit Scholarship Deadline: November 15
The Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects (AIADO) is a place where students can explore design and experiment across boundaries.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio (BFA) is an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to prepare students for life as a 21st century artist and designer. Students are encouraged to take courses in any medium of field of study relevant to their practice. Small class sizes, a commitment to personal attention, and support for free expression define the undergraduate experience.
AIADO offers pathways through the BFA that combine sequenced, project-based design studios with electives that build skills and expand knowledge in design. As a BFA student, pathways offer you a guide to the prerequisites for advanced studios in the BFA, preparation for further graduate study, and support developing your own design portfolio.
AIADO offers combined coursework with departments including Fashion Design, Fiber and Material Studies, Sculpture, and Ceramics, allowing students to build strong connections to other areas of the School. BFA students are encouraged to apply to the department’s External Partnership courses with collaborators in industry and culture. Students participate in the Academic Spine, including the Sophomore Seminar, Junior Professional Practice Seminar, and Capstone experience in their final year. BFA students work in the School’s workshops, libraries, and museum collection, making the most of the resources of the School and the city.
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With courses on architectural design, representation skills, and architectural history and theory, the Architecture Pathway focuses on architecture and its impacts on public life while allowing students to experiment in areas such as technology and building performance, urbanism and social practice, and the visualization and communication of information.
The Architecture Pathway is an excellent preparation for graduate study in Architecture.
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The Interior Architecture Pathway focuses on the experimental design of interior spaces at various scales. Students work across disciplinary boundaries in developing design ideas that are future oriented and addresses the role and impact of interior spaces in the 21st century. The Interior Architecture courses equip students with a progressively broad range of knowledge and skills to become spatial innovators in an exciting field that bridges architecture, object, and service design. The pathway is also an excellent preparation for graduate study.
Students who complete the Interior Architecture Pathway meet criteria for the NCIDQ examination given by the Council for Interior Design Qualification. For the most up-to-date criteria, go to the CIDQ website.
BFA in Fine Arts Studio Interior Architecture Pathways [PDF]
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Borrowing critically from product design, systems design, furniture design, and interaction design, the Designed Objects Pathway focuses on the critical and creative rethinking of the systems, tools, furnishings, and products that we use or interact with in our everyday lives.
Investigations into how objects extend human potential and inspire imagination are balanced with studies in the responsible and imaginative use of new technologies, materials, and production processes. A concern for sustainability provides an opportunity to explore alternative visions of how we live, work, communicate, and play.
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The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree provides you a broad education that balances thinking and making, academic rigor, and experimental play. The BFA curriculum integrates academic and studio education—the classroom and the studio inform and enhance each other.
Studio 69 - CP 1010 Core Studio Practice I (3)
- CP 1011 Core Studio Practice II (3)
- CP 1020 Research Studio I (3)
- CP 1022 Research Studio II (3)
- SOPHSEM 2900 (3)
- PROFPRAC 39XX (3)
- CAPSTONE 49XX (3)
- Studio Electives (48)
Art History 15 - ARTHI 1001 World Cultures/Civilizations: Pre-History—19th Century Art and Architecture (3)
- Additional Art History Course at 1000-level (e.g., ARTHI 1002) (3)
- Art History Electives at 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level (9)
Liberal Arts 30 - ENGLISH 1001 First Year Seminar I (3)
- ENGLISH 1005 First Year Seminar II (3)
- Natural Science (6)
- Social Science (6)
- Humanities (6)
- Liberal Arts Electives (6)
- Any of the above Liberal Arts or certain AAP or EIS
General Electives 6 - Studio, Art History, Liberal Arts, AAP, or EIS
Total Credit Hours 120 * BFA students must complete at least two classes designated as "off campus study." These classes can also fulfill any of the requirements listed above and be from any of the divisions (Art History, Studio, Liberal Arts, or General Electives).
BFA in Studio with Thesis Option (Liberal Arts or Visual Critical Studies): Students interested in pursuing the BFA in Studio with the Thesis Option (Liberal Arts or Visual Critical Studies) should contact their academic advisor for details about eligibility, program requirements, and the application process.
Total credits required for minimum residency 66 Minimum Studio credit 42
AIADO Course Listing
| Title | Catalog | Instructor | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Architecture/Interior Architecture | 1001 (001) | Nathan Rennich | Mon/Wed
6:45 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
Introduces the meaning and making of architecture and interior architecture through individual and group design projects. Students learn design processes by experimenting with materials and exploring architectural and interior architecture representation, and measure the implications of their work on broader cultural contexts. Students work on design projects using the latest software and digital tools, and develop techniques for integrating analog and digital design and fabrication processes. Students research historic precedents and contemporary culture and design to inform their work. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.
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Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Introduction to Designed Objects | 1001 (001) | Cassandra Scanlon | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to the creative scope of the Designed Objects program, and the ideas, skills, and methods used in the process of designing objects. Students will learn about the design of objects by studying their form, function, assembly, materiality, use, value and significance (both subjective and objective). Emphasizing thinking through making; students students build their visual vocabulary and develop an understanding of the design process. The goal of this class is to help students imagine the possibilities of the object design field and identify their aptitude for becoming an object designer.
The course will explore the intentionality of object design, exploring the works of a ranging from James Dyson to Ron Arad to Zaha Hadid. Readings and screenings will vary but typically include Mu-Ming Tsai's Design Thinking and Gary Hustwit's Objectified. Students should expect to produce a body of work consisting of several minor exploratory projects and two fully fleshed out finished Objects (mid-term and final). This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Introduction to Architecture/Interior Architecture | 1001 (002) | Adel Machacca | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Introduces the meaning and making of architecture and interior architecture through individual and group design projects. Students learn design processes by experimenting with materials and exploring architectural and interior architecture representation, and measure the implications of their work on broader cultural contexts. Students work on design projects using the latest software and digital tools, and develop techniques for integrating analog and digital design and fabrication processes. Students research historic precedents and contemporary culture and design to inform their work. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.
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Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Introduction to Designed Objects | 1001 (002) | Sara Prado | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to the creative scope of the Designed Objects program, and the ideas, skills, and methods used in the process of designing objects. Students will learn about the design of objects by studying their form, function, assembly, materiality, use, value and significance (both subjective and objective). Emphasizing thinking through making; students students build their visual vocabulary and develop an understanding of the design process. The goal of this class is to help students imagine the possibilities of the object design field and identify their aptitude for becoming an object designer.
The course will explore the intentionality of object design, exploring the works of a ranging from James Dyson to Ron Arad to Zaha Hadid. Readings and screenings will vary but typically include Mu-Ming Tsai's Design Thinking and Gary Hustwit's Objectified. Students should expect to produce a body of work consisting of several minor exploratory projects and two fully fleshed out finished Objects (mid-term and final). This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Design Drawing | 1002 (001) | Douglas Pancoast | Tues
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course is a comprehensive introduction to two-dimensional architectural and interior architectural representation. Students learn hand-drawing and digital techniques to produce orthographic, axonometric, isometric, and perspectival projections in individual and group projects. Students move between two- and three-dimensional representation, developing robust skills for design drawing.
Typically the course will review the work of architects and designers throughout the history of architecture representation. Readings will vary and focus will be concentrated on understanding and putting into practice the mechanisms of drawing. Course work consists of building techniques and practice of drawing. Classes will develop incremental skills through assignments and projects that culminate into complex drawings and representations. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Design Drawing | 1002 (002) | Jaak Jurisson | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course is a comprehensive introduction to two-dimensional architectural and interior architectural representation. Students learn hand-drawing and digital techniques to produce orthographic, axonometric, isometric, and perspectival projections in individual and group projects. Students move between two- and three-dimensional representation, developing robust skills for design drawing.
Typically the course will review the work of architects and designers throughout the history of architecture representation. Readings will vary and focus will be concentrated on understanding and putting into practice the mechanisms of drawing. Course work consists of building techniques and practice of drawing. Classes will develop incremental skills through assignments and projects that culminate into complex drawings and representations. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Design Communication | 1004 (001) | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
|
Description
Comprehensive introduction to three-dimensional architectural and interior architectural representation and fabrication. Through individual and group projects, students learn hand-modeling and digital fabrication techniques, and become super-users of the School?s shops and Advanced Output Center. Students work on design projects using the latest software and digital tools, and develop techniques for integrating analog and digital design and fabrication processes. Students move between two- and three-dimensional representation in the development of robust skills for design communication. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.
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Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Ugrd Studio 2 | 2002 (001) | Keefer Dunn | Mon/Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
ARCH/INARC Studio 2 is a two-day core design studio that expands the architecture and interior architecture design skills and research capabilities explored in Studio 1. Design projects of increasing complexity and scale are generated, critiqued and refined.
Research includes contemporary architecture, site research, urban context, and critical design issues of theory and construction. Students utilize hand sketching, digital visualization, photography, and physical modeling to present design project work with expanding sophistication. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO software template. PrerequisitesPre:ARCH/INARC 2001 |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Ugrd Studio 2 | 2002 (002) | Jaak Jurisson | Mon/Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
ARCH/INARC Studio 2 is a two-day core design studio that expands the architecture and interior architecture design skills and research capabilities explored in Studio 1. Design projects of increasing complexity and scale are generated, critiqued and refined.
Research includes contemporary architecture, site research, urban context, and critical design issues of theory and construction. Students utilize hand sketching, digital visualization, photography, and physical modeling to present design project work with expanding sophistication. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO software template. PrerequisitesPre:ARCH/INARC 2001 |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Light and Space | 2003 (001) | Stephanie Slaughter | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Light is a miraculous condition both conceptually and physically in the fact that it is a medium which can not be touched or held, etc. Light in combination with space creates containers for the production of what can only be described as auras. The ephemeral conditions which light produces actually changes and alters the spaces we inhabit daily.
