This is a two-credit module offered by the Media Lab, Department of Media as part of the Research Skills coursework. The course is led by Lily Díaz. The objective of the module is to introduce the Master of Arts students to basic design research techniques. The class meets on Tuesdays afternoon at Miestentie 3, Room 429, from 13:00 – 15:00.
ARTIFACT ANALYSIS METHODS
7 October, 2014
Artifact analysis is a method used to research material culture. Here are the slides from the presentation I gave in the Design Research seminar at Media Lab.
21 October, 2014
With your group, visit to Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA) to document selected items on the collection.Your assignment due 28 October is to do an artifact analysis with selected items from the current exhibition at EMMA.
I am also including in this post, the description of the work to be done throughout the course, which lasts from 07 October – 09 December, 2014.
SCENARIO-BASED DESIGN METHOD
28 October, 2014
Scenario-based design is a method that can be used to visualize interaction with ‘concrete’ elements of a situation that, in many cases, does not exist yet. Here are the slides for my presentation.
Your assignment which is due 