The course Light & Space is designed to develop and expand both artistic and architectural sensibilities for students in the exploration of natural and artificial light as a medium. This one day a week studio is structured around a series of lectures about the comparison between Architects and Artists through exercises involving both physical and digital models within the city of Chicago. The exercises will introduce students on how to construct and assemble spaces in order to control light and the effects it has on inhabitants of architectural surroundings. The instructors of Light & Space present a series of case study comparisons between architects and artists as a means to open the possibilities for extreme experimentation within the studio setting. Students final project of the semester is the curation of the collection of imagery designed and rendered via all exercises, but open ended for each individual student?s interpretation and personal expression of social, political, and gender issues, etc. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Sketching for Designed Objects | 2005 (002) | Hector Silva | Thurs
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
This course will provide the student with the skills to create design concept sketches (ideation/thinking) that will communicate with the viewer and visualize the design concept as a design object using sketch renderings to define and communicate the object's form and function. Instructions will focus on freehand marker sketching for ideation/thumbnails, shading, form development and rendering, followed by orthographic projection (measured technical drawing) and two-point perspective. Each of these skills will be demonstrated in class and on a one to one basis during the semester
In each class I will share design drawings from my collection that show a history of sketching styles for presentations using Prismacolor Pencils and NuPastels to markers, along with marker drawings for clients that I and other designers have created in product, packaging and display projects. These presentations will also be used to lecture on the history of design drawing styles and techniques. Students will be given three design projects in which they will go through the design process of starting with ideation sketches, followed by design selection, renderings and an orthographic drawing of the final design. The first project focuses on the development of forms, the next two projects have an emphasis on ideas and drawing skills. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| What's Worth Preserving? | 2010 (001) | Jonathan Solomon | Tues
8:30 AM - 11:15 AM In Person |
Description
Architectural preservation, art conservation, archiving and collecting, even environmental protection: all these practices share a desire to preserve things of value, but how do we decide what's valuable? Using the laws, policies, and practices of architectural preservation as a starting point this studio will ask and propose answers to the question: what's worth preserving? Students will explore how preservation practice overlaps and complements the work of different museums, archives, and collections that define value and how they protect it; and propose strategies for assembling and maintaining their own collections in whatever media they choose. Course readings will focus on the history and contemporary practice of preservation, conservation, and collecting; and visits to preservation organizations in the city of Chicago will introduce students to a range of current preservation projects. Course work will include weekly readings, discussions, field trips and tours. Students will work individually throughout the course to research how different institutions assemble and protect their collections, identify a subject of personal interest for preservation, and propose a preservation strategy for it in any medium of their choice.
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Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designing Interaction | 2019 (001) | Thurs
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
|
Description
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. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designed Objects Studio One | 2020 (001) | Jess Giffin | Tues
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
As the beginning course in the Designed Objects department, students will have an opportunity to explore different methods of working in order to begin establishing a practice that works best for them. Students will be building a strong foundation of skills and techniques needed to navigate an informed design process and successfully complete a design brief. In this hands-on class, students will learn how to find inspiration for an idea, develop that idea into a concept, and use that concept to design and fabricate a high-level, final prototype. Basic research theories and methods are introduced which are then applied towards studio projects. Fabrication and prototyping techniques are also incorporated in order to test out ideas and discover new ones. Students advance through definition, research, ideation, sketching, and modeling phases toward two? and three?dimensional representations (digital and physical) of their work that are orally defended during group critique.
Readings and lecture content will vary and will focus on examples of historically relevant and contemporary designers, artists, studios, and design movements; as well as design practices that highlight different motivations of the designer. In addition to the two main projects that focus on different methods of approaching design? where students will be producing high-level prototypes, this workshop-style class consists of one-day projects and exercises designed to introduce techniques and skills such as technical drawing and sketching, form-finding, prototyping, and inspiration research, among others. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designed Objects Studio One | 2020 (002) | Annalee Koehn | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
As the beginning course in the Designed Objects department, students will have an opportunity to explore different methods of working in order to begin establishing a practice that works best for them. Students will be building a strong foundation of skills and techniques needed to navigate an informed design process and successfully complete a design brief. In this hands-on class, students will learn how to find inspiration for an idea, develop that idea into a concept, and use that concept to design and fabricate a high-level, final prototype. Basic research theories and methods are introduced which are then applied towards studio projects. Fabrication and prototyping techniques are also incorporated in order to test out ideas and discover new ones. Students advance through definition, research, ideation, sketching, and modeling phases toward two? and three?dimensional representations (digital and physical) of their work that are orally defended during group critique.
Readings and lecture content will vary and will focus on examples of historically relevant and contemporary designers, artists, studios, and design movements; as well as design practices that highlight different motivations of the designer. In addition to the two main projects that focus on different methods of approaching design? where students will be producing high-level prototypes, this workshop-style class consists of one-day projects and exercises designed to introduce techniques and skills such as technical drawing and sketching, form-finding, prototyping, and inspiration research, among others. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Interface Design Seminar | 2028 (001) | George Guffey | Thurs
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
As products incorporate increasingly complex displays, functionality, and intelligence, their usability can become a challenge. This studio-seminar explores methods for designing intuitive and effective interfaces that enhance both the usability and overall experience of a device. Through presentations, discussions, and hands-on exercises, students will analyze existing interfaces and devices, identifying strengths and weaknesses in their design. The course emphasizes the integration of user interface (UI) and industrial design (ID) to create seamless, visually cohesive, and functionally intuitive products. Students will engage in critical evaluation of real-world examples and apply digital media tools to prototype the interface and interaction components of their own design projects. Key topics include understanding user behavior, mapping device functionality, designing appropriate two-way communication, and developing graphic elements that support usability. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of interface design as a critical factor in product development, enabling them to craft more user-centered, visually compelling, and engaging product experiences.
PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designed Objects Studio Two | 2030 (001) | Eric Allan Hotchkiss | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
We will work with the processes by which product designers develop compelling objects that communicate ideas, values, functions and purpose. Projects are designed to study the language of form through an analysis of user interaction, the implications of material choice, finishes, and craftsmanship on the success of a product concept, and how these choices support and promote function, desirability and perceived value. There is also an emphasis on expanding student material exploration and making techniques for optimal results, and the value of iterative prototyping in a successful design process.
The course will address universal product design issues and methods, starting with defining and understanding the project, considering form and function, appropriate material selection, construction techniques, finishes, iteration, and well-crafted final products. We will cover concepts such as semiotics, ergonomics, families of objects, multi-functional products, and emphasize clear communication of finished design ideas through schematics, and graphic representation using descriptive photography. Relevant contemporary design examples are provided as reference for each project, and students will spend additional time researching contemporary designers such as Front Design, Raw Edges, Nendo and Ron Arad. Students will be introduced to high-end professional design sources in a business setting through a field trip to the Merchandise Mart. The course is built around 3 main projects, each with instructional presentations, Design research assignments, ideation and sketching, group discussions, and iterative prototyping, resulting in the creation of a final product and printed graphic document, all presented and discussed in a group critique. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. PrerequisitesPre: DES OB 1006 or 2020 |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Furniture 1: Chair Studio | 2118 (001) | Erik Newman | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This furniture studio will critically engage the chair as an archetype. Chairs have long been a fascination of designers as they require a developed understanding of structure, material, and form. Importantly, chairs represent the cultural mores of the time in which they are produced and are inextricably linked to larger systems of power, technology, and economy. This course will explore the chair as a fluid, dynamic furniture category that is in a reciprocal relationship with culture, technology, and politics and will emphasize a hands-on approach to design and production.
Readings from art and design historians and critics including Galen Cranz, David Getsy, Richard Sennett, Glenn Adamson, and Alice Rawsthorn will be integral to an expansive conversation about the chair. Class readings and discussions will also help contextualize different approaches to construction and fabrication at different scales of production. A wide range of both contemporary and historical design precedents will be explored ranging from traditional Shaker Furniture to Wendell Castle, Faye Toogood, Max Lamb, Egg Collective, Jasper Morrison, and Scott Burton. By the end of this course, students should expect to have completed technical drawings and a series of detailed scale models. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Digital Modeling: Rhino | 2124 (001) | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
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Description
This course is designed to be a fast-paced first step into the field of 3D CAD modeling, an arena where designers give shape to our daily experience of the world. If this is your first exposure to virtual 3D form development, you will find a flexible interface that facilitates a rapid learning curve from simple to complex. For those with prior CAD experience desiring a more intuitive, less restrictive creative experience, this course will provide the means to turn what you see in your mind and your sketches into exciting visual and precise physically accurate representations of your vision. Throughout the semester we will discuss historical and current events in product, fashion and architectural design. Typically, these shared conversations lead to discoveries that participants dig into and apply to assignments. A list of influential artists, designers and architects is provided along with suggested books and online references that enrich and add diversity and range to our discourse. Initially, the class works through a series of exercises and tutorials designed to bring familiarity and confidence to their experience with Rhino. Students will investigate methods for surfacing, modifying, rendering, and presenting ideas and concepts they create. As each tool and process becomes more familiar, new methods and strategies are introduced, and students are taught how to apply them to create accurate representative models of objects they design. In addition to gaining hands-on skills, we will explore form creation and the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and cultural factors that play into the development of a successful new product.
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Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Digital Modeling: Solidworks | 2126 (001) | Angie Lullie | Tues
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to SolidWorks, a powerful parametric software package used by product designers to model, indicate specifications, and visualize their design intent. Students will learn the software in the context of design by using it as a tool to develop form and scale, convey design intent with 3D renders, create specification drawings for manufacturing, and interface with 3d printers, CNC machines, and laser cutters for quick iterative prototyping.
This course will focus on a series of tutorials followed by hands-on design projects that will provide intensive training in 3D modeling, 3D printing, and photo-realistic 3D rendering.This will allow the students to make judgements on which 3D tools to use at what stage to develop the most efficient models. The tools will be explained through examples and demonstrations, which will allow the students to practice the tools during class. Students are expected to complete 4 projects. The projects will include learning 2D sketch tools and creating relations through existing logos, modeling existing products with multiple components, developing an original design based on an existing brand or artist, and collaborating within a group on a system of objects. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Sophomore Seminar: Interdisciplinary | 2900 (001) | Ellen Grimes | Thurs
3:30 PM - 6:15 PM In Person |
Description
What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? Sophomore Seminar offers strategies for students to explore, reflect upon, and connect common themes and interests in the development of an emerging creative practice that will serve as the basis of their ongoing studies at SAIC and beyond. Students will examine historical and contemporary influences and contextualize their work in relation to the diverse art-worlds of the 21st Century. Readings, screenings, and field trips will vary each semester. Presentations by visiting artists and guest speakers will provide the opportunity for students to hear unique perspectives on sustaining a creative practice. One-on-one meetings with faculty will provide students with individualized mentorship throughout the semester. During interdisciplinary critiques, students will explore a variety of formats and tools to analyze work and provide peer feedback. The class mid-term project asks students to imagine a plan for their creative life and devise a self-directed course of study for their time at school. The course concludes with an assignment asking students to develop and document a project or body of work demonstrating how the interplay of ideas, technical skills, and formal concerns evolve through iteration, experimentation and revision.
Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Sophomore Seminar: Interdisciplinary | 2900 (002) | Ellen Grimes | Thurs
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? Sophomore Seminar offers strategies for students to explore, reflect upon, and connect common themes and interests in the development of an emerging creative practice that will serve as the basis of their ongoing studies at SAIC and beyond. Students will examine historical and contemporary influences and contextualize their work in relation to the diverse art-worlds of the 21st Century. Readings, screenings, and field trips will vary each semester. Presentations by visiting artists and guest speakers will provide the opportunity for students to hear unique perspectives on sustaining a creative practice. One-on-one meetings with faculty will provide students with individualized mentorship throughout the semester. During interdisciplinary critiques, students will explore a variety of formats and tools to analyze work and provide peer feedback. The class mid-term project asks students to imagine a plan for their creative life and devise a self-directed course of study for their time at school. The course concludes with an assignment asking students to develop and document a project or body of work demonstrating how the interplay of ideas, technical skills, and formal concerns evolve through iteration, experimentation and revision.
Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Sophomore Seminar: Interdisciplinary | 2900 (003) | Anjulie Rao | Tues
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? Sophomore Seminar offers strategies for students to explore, reflect upon, and connect common themes and interests in the development of an emerging creative practice that will serve as the basis of their ongoing studies at SAIC and beyond. Students will examine historical and contemporary influences and contextualize their work in relation to the diverse art-worlds of the 21st Century. Readings, screenings, and field trips will vary each semester. Presentations by visiting artists and guest speakers will provide the opportunity for students to hear unique perspectives on sustaining a creative practice. One-on-one meetings with faculty will provide students with individualized mentorship throughout the semester. During interdisciplinary critiques, students will explore a variety of formats and tools to analyze work and provide peer feedback. The class mid-term project asks students to imagine a plan for their creative life and devise a self-directed course of study for their time at school. The course concludes with an assignment asking students to develop and document a project or body of work demonstrating how the interplay of ideas, technical skills, and formal concerns evolve through iteration, experimentation and revision.
Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Sophomore Seminar: Interdisciplinary | 2900 (027) | Peter J Zerillo | Thurs
3:30 PM - 6:15 PM In Person |
Description
What are the concerns that drive one's creative practice? How does one set the terms for its future development? Sophomore Seminar offers strategies for students to explore, reflect upon, and connect common themes and interests in the development of an emerging creative practice that will serve as the basis of their ongoing studies at SAIC and beyond. Students will examine historical and contemporary influences and contextualize their work in relation to the diverse art-worlds of the 21st Century. Readings, screenings, and field trips will vary each semester. Presentations by visiting artists and guest speakers will provide the opportunity for students to hear unique perspectives on sustaining a creative practice. One-on-one meetings with faculty will provide students with individualized mentorship throughout the semester. During interdisciplinary critiques, students will explore a variety of formats and tools to analyze work and provide peer feedback. The class mid-term project asks students to imagine a plan for their creative life and devise a self-directed course of study for their time at school. The course concludes with an assignment asking students to develop and document a project or body of work demonstrating how the interplay of ideas, technical skills, and formal concerns evolve through iteration, experimentation and revision.
Prerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Multiples Studio | 3034 (001) | Jess Giffin | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This interdisciplinary studio class investigates the intersection of printmedia, artists? multiples and packaging as an entry point into making and thinking about multiples as a format for studio production. The history of artists? multiples (loosely defined as small-scale editioned or multiply produced three-dimensional works) includes many examples that use, or appropriate, printed elements and packaging in some way. This history, along with our daily experience of packaging (the many boxes, folders, labels, pamphlets, flyers and cartons found in nearly every aspect of contemporary life) offers a wealth of connections to consider and work from.
Students will be introduced to a range of printing and paper construction techniques within the Printmedia studio. These include plate-based lithography (with hand-drawn, digital and photo options) and pattern layout for packaging along with other selected tools and techniques. In addition, students will have the opportunity to use SAIC labs such as the Service Bureau and digital fabrication centers. Examples, short readings, and a visit to the Joan Flasch or other related collections will support project development and discussion. Students can expect to complete three to five projects and participate in two critiques. |
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| Shaping Light | 3048 (001) | Gregory Mowery | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Light is a material that can be shaped to express ideas, create experiences and increase the communicative potential of objects and spaces. Through a combination of lectures, demos, fields trips and most of all, hands-on lab work, students develop a degree of self sufficiency in the design, construction and prototyping of illuminated objects, physical graphics and environmental lighting. Students learn basic electronic and electrical circuit design, lamp specification and experiment with illumination technologies including incandescent, LED and cold cathode (neon).
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| Furniture 2: Prototyping for Furniture | 3155 (001) | Zachary Manuel | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This digital-analog studio affords modeling and prototyping for furniture and other objects at environmental scale. Students construct prototype objects for living while learning a diverse range of technical and process options for making at scale in materials including wood, metals, plastics, fabrics and foams. Focus on fluid improvisation in prototyping designs both by hand and using CNC and other integrated fabrications technologies.
The course explores the systems work of Enzo Mari and Gerrit Rietveld to understand simple construction and scaffold mechanisms for creating quick prototypes. We watch an array of craft and wood engineering videos to understand manufacturing and fabrication techniques, and how prototyping takes place in furniture businesses. There are three major assignments, each yielding a unique piece of furniture. Naturally, the scope and scale of the projects increase as the semester moves forward. Additionally the course includes two day-long charettes to deliver specific skills and two field trips, to a furniture manufacturer and to a furniture show room. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
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| AIA: Architecture: Ugrd Studio 4 | 3902 (001) | Odile Compagnon | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This two-day core undergraduate design studio focuses on the role of the designer in public life, and the role architecture plays in shaping public life. Students address the legal, ethical, cultural, and political concerns that shape architecture practice through the development of a design project. Students use rigorous representation techniques, achieving a professional level of presentation. Students are expected to complete a professional portfolio and resume, along with their design work.
This studio examines issues of program, structure, and building skin to identify how public architecture represents itself as a cultural and political artifact. Rather than understanding architecture as autonomous from its social, cultural, and political environment, the studio posits that architecture must be integrated into the world, be informed by and transforming the social and technical systems that enable our built environments. Students will review and study design approaches to expand their understanding of possibilities about new spatial dynamics informed by emerging social relationships, hybrid conditions and the social shaping of technology. Readings, textual and visual case studies and site visits will vary, but always provide the background and theoretical grounding for the site and project analysis and final project development and portfolio presentation. Project work is a cumulative archive of the process of problem analysis and design exploration that are translations of observations, facts and ideas ? all being made visible through diagrams, drawings and models. Parts of the semesters work will be conducted in groups, in group discussions and workshops and/or site visits; and which will all contribute to individual project work and portfolio development to be presented in a final critique. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore seminar course |
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| DES OB: Designed Object Portfolio Development Studio | 3914 (001) | Tobey Albright | Thurs
3:30 PM - 6:15 PM In Person |
Description
In this class you will engage in a wide variety of professional practice activities to help prepare you for life after SAIC. In this course, each student will focus on advancing the design (layout, graphics, narratives, flow) of their portfolio so that it best conveys their individual design skills, experience and interests. Students will produce materials appropriate for delivery of their work across multiple formats (print, digital, web, etc), will learn how to edit/ arrange their materials to suit the specific context of application, and will create consistent design elements that can be shared across the full range of professional materials from portfolio, website, business cards, and other promotional materials. The course emphasizes hands-on, real- world professional activities and opportunities for emerging designers.
More information about Professional Practice and the Academic Spine curriculum can be found on the SAIC website: http://www.saic.edu/academics/departments/academicspine/ PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore seminar course |
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Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| DES OB: Runway Meets Runway: Fashion Accessories and Designing Objects You Wear | 3915 (001) | Stephanie Sims | Tues
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
Runway Meets Runway is an excursion into the intersection of fashion and object design via the accessories and technologies that we wear, carry on and carry with. Working equally in the Fashion Department and AIADO, the students use investigation, iteration and innovation to design and fabricate a collection of accessory designs using analog and digital tools from worlds of both fashion and of product design. This Junior Seminar course includes visits to studios of professional designers to supplement individual developments of objects, lines and looks. Students will develop a web presence appropriate to their emerging practice.
Sample Class Activities: Built around the idea that culture is something we carry, carry on, carry with, and carry out, the students will conceive a 'galactic proposal', design and produce the objects, then integrate them into a social media campaign that introduces them as young independent designers to the outside world. Emphasis is placed on developing a professional mindset and mission to all aspects of their work. Students are introduced to this though guest professionals in design, fashion, materials experts, and social media gurus. The class is built around making a signature collection through studio work. The class will also explore- Strategies for developing a collection, Basics of a signature brand Understanding market categories, Positioning and differentiation through presentation, Material/ technique demonstrations (both analog and digital), Vendor field trips, Roles of Intellectual Property, Transforming a personal social media identity into a professional presence, Branding objects, How to meet impossible deadlines, Studio photography on a shoestring budget -through demos, field trips, invited guests, intense studio nights, and the knowledge and expertise of faculty with deep experience developing individual design practices. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore seminar course |
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DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Scenography | 3920 (001) | Odile Compagnon | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
In this course, students will be introduced to techniques by which they can design environments (spaces, performances, exhibits, architecture, interiors, landscapes) with strong potential 101 narrative, storytelling, memories Borrowing from the theater, to animation, puppetry, stop motion or urban spectacle, the course will teach ways in which lighting, movements, interactivity, space hierarchy can make nonfigurative concepts accessible to wide audiences, A digital approach will be merged with analog fabrication and scaled prototyping of props and physical environments.
Chicago will serve as text book, Field trips to performances , outdoor spectacles, screenings , exhibition will be the teaching tools to understand light, scale, interaction between participants Readings and videos by Peter Brook, Jeremy Till, Olafur Eliason, Patrick Bouchain will set the stage for conversations about minimalism, technology, and the importance of details when telling a story through space. Four short design assignments. inspired by the readings and field trips, will teach students the basics of orthographic projection, scale, additive and subtractive color mixing, materials, computer assisted design, and encourage them to apply their own making and designing skills to creating environments that resonate wilh a strong voice. |
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| Futurecraft: Speculative Worlds & Narrative Game DesignFuturecraft: Speculative Game | 4017 (001) | Jessica Charlesworth, Kristin McWharter | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This studio course challenges students to rethink conventional ideas of 'the future' using design, gaming strategies, and visualization methods to create compelling alternatives. Through live-action role play (LARP) and guided reflection, students collaboratively design an emergent world over the course of a semester. Each session introduces new challenges, pushing students to respond to evolving scenarios while considering their ethical implications. The class combines LARP tools, game strategy, design principles, scenario planning, and speculative design to explore speculative ideas and create immersive, thought-provoking futures. The course structure is episodic, encouraging creative problem-solving and ethical engagement throughout.
Some of the artists/ designers/ futurists / studios we will study in this course include artist, researcher, game designer Carina Erdmann, artist and designer Ash Eliza Smith who employs storytelling, worldbuilding, and speculative design to craft new realities. Chris Woebken and Elliott Montgomery's Extrapolation Factory explores experiential futures through workshops and object visualizations. Stuart Candy, a futurist, also contributes to the field. We will review and discuss works such as *War Game*, a future-set simulation; Alternate Reality Games at UChicago with Fourcast Lab; and *Papers*, a playful LARP that explores corporate culture. Course work will include weekly practical and research based assignments: students will develop visualizations of spaces, objects, or graphics that bring to life their proposals related to scenarios for the game scenario and gather knowledge of a range of new technologies and the future scenarios they imply. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Futurecraft: Speculative Worlds & Narrative Game DesignFuturecraft: Speculative Game | 4017 (001) | Jessica Charlesworth, Kristin McWharter | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This studio course challenges students to rethink conventional ideas of 'the future' using design, gaming strategies, and visualization methods to create compelling alternatives. Through live-action role play (LARP) and guided reflection, students collaboratively design an emergent world over the course of a semester. Each session introduces new challenges, pushing students to respond to evolving scenarios while considering their ethical implications. The class combines LARP tools, game strategy, design principles, scenario planning, and speculative design to explore speculative ideas and create immersive, thought-provoking futures. The course structure is episodic, encouraging creative problem-solving and ethical engagement throughout.
Some of the artists/ designers/ futurists / studios we will study in this course include artist, researcher, game designer Carina Erdmann, artist and designer Ash Eliza Smith who employs storytelling, worldbuilding, and speculative design to craft new realities. Chris Woebken and Elliott Montgomery's Extrapolation Factory explores experiential futures through workshops and object visualizations. Stuart Candy, a futurist, also contributes to the field. We will review and discuss works such as *War Game*, a future-set simulation; Alternate Reality Games at UChicago with Fourcast Lab; and *Papers*, a playful LARP that explores corporate culture. Course work will include weekly practical and research based assignments: students will develop visualizations of spaces, objects, or graphics that bring to life their proposals related to scenarios for the game scenario and gather knowledge of a range of new technologies and the future scenarios they imply. |
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DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Language-Games: Dialoguing with AI | 4021 (001) | Gionata Gatto, Douglas Rosman | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course explores what it means to engage in dialogue with an AI prompting system, focusing on the design of multi-modal interfaces and their effects on both the quality of interaction and the creation of prototypes and artifacts. Students will experiment with different 'languages' for AI communication, such as voice (tone, cadence, emotion), bodily gestures, and environmental factors (light, sound, humidity), as ways to influence¿and be influenced by¿AI behaviors. Through a series of hands-on experiments, the course navigates the space between biological ('human') and cultural ('AI') processes, offering new perspectives on hybrid outcomes co-generated by these interactions. The aim is to foster a critical understanding of emerging AI systems, positioning students to engage with AI thoughtfully rather than as a mere technological tool.
The course builds on Cultural and Feminist Studies, as a way to depart from the dichotomy human/AI, and move towards their understanding as entities that collaborate and promt each other. References include Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, Langdon Winner's politics of artifacts, which addresses the ways in which technology embeds social and cultural values; Rosi Braidotti's work on Posthumanism. Theoretical foundations will be accompanied by the discussion of existing practices and past interactions, including the work of John Funge, Sherry Turkle, Meredith Broussard, and the study of other formats, linked to the design of bots for social media use. Across the semester, there will be a range of assignment asking students to explore the impact of different non-normative `languages¿ -such as body, sight, the environment, on the crafting of new dialogic modes with AI. PrerequisitesOpen to Seniors & Grad Students |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Language-Games: Dialoguing with AI | 4021 (001) | Gionata Gatto, Douglas Rosman | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course explores what it means to engage in dialogue with an AI prompting system, focusing on the design of multi-modal interfaces and their effects on both the quality of interaction and the creation of prototypes and artifacts. Students will experiment with different 'languages' for AI communication, such as voice (tone, cadence, emotion), bodily gestures, and environmental factors (light, sound, humidity), as ways to influence¿and be influenced by¿AI behaviors. Through a series of hands-on experiments, the course navigates the space between biological ('human') and cultural ('AI') processes, offering new perspectives on hybrid outcomes co-generated by these interactions. The aim is to foster a critical understanding of emerging AI systems, positioning students to engage with AI thoughtfully rather than as a mere technological tool.
The course builds on Cultural and Feminist Studies, as a way to depart from the dichotomy human/AI, and move towards their understanding as entities that collaborate and promt each other. References include Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, Langdon Winner's politics of artifacts, which addresses the ways in which technology embeds social and cultural values; Rosi Braidotti's work on Posthumanism. Theoretical foundations will be accompanied by the discussion of existing practices and past interactions, including the work of John Funge, Sherry Turkle, Meredith Broussard, and the study of other formats, linked to the design of bots for social media use. Across the semester, there will be a range of assignment asking students to explore the impact of different non-normative `languages¿ -such as body, sight, the environment, on the crafting of new dialogic modes with AI. PrerequisitesOpen to Seniors & Grad Students |
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Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Furniture 3:Advanced Furniture (SP) | 4026 (001) | Casey C. Lurie | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Within a structured studio environment, advanced-level students develop, refine, and execute an individual furniture concept. Students progress from the conceptual design stage, through design development to the actualization of a work that can be `tested? for public review. Students are challenged to develop concise and persuasive arguments regarding the motivation, development, execution, and dissemination of their design project. Through the articulation and advocacy of their design work, students define their role as a dynamic catalyst operating within real-world social-, political-, monetary-, and cultural-economies. Students are admitted via a portfolio application reviewed by the faculty.
PrerequisitesDESOB 4025 |
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DepartmentLocation |
| Interiority | 4050 (001) | Carl Ray Miller | Thurs
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
This seminar will explore definitions and characteristics of interiority, historically and theoretically. It is not a survey of interiors but an exploration of the condition of interiority, physically, experientially and culturally. Physically, interiority is the product of boundaries and the tension of boundaries defined; experientially we spend the majority of our lives 'inside'. Culturally and psychologically, it implies habitation, the way we exist within inhabited space, how we negotiate boundedness and openness and the relationship between ourselves and spaces. The seminar will examine these conditions, looking particularly at the challenges to the notion of the interior offered by new technologies. The course will be conducted as an open seminar with presentations by faculty and students, and will form a basis for the self-development of critical and analytical skills in terms of exploring interior spaces, both literally and metaphorically.
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| The Future of Making | 4060 (001) | Cody Norman | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Industrial robots and digital fabrication processes are more accessible to artists and designers than ever before. Students will learn to create and simulate complex tool paths for programming a Kuka industrial robot using Rhino, Grasshopper, and Kuka PRC. In-class projects will include scaffolding exercises to develop skills with software and hardware with an eye towards learning skills appropriate for additive manufacturing processes. Readings will focus on the ?why? of using industrial robots in an art or design practice, featuring Joris Laarman, Madeline Gannon, Wendell Castle, Dirk Vander Kooij, and other contemporary creatives engaging in robotic fabrication. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.
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| Social Engagement Studio | 4101 (001) | Eric Allan Hotchkiss | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
SAIC Design @ Homan Square combines professional practice design experience with community activism. Operating out of SAIC's facility in the Nichols tower at Homan Square, the course engages students in a focused dialogue on social project implementation in Chicago and provides the tools and frameworks to realize those projects. Functioning as a pro bono 'design consultancy' where the residents, small businesses and community groups of North Lawndale act as 'clients', each job is treated as a discrete project involving research, knowledge-sharing and design action. The projects will cover a two-semester cycle, with each semester being offered as an independent class. This course, running in the Spring semester, will emphasize the last three stages of the design thinking process; ideation, prototyping, and testing. course class will focus on proposing and implementing solutions that address the contextual research carried out in the first semester. These solutions will be presented to, and critiqued by, the 'clients' who are the main stakeholders, North Lawndale community leaders, as well as SAIC faculty. Recognizing that making is a research process that reveals new problems, the reflexive activity of proposing, making, presenting and critiquing solutions generates new knowledge as well as physical outcomes. It is this collective 'new intelligence' that is the primary goal of the course.
PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
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Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| ReMaterials at Homan Square | 4101 (001) | Odile Compagnon | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
In this course we focus on a participatory placemaking project in North Lawndale where community members and student artists gain skills in natural building techniques with cob, straw-bale, willow, rammed earth, hemp, and brick. The studio works within the constraints of the local conditions to determine material specification, use, reuse, and recycling or upcycling options available for on-site construction. Co-creation activities are at the heart of the design and building process, which requires a detailed understanding of the unique capacities of the community with which the students collaborate.
The studio explores the work of artists, designers and thinkers such as the ones who received the 'Global Award for Sustainable Architecture' or are part of the Design for the Common Good (DCG) coalition. Guest presenters also facilitate hands-on demonstration and workshops in alternative building materials and methods to which students and community members participate together. This includes, among others: cob construction materials and techniques, live hedges purpose and benefits, living walls and bug hotels, brick making and firing, material upcycling. Students will work collaboratively on one to three design projects involving community members. At the end of the semester they will present their material research, building prototypes, design, construction strategies, timeline and budget proposal to a group of stakeholders who will give them feedback on the feasibility of their proposal. |
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| Whatnot Studio | 4800 (001) | Gionata Gatto | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Whatnot Studio is a year-long advanced course in which students design and produce a collection for whatnot, the school's in-house product brand. The course emphasizes three major goals: developing a product based on an annual theme, producing it using small-batch manufacturing methods, and collaboratively creating a retail environment to showcase the collection. Students refine their individual design voice while working as a team to produce a cohesive, high-quality collection for public exhibition. Past work from the Whatnot Studio has been shown at international venues including the Salone del Mobile in Milan and Wanted Design in New York City. Admission is selective and open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students through a portfolio review. By year's end, students will have produced a pilot run of their design and collaboratively created a branded store installation, presented at a major design trade show in the spring. Admittance to Whatnot Studio is by portfolio review. Are you ready to be challenged through deep conceptual and material exploration¿and to transform it into a producible design? We welcome juniors, seniors, and graduate students interested in this opportunity to apply via the link below: https://airtable.com/app10LexPLHEqM7mV/pagcVlilryi7Xn4Or/form. Applications accepted until April 25.
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| Capstone: Radical Acts of Preservation | 4902 (001) | Hong Yeol In | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Acts of preservation are ancient and practiced broadly across cultures, from
fermenting food, to telling and retelling stories, to fabricating and repairing clothing and shelter. In art and design, radical acts of preservation not only maintain part of the past, but imagine and enact new connections between past, present, and future. This Capstone studio will explore a range of contemporary radical preservation acts including critical architectural preservation and art conservation projects; institutional critiques of libraries, museums, and archives; and preservation of multiple, intersectional, and even contradictory pasts in any medium. Course work will include readings, in-class discussions, and critiques. Students will work individually throughout the course to research precedents of radical preservation acts, identify a subject of interest for preservation, and enact a preservation strategy for it in any art or design medium of their choice. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Professional practice course |
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| Critical Artifacts | 4919 (001) | Hennie Jurie Reynders | Thurs
12:15 PM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
The seminar-studio allows for serious play, experimentation and for the deliberate entanglement of theory and practice. We are not looking for solutions, but rather for sophisticated tools in the translation and communication of concerns. We encourage a pluralistic research method where empirical knowledge, deep research, biopic investigations and speculative explorations are all equally valued. The coursework requires reading, writing, discussion and the creation of artifacts in any medium through rigorous thinking, making and sharing practices
The seminar-studio is a truly interdisciplinary venue for those students interested in a critical research-through-design exploration dealing with spatial concerns grounded in body-space and object-space relationships - including ideas of temporality, gesture, identity, ownership, the social shaping of technology and structure and agency. Readings and case studies vary, but are typically grounded in the philosophical positions of Bruno Latour, Peter Sloterdijk and the writings of Jeremy Till. We attend the occasional lecture and/or exhibition. Project work emphasize the translation of ideas from text to two-dimensional, three-dimensional and four-dimensional work. The final project outcome can be in any medium and often exists as three-dimensional artifact, an installation or in a new-media format. The studio's final work is exhibited and opened to critique from an external panel of critics. |
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| DES OB: Speculative & Realized: Interdisciplinary Design Capstone Studio | 4929 (001) | Tues
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
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Description
This studio course is designed for design-focused students in their final year at SAIC who are ready to develop an independent, self-directed design project. It is ideal for those who have cultivated their own design pathway, integrating studies across the four design departments¿Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects (AIADO); Fashion Design; Visual Communication Design; and Designed Objects¿along with studio art courses at SAIC. Whether pursuing a passion project, preparing a competition entry, revisiting an unrealized concept, or exploring a new design territory, students will engage in critical research, material exploration, and iterative making. The course emphasizes conceptual development, project planning, and execution, with outcomes culminating in a publication, exhibition, or online presentation.
Students will engage with a range of readings, case studies, and guest lectures that explore the future of design across disciplines. Topics will include independent design practice, sustainability, emerging technologies, speculative design, and strategies for professional longevity. Course materials will highlight designers and thinkers who navigate hybrid practices, create impact-driven work, or push the boundaries of existing fields. By examining these frameworks, students will develop a long-view approach to their own careers, identifying strategies for sustaining creative work and positioning themselves within the broader design world. Students will develop a self-directed design project, guided by structured exercises in writing a design brief, envisioning outcomes, resource gathering, and iterative prototyping, culminating in a final public presentation. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Professional practice course |
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DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Unwrapping Design and Architecture | 4932 (001) | Anjulie Rao | Mon
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
Using the city as a laboratory, this class explores different approaches to 'reading and listening' to multiple forms of architecture and design. Through lectures, discussions, site visits and assignments students experience how to identify a design's intent and to take an active role in communicating the intent from a critical, value-based perspective.
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| Parametric Constructions: Revit | 4950 (001) | Stephanie Surjan | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Students will learn how to use Revit as a tool to investigate different stages of design development within Architecture. Topics will include BIM (Building Information Modeling), managing a fully parametric design, understanding categories, families and types and outputting drawings for presentations.
The semester will be broken up into four categories: Space Planning, Building, Landscape and Output. Each class will follow a tutorial and include a show & tell of student?s work in progress for a collective conversation of Revit and design strategies. Students will embark on their own projects while following a program and sqft script. This structure will allow for additional topics to be explored collectively as issues both within design and software arise. Deliverables will be due at the beginning of each class and a Group Project will be introduced midway through the semester. A Final Project with a Competition style layout will be plotted and pinned up on the last day. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
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Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Contemporary Issues in Design | 4954 (001) | Charles Pipal | Tues
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
Topics in Design Seminar offers students an opportunity to work with visiting and other faculty on contemporary topics in design through sustained academic engagement in a seminar context. The course is structured to provide unique opportunities for sustained inquiry into contemporary topics through both structured and open assignments; class discussion, presentations, and critiques.
PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. |
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| Grad Studio 2: Interior Arch | 5120 (002) | Stephanie Slaughter, Odile Compagnon | Mon/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This introductory design studio introduces a broad range of investigative techniques and applies the results to the design of a multi- level environment designed from the inside to the outside.
Course Goals and Objectives 1) Integrate ideas about enclosure and envelope with scale, site, structure, program and form, experimenting with skin effects and affects as a generator of a design, adapting an existing building, and addressing the existing building envelope. 2) Investigate the design of building skins including design, technical, structural, environmental, and social performance, ranging from cultural questions to accessibility, through the conceptual design of a small public building. 3) Develop design and graphic skills by completing the conceptual design of a small public building with a complex program, producing architectural drawings and models at an accomplished level, demonstrating a command of drawing and modeling conventions and an ability to manipulate those conventions to convey ideas relevant to a particular design idea. 4) Demonstrate awareness of the role of accessibility and sustainability in the design process. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture student to enroll in this course |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Studio 2: Interior Arch | 5120 (002) | Stephanie Slaughter, Odile Compagnon | Mon/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This introductory design studio introduces a broad range of investigative techniques and applies the results to the design of a multi- level environment designed from the inside to the outside.
Course Goals and Objectives 1) Integrate ideas about enclosure and envelope with scale, site, structure, program and form, experimenting with skin effects and affects as a generator of a design, adapting an existing building, and addressing the existing building envelope. 2) Investigate the design of building skins including design, technical, structural, environmental, and social performance, ranging from cultural questions to accessibility, through the conceptual design of a small public building. 3) Develop design and graphic skills by completing the conceptual design of a small public building with a complex program, producing architectural drawings and models at an accomplished level, demonstrating a command of drawing and modeling conventions and an ability to manipulate those conventions to convey ideas relevant to a particular design idea. 4) Demonstrate awareness of the role of accessibility and sustainability in the design process. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture student to enroll in this course |
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Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Structures 1 | 5123 (001) | Lee Fritz | Wed
8:30 AM - 11:15 AM In Person |
Description
Introduces building materials and assesses their applications with parametric tools. Addresses topics related to the strength of materials and design of structural components and systems.
Course Goals and Objectives 1) Understand the role that materials play in design decisions developed through a series of case studies of historic and contemporary buildings. 2) Communicate understanding of material performance in technical drawings, through plans, sections, wall sections and details. 3) Make parametric software tools that analyze technical performance, embodied energy and life-cycle performance. 4) Understand and use structural concepts such as the distribution of concentrated and uniform loads, vertical loads, lateral loads, and the design of members in wood, concrete and steel. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course. |
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Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Structures 1 | 5123 (002) | Daniel Swiatek | Wed
8:30 AM - 11:15 AM In Person |
Description
Introduces building materials and assesses their applications with parametric tools. Addresses topics related to the strength of materials and design of structural components and systems.
Course Goals and Objectives 1) Understand the role that materials play in design decisions developed through a series of case studies of historic and contemporary buildings. 2) Communicate understanding of material performance in technical drawings, through plans, sections, wall sections and details. 3) Make parametric software tools that analyze technical performance, embodied energy and life-cycle performance. 4) Understand and use structural concepts such as the distribution of concentrated and uniform loads, vertical loads, lateral loads, and the design of members in wood, concrete and steel. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course. |
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Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Studio 2: Discover | 5160 (001) | Ben Stagl | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
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. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course. |
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Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Grad Projects:AIA | 6009 (001) | Carl Ray Miller |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Designed Objects | 6009 (001) | Gionata Gatto |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Professional Contexts - Thesis Practicum | 6015 (001) | Carla Bruni, F. Philip Barash | Thurs
3:30 PM - 6:15 PM In Person |
Description
The Practicum provides structure for engaging in off-campus practicum work based on content and subject matter identified through thesis strategies and in support of thesis studio project development. In consultation with faculty This can include; internships and/or co-operative learning opportunities; experiential and/or focused observational research; service learning and community collaborations. Faculty develop and deliver methodological requirements for the class leading to functional documentary outcomes, that allow students to articulate professional contexts in relation to their thesis work.
Students work from self-identified materials related to their thesis studio work. Typically a student will identify a project accompanied by a bibliography as part of AIA6213 Thesis Strategies. Students are required to develop a media rich documentary report from their working experience in this practicum. The report is developed in conversation with the faculty and enriched by professional encounters through their project work. The report is built through iterative drafts that are presented and critiqued in the class three times. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Professional Contexts - Thesis Practicum | 6015 (001) | Carla Bruni, F. Philip Barash | Thurs
3:30 PM - 6:15 PM In Person |
Description
The Practicum provides structure for engaging in off-campus practicum work based on content and subject matter identified through thesis strategies and in support of thesis studio project development. In consultation with faculty This can include; internships and/or co-operative learning opportunities; experiential and/or focused observational research; service learning and community collaborations. Faculty develop and deliver methodological requirements for the class leading to functional documentary outcomes, that allow students to articulate professional contexts in relation to their thesis work.
Students work from self-identified materials related to their thesis studio work. Typically a student will identify a project accompanied by a bibliography as part of AIA6213 Thesis Strategies. Students are required to develop a media rich documentary report from their working experience in this practicum. The report is developed in conversation with the faculty and enriched by professional encounters through their project work. The report is built through iterative drafts that are presented and critiqued in the class three times. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Studio 4: Architecture | 6120 (001) | Lukasz Kowalczyk | Mon/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
The Intermediate Design Studio in the accredited professional graduate degree emphasizes the capacity of buildings, interior space and urban interiors to engage and make tangible the opportunities inherent to diversity, change and the temporal occupation of space and time.
Course Goals and Objectives include developing an understanding of how diversity and temporal or contingent conditions inform architectural space making, form and program. These questions are explored through the design or adaptive re-use of a medium sized building accommodating 100 occupants, sited in a culturally diverse and historically complex context. The design exploration needs to provide evidence of a deep understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of the architect, of human behavior in a context governed by diversity and change and translated into a design proposition of a contextually sensitive building ? while addressing site conditions, accessibility, building services and systems and user well-being. Student performance criteria (SPC) that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes. Readings, textual and visual case studies and site visits will vary, but always provide the background and theoretical grounding for the site and project analysis and final project development and representation. Project work is a cumulative archive of the process of problem analysis and design exploration that are translations of observations, facts and ideas ? all being made visible through diagrams, drawings and models. Parts of the semesters work will be conducted in groups and which will contribute to individual project work presented in a final critique. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Studio 4: Interior Arch | 6120 (002) | Carl Ray Miller | Mon/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
The Intermediate Design Studio in the accredited professional graduate degree emphasizes the capacity of buildings, interior space and urban interiors to engage and make tangible the opportunities inherent to diversity, change and the temporal occupation of space and time.
Course Goals and Objectives include developing an understanding of how diversity and temporal or contingent conditions inform architectural space making, form and program. These questions are explored through the design or adaptive re-use of a medium sized building accommodating 100 occupants, sited in a culturally diverse and historically complex context. The design exploration needs to provide evidence of a deep understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of the architect, of human behavior in a context governed by diversity and change and translated into a design proposition of a contextually sensitive building ? while addressing site conditions, accessibility, building services and systems and user well-being. Student performance criteria (SPC) that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes. Readings, textual and visual case studies and site visits will vary, but always provide the background and theoretical grounding for the site and project analysis and final project development and representation. Project work is a cumulative archive of the process of problem analysis and design exploration that are translations of observations, facts and ideas ? all being made visible through diagrams, drawings and models. Parts of the semesters work will be conducted in groups and which will contribute to individual project work presented in a final critique. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Code,Spec,Joints | 6123 (001) | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
|
Description
Codes are examined as explicit as well as tacit instances of social values, which reflect cultural boundaries between the built environment and human behavior. Students investigate the notion of confinement and explore the possibilities, as Michael Sorkin put it, where codes, through 'acknowledging the gravity of permanence and the oppressions of extent,'seek, in their limits, 'not to restrain associations, but to free them.' While codes are a means through which society speaks to the architect, their compliment, specifications, are investigated as a vital architectural component of architectural expression. In order for an architectural vision to be manifest in the world, it must be communicated in a common manner both comprehensible and commonly valued. In courts of law, the written always trumps the drawn, even in cases where the drawing is worth a thousand words. In addition to basic proficiency in specification writing and the surrounding professional and legal processes, students also gain crucial understanding of the role of specifications in allowing the practitioner to best control the material articulation of their architectural propositions.
PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Arch/Inarch: Code,Spec,Joints | 6123 (002) | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
|
Description
Codes are examined as explicit as well as tacit instances of social values, which reflect cultural boundaries between the built environment and human behavior. Students investigate the notion of confinement and explore the possibilities, as Michael Sorkin put it, where codes, through 'acknowledging the gravity of permanence and the oppressions of extent,'seek, in their limits, 'not to restrain associations, but to free them.' While codes are a means through which society speaks to the architect, their compliment, specifications, are investigated as a vital architectural component of architectural expression. In order for an architectural vision to be manifest in the world, it must be communicated in a common manner both comprehensible and commonly valued. In courts of law, the written always trumps the drawn, even in cases where the drawing is worth a thousand words. In addition to basic proficiency in specification writing and the surrounding professional and legal processes, students also gain crucial understanding of the role of specifications in allowing the practitioner to best control the material articulation of their architectural propositions.
PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Architecture student to enroll in this course. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
Designed Objects Course Listing
For the most up-to-date list of courses, please visit PeopleSoft Self-Service.
| Title | Catalog | Instructor | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Designed Objects | 1001 (001) | Cassandra Scanlon | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to the creative scope of the Designed Objects program, and the ideas, skills, and methods used in the process of designing objects. Students will learn about the design of objects by studying their form, function, assembly, materiality, use, value and significance (both subjective and objective). Emphasizing thinking through making; students students build their visual vocabulary and develop an understanding of the design process. The goal of this class is to help students imagine the possibilities of the object design field and identify their aptitude for becoming an object designer.
The course will explore the intentionality of object design, exploring the works of a ranging from James Dyson to Ron Arad to Zaha Hadid. Readings and screenings will vary but typically include Mu-Ming Tsai's Design Thinking and Gary Hustwit's Objectified. Students should expect to produce a body of work consisting of several minor exploratory projects and two fully fleshed out finished Objects (mid-term and final). This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Introduction to Designed Objects | 1001 (002) | Sara Prado | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to the creative scope of the Designed Objects program, and the ideas, skills, and methods used in the process of designing objects. Students will learn about the design of objects by studying their form, function, assembly, materiality, use, value and significance (both subjective and objective). Emphasizing thinking through making; students students build their visual vocabulary and develop an understanding of the design process. The goal of this class is to help students imagine the possibilities of the object design field and identify their aptitude for becoming an object designer.
The course will explore the intentionality of object design, exploring the works of a ranging from James Dyson to Ron Arad to Zaha Hadid. Readings and screenings will vary but typically include Mu-Ming Tsai's Design Thinking and Gary Hustwit's Objectified. Students should expect to produce a body of work consisting of several minor exploratory projects and two fully fleshed out finished Objects (mid-term and final). This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Sketching for Designed Objects | 2005 (002) | Hector Silva | Thurs
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
This course will provide the student with the skills to create design concept sketches (ideation/thinking) that will communicate with the viewer and visualize the design concept as a design object using sketch renderings to define and communicate the object's form and function. Instructions will focus on freehand marker sketching for ideation/thumbnails, shading, form development and rendering, followed by orthographic projection (measured technical drawing) and two-point perspective. Each of these skills will be demonstrated in class and on a one to one basis during the semester
In each class I will share design drawings from my collection that show a history of sketching styles for presentations using Prismacolor Pencils and NuPastels to markers, along with marker drawings for clients that I and other designers have created in product, packaging and display projects. These presentations will also be used to lecture on the history of design drawing styles and techniques. Students will be given three design projects in which they will go through the design process of starting with ideation sketches, followed by design selection, renderings and an orthographic drawing of the final design. The first project focuses on the development of forms, the next two projects have an emphasis on ideas and drawing skills. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designing Interaction | 2019 (001) | Thurs
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
|
Description
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. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designed Objects Studio One | 2020 (001) | Jess Giffin | Tues
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
As the beginning course in the Designed Objects department, students will have an opportunity to explore different methods of working in order to begin establishing a practice that works best for them. Students will be building a strong foundation of skills and techniques needed to navigate an informed design process and successfully complete a design brief. In this hands-on class, students will learn how to find inspiration for an idea, develop that idea into a concept, and use that concept to design and fabricate a high-level, final prototype. Basic research theories and methods are introduced which are then applied towards studio projects. Fabrication and prototyping techniques are also incorporated in order to test out ideas and discover new ones. Students advance through definition, research, ideation, sketching, and modeling phases toward two? and three?dimensional representations (digital and physical) of their work that are orally defended during group critique.
Readings and lecture content will vary and will focus on examples of historically relevant and contemporary designers, artists, studios, and design movements; as well as design practices that highlight different motivations of the designer. In addition to the two main projects that focus on different methods of approaching design? where students will be producing high-level prototypes, this workshop-style class consists of one-day projects and exercises designed to introduce techniques and skills such as technical drawing and sketching, form-finding, prototyping, and inspiration research, among others. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designed Objects Studio One | 2020 (002) | Annalee Koehn | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
As the beginning course in the Designed Objects department, students will have an opportunity to explore different methods of working in order to begin establishing a practice that works best for them. Students will be building a strong foundation of skills and techniques needed to navigate an informed design process and successfully complete a design brief. In this hands-on class, students will learn how to find inspiration for an idea, develop that idea into a concept, and use that concept to design and fabricate a high-level, final prototype. Basic research theories and methods are introduced which are then applied towards studio projects. Fabrication and prototyping techniques are also incorporated in order to test out ideas and discover new ones. Students advance through definition, research, ideation, sketching, and modeling phases toward two? and three?dimensional representations (digital and physical) of their work that are orally defended during group critique.
Readings and lecture content will vary and will focus on examples of historically relevant and contemporary designers, artists, studios, and design movements; as well as design practices that highlight different motivations of the designer. In addition to the two main projects that focus on different methods of approaching design? where students will be producing high-level prototypes, this workshop-style class consists of one-day projects and exercises designed to introduce techniques and skills such as technical drawing and sketching, form-finding, prototyping, and inspiration research, among others. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Interface Design Seminar | 2028 (001) | George Guffey | Thurs
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
As products incorporate increasingly complex displays, functionality, and intelligence, their usability can become a challenge. This studio-seminar explores methods for designing intuitive and effective interfaces that enhance both the usability and overall experience of a device. Through presentations, discussions, and hands-on exercises, students will analyze existing interfaces and devices, identifying strengths and weaknesses in their design. The course emphasizes the integration of user interface (UI) and industrial design (ID) to create seamless, visually cohesive, and functionally intuitive products. Students will engage in critical evaluation of real-world examples and apply digital media tools to prototype the interface and interaction components of their own design projects. Key topics include understanding user behavior, mapping device functionality, designing appropriate two-way communication, and developing graphic elements that support usability. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of interface design as a critical factor in product development, enabling them to craft more user-centered, visually compelling, and engaging product experiences.
PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Designed Objects Studio Two | 2030 (001) | Eric Allan Hotchkiss | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
We will work with the processes by which product designers develop compelling objects that communicate ideas, values, functions and purpose. Projects are designed to study the language of form through an analysis of user interaction, the implications of material choice, finishes, and craftsmanship on the success of a product concept, and how these choices support and promote function, desirability and perceived value. There is also an emphasis on expanding student material exploration and making techniques for optimal results, and the value of iterative prototyping in a successful design process.
The course will address universal product design issues and methods, starting with defining and understanding the project, considering form and function, appropriate material selection, construction techniques, finishes, iteration, and well-crafted final products. We will cover concepts such as semiotics, ergonomics, families of objects, multi-functional products, and emphasize clear communication of finished design ideas through schematics, and graphic representation using descriptive photography. Relevant contemporary design examples are provided as reference for each project, and students will spend additional time researching contemporary designers such as Front Design, Raw Edges, Nendo and Ron Arad. Students will be introduced to high-end professional design sources in a business setting through a field trip to the Merchandise Mart. The course is built around 3 main projects, each with instructional presentations, Design research assignments, ideation and sketching, group discussions, and iterative prototyping, resulting in the creation of a final product and printed graphic document, all presented and discussed in a group critique. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template. PrerequisitesPre: DES OB 1006 or 2020 |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Furniture 1: Chair Studio | 2118 (001) | Erik Newman | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This furniture studio will critically engage the chair as an archetype. Chairs have long been a fascination of designers as they require a developed understanding of structure, material, and form. Importantly, chairs represent the cultural mores of the time in which they are produced and are inextricably linked to larger systems of power, technology, and economy. This course will explore the chair as a fluid, dynamic furniture category that is in a reciprocal relationship with culture, technology, and politics and will emphasize a hands-on approach to design and production.
Readings from art and design historians and critics including Galen Cranz, David Getsy, Richard Sennett, Glenn Adamson, and Alice Rawsthorn will be integral to an expansive conversation about the chair. Class readings and discussions will also help contextualize different approaches to construction and fabrication at different scales of production. A wide range of both contemporary and historical design precedents will be explored ranging from traditional Shaker Furniture to Wendell Castle, Faye Toogood, Max Lamb, Egg Collective, Jasper Morrison, and Scott Burton. By the end of this course, students should expect to have completed technical drawings and a series of detailed scale models. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Digital Modeling: Rhino | 2124 (001) | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
|
Description
This course is designed to be a fast-paced first step into the field of 3D CAD modeling, an arena where designers give shape to our daily experience of the world. If this is your first exposure to virtual 3D form development, you will find a flexible interface that facilitates a rapid learning curve from simple to complex. For those with prior CAD experience desiring a more intuitive, less restrictive creative experience, this course will provide the means to turn what you see in your mind and your sketches into exciting visual and precise physically accurate representations of your vision. Throughout the semester we will discuss historical and current events in product, fashion and architectural design. Typically, these shared conversations lead to discoveries that participants dig into and apply to assignments. A list of influential artists, designers and architects is provided along with suggested books and online references that enrich and add diversity and range to our discourse. Initially, the class works through a series of exercises and tutorials designed to bring familiarity and confidence to their experience with Rhino. Students will investigate methods for surfacing, modifying, rendering, and presenting ideas and concepts they create. As each tool and process becomes more familiar, new methods and strategies are introduced, and students are taught how to apply them to create accurate representative models of objects they design. In addition to gaining hands-on skills, we will explore form creation and the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and cultural factors that play into the development of a successful new product.
|
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Digital Modeling: Solidworks | 2126 (001) | Angie Lullie | Tues
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to SolidWorks, a powerful parametric software package used by product designers to model, indicate specifications, and visualize their design intent. Students will learn the software in the context of design by using it as a tool to develop form and scale, convey design intent with 3D renders, create specification drawings for manufacturing, and interface with 3d printers, CNC machines, and laser cutters for quick iterative prototyping.
This course will focus on a series of tutorials followed by hands-on design projects that will provide intensive training in 3D modeling, 3D printing, and photo-realistic 3D rendering.This will allow the students to make judgements on which 3D tools to use at what stage to develop the most efficient models. The tools will be explained through examples and demonstrations, which will allow the students to practice the tools during class. Students are expected to complete 4 projects. The projects will include learning 2D sketch tools and creating relations through existing logos, modeling existing products with multiple components, developing an original design based on an existing brand or artist, and collaborating within a group on a system of objects. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Multiples Studio | 3034 (001) | Jess Giffin | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This interdisciplinary studio class investigates the intersection of printmedia, artists? multiples and packaging as an entry point into making and thinking about multiples as a format for studio production. The history of artists? multiples (loosely defined as small-scale editioned or multiply produced three-dimensional works) includes many examples that use, or appropriate, printed elements and packaging in some way. This history, along with our daily experience of packaging (the many boxes, folders, labels, pamphlets, flyers and cartons found in nearly every aspect of contemporary life) offers a wealth of connections to consider and work from.
Students will be introduced to a range of printing and paper construction techniques within the Printmedia studio. These include plate-based lithography (with hand-drawn, digital and photo options) and pattern layout for packaging along with other selected tools and techniques. In addition, students will have the opportunity to use SAIC labs such as the Service Bureau and digital fabrication centers. Examples, short readings, and a visit to the Joan Flasch or other related collections will support project development and discussion. Students can expect to complete three to five projects and participate in two critiques. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Shaping Light | 3048 (001) | Gregory Mowery | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Light is a material that can be shaped to express ideas, create experiences and increase the communicative potential of objects and spaces. Through a combination of lectures, demos, fields trips and most of all, hands-on lab work, students develop a degree of self sufficiency in the design, construction and prototyping of illuminated objects, physical graphics and environmental lighting. Students learn basic electronic and electrical circuit design, lamp specification and experiment with illumination technologies including incandescent, LED and cold cathode (neon).
|
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Furniture 2: Prototyping for Furniture | 3155 (001) | Zachary Manuel | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This digital-analog studio affords modeling and prototyping for furniture and other objects at environmental scale. Students construct prototype objects for living while learning a diverse range of technical and process options for making at scale in materials including wood, metals, plastics, fabrics and foams. Focus on fluid improvisation in prototyping designs both by hand and using CNC and other integrated fabrications technologies.
The course explores the systems work of Enzo Mari and Gerrit Rietveld to understand simple construction and scaffold mechanisms for creating quick prototypes. We watch an array of craft and wood engineering videos to understand manufacturing and fabrication techniques, and how prototyping takes place in furniture businesses. There are three major assignments, each yielding a unique piece of furniture. Naturally, the scope and scale of the projects increase as the semester moves forward. Additionally the course includes two day-long charettes to deliver specific skills and two field trips, to a furniture manufacturer and to a furniture show room. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Futurecraft: Speculative Worlds & Narrative Game DesignFuturecraft: Speculative Game | 4017 (001) | Jessica Charlesworth, Kristin McWharter | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This studio course challenges students to rethink conventional ideas of 'the future' using design, gaming strategies, and visualization methods to create compelling alternatives. Through live-action role play (LARP) and guided reflection, students collaboratively design an emergent world over the course of a semester. Each session introduces new challenges, pushing students to respond to evolving scenarios while considering their ethical implications. The class combines LARP tools, game strategy, design principles, scenario planning, and speculative design to explore speculative ideas and create immersive, thought-provoking futures. The course structure is episodic, encouraging creative problem-solving and ethical engagement throughout.
Some of the artists/ designers/ futurists / studios we will study in this course include artist, researcher, game designer Carina Erdmann, artist and designer Ash Eliza Smith who employs storytelling, worldbuilding, and speculative design to craft new realities. Chris Woebken and Elliott Montgomery's Extrapolation Factory explores experiential futures through workshops and object visualizations. Stuart Candy, a futurist, also contributes to the field. We will review and discuss works such as *War Game*, a future-set simulation; Alternate Reality Games at UChicago with Fourcast Lab; and *Papers*, a playful LARP that explores corporate culture. Course work will include weekly practical and research based assignments: students will develop visualizations of spaces, objects, or graphics that bring to life their proposals related to scenarios for the game scenario and gather knowledge of a range of new technologies and the future scenarios they imply. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Futurecraft: Speculative Worlds & Narrative Game DesignFuturecraft: Speculative Game | 4017 (001) | Jessica Charlesworth, Kristin McWharter | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This studio course challenges students to rethink conventional ideas of 'the future' using design, gaming strategies, and visualization methods to create compelling alternatives. Through live-action role play (LARP) and guided reflection, students collaboratively design an emergent world over the course of a semester. Each session introduces new challenges, pushing students to respond to evolving scenarios while considering their ethical implications. The class combines LARP tools, game strategy, design principles, scenario planning, and speculative design to explore speculative ideas and create immersive, thought-provoking futures. The course structure is episodic, encouraging creative problem-solving and ethical engagement throughout.
Some of the artists/ designers/ futurists / studios we will study in this course include artist, researcher, game designer Carina Erdmann, artist and designer Ash Eliza Smith who employs storytelling, worldbuilding, and speculative design to craft new realities. Chris Woebken and Elliott Montgomery's Extrapolation Factory explores experiential futures through workshops and object visualizations. Stuart Candy, a futurist, also contributes to the field. We will review and discuss works such as *War Game*, a future-set simulation; Alternate Reality Games at UChicago with Fourcast Lab; and *Papers*, a playful LARP that explores corporate culture. Course work will include weekly practical and research based assignments: students will develop visualizations of spaces, objects, or graphics that bring to life their proposals related to scenarios for the game scenario and gather knowledge of a range of new technologies and the future scenarios they imply. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Language-Games: Dialoguing with AI | 4021 (001) | Gionata Gatto, Douglas Rosman | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course explores what it means to engage in dialogue with an AI prompting system, focusing on the design of multi-modal interfaces and their effects on both the quality of interaction and the creation of prototypes and artifacts. Students will experiment with different 'languages' for AI communication, such as voice (tone, cadence, emotion), bodily gestures, and environmental factors (light, sound, humidity), as ways to influence¿and be influenced by¿AI behaviors. Through a series of hands-on experiments, the course navigates the space between biological ('human') and cultural ('AI') processes, offering new perspectives on hybrid outcomes co-generated by these interactions. The aim is to foster a critical understanding of emerging AI systems, positioning students to engage with AI thoughtfully rather than as a mere technological tool.
The course builds on Cultural and Feminist Studies, as a way to depart from the dichotomy human/AI, and move towards their understanding as entities that collaborate and promt each other. References include Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, Langdon Winner's politics of artifacts, which addresses the ways in which technology embeds social and cultural values; Rosi Braidotti's work on Posthumanism. Theoretical foundations will be accompanied by the discussion of existing practices and past interactions, including the work of John Funge, Sherry Turkle, Meredith Broussard, and the study of other formats, linked to the design of bots for social media use. Across the semester, there will be a range of assignment asking students to explore the impact of different non-normative `languages¿ -such as body, sight, the environment, on the crafting of new dialogic modes with AI. PrerequisitesOpen to Seniors & Grad Students |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Language-Games: Dialoguing with AI | 4021 (001) | Gionata Gatto, Douglas Rosman | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course explores what it means to engage in dialogue with an AI prompting system, focusing on the design of multi-modal interfaces and their effects on both the quality of interaction and the creation of prototypes and artifacts. Students will experiment with different 'languages' for AI communication, such as voice (tone, cadence, emotion), bodily gestures, and environmental factors (light, sound, humidity), as ways to influence¿and be influenced by¿AI behaviors. Through a series of hands-on experiments, the course navigates the space between biological ('human') and cultural ('AI') processes, offering new perspectives on hybrid outcomes co-generated by these interactions. The aim is to foster a critical understanding of emerging AI systems, positioning students to engage with AI thoughtfully rather than as a mere technological tool.
The course builds on Cultural and Feminist Studies, as a way to depart from the dichotomy human/AI, and move towards their understanding as entities that collaborate and promt each other. References include Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, Langdon Winner's politics of artifacts, which addresses the ways in which technology embeds social and cultural values; Rosi Braidotti's work on Posthumanism. Theoretical foundations will be accompanied by the discussion of existing practices and past interactions, including the work of John Funge, Sherry Turkle, Meredith Broussard, and the study of other formats, linked to the design of bots for social media use. Across the semester, there will be a range of assignment asking students to explore the impact of different non-normative `languages¿ -such as body, sight, the environment, on the crafting of new dialogic modes with AI. PrerequisitesOpen to Seniors & Grad Students |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Furniture 3:Advanced Furniture (SP) | 4026 (001) | Casey C. Lurie | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Within a structured studio environment, advanced-level students develop, refine, and execute an individual furniture concept. Students progress from the conceptual design stage, through design development to the actualization of a work that can be `tested? for public review. Students are challenged to develop concise and persuasive arguments regarding the motivation, development, execution, and dissemination of their design project. Through the articulation and advocacy of their design work, students define their role as a dynamic catalyst operating within real-world social-, political-, monetary-, and cultural-economies. Students are admitted via a portfolio application reviewed by the faculty.
PrerequisitesDESOB 4025 |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| The Future of Making | 4060 (001) | Cody Norman | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Industrial robots and digital fabrication processes are more accessible to artists and designers than ever before. Students will learn to create and simulate complex tool paths for programming a Kuka industrial robot using Rhino, Grasshopper, and Kuka PRC. In-class projects will include scaffolding exercises to develop skills with software and hardware with an eye towards learning skills appropriate for additive manufacturing processes. Readings will focus on the ?why? of using industrial robots in an art or design practice, featuring Joris Laarman, Madeline Gannon, Wendell Castle, Dirk Vander Kooij, and other contemporary creatives engaging in robotic fabrication. This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.
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| Social Engagement Studio | 4101 (001) | Eric Allan Hotchkiss | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
SAIC Design @ Homan Square combines professional practice design experience with community activism. Operating out of SAIC's facility in the Nichols tower at Homan Square, the course engages students in a focused dialogue on social project implementation in Chicago and provides the tools and frameworks to realize those projects. Functioning as a pro bono 'design consultancy' where the residents, small businesses and community groups of North Lawndale act as 'clients', each job is treated as a discrete project involving research, knowledge-sharing and design action. The projects will cover a two-semester cycle, with each semester being offered as an independent class. This course, running in the Spring semester, will emphasize the last three stages of the design thinking process; ideation, prototyping, and testing. course class will focus on proposing and implementing solutions that address the contextual research carried out in the first semester. These solutions will be presented to, and critiqued by, the 'clients' who are the main stakeholders, North Lawndale community leaders, as well as SAIC faculty. Recognizing that making is a research process that reveals new problems, the reflexive activity of proposing, making, presenting and critiquing solutions generates new knowledge as well as physical outcomes. It is this collective 'new intelligence' that is the primary goal of the course.
PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore-level or above. |
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| Whatnot Studio | 4800 (001) | Gionata Gatto | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
Whatnot Studio is a year-long advanced course in which students design and produce a collection for whatnot, the school's in-house product brand. The course emphasizes three major goals: developing a product based on an annual theme, producing it using small-batch manufacturing methods, and collaboratively creating a retail environment to showcase the collection. Students refine their individual design voice while working as a team to produce a cohesive, high-quality collection for public exhibition. Past work from the Whatnot Studio has been shown at international venues including the Salone del Mobile in Milan and Wanted Design in New York City. Admission is selective and open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students through a portfolio review. By year's end, students will have produced a pilot run of their design and collaboratively created a branded store installation, presented at a major design trade show in the spring. Admittance to Whatnot Studio is by portfolio review. Are you ready to be challenged through deep conceptual and material exploration¿and to transform it into a producible design? We welcome juniors, seniors, and graduate students interested in this opportunity to apply via the link below: https://airtable.com/app10LexPLHEqM7mV/pagcVlilryi7Xn4Or/form. Applications accepted until April 25.
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| Studio 2: Discover | 5160 (001) | Ben Stagl | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
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. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course. |
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DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Grad Projects:Designed Objects | 6009 (001) | Gionata Gatto |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
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DepartmentLocation |
| Thesis Studio 2: Manifest | 6160 (001) | Eric Allan Hotchkiss | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
In the final thesis studio, students confirm and materialize their position and voice as designers by completing their self-selected thesis project initiated in DES OB 6150 -- Thesis Studio 1.Through an intensive period of seminar and tutorial discussion, prototyping, presentation and critique, students produce highly developed designed objects, systems, and experiences that critically engage specific areas of design, technology, and culture. Emphasis is given to determining potent vehicles through which the instance of the thesis is tested, exhibited and engages public consciousness. The course culminates in a thesis defense and the presentation of a final thesis project at the SAIC Design Show.
You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects Student to enroll in this course. PrerequisitesPrereq: DES OB 6150 |
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| Positioning Methods Lab | 6162 (001) | Tobey Albright | Thurs
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM In Person |
Description
Life after design school could reveal vast diversity beyond traditional employment opportunities, such as working for a design consultancy, as an in-house designer, or independently. Positioning Methods Lab is designed to help students shape their portfolio into various formats, focusing primarily on each students? specific future goals, and establishing a promotional strategy that feels authentic and attuned to their personal form of world-making.
Readings and screenings will vary but will include foundational and instructional readings such as: Elements of Typographic Style by Bringhurst Grid Systems/Raster Systeme by Josef Muller-Brockmann The Crystal Goblet by Beatrice Ward On Punctuation by Gertrude Stein My website is a shifting house next to a river of knowledge. What could yours be? by Laurel Schwulst As well as an introduction to various tools and resources such as: Are.na, Cargo Collective, the SAIC Service Bureau, the SAIC Writing Center, and various file formats and structure for print and web. In addition to completing weekly assignments and readings, students should expect to finish the class with a resume, portfolio in either printed or PDF form, as well as a personal website of work. PrerequisitesYou must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course. |
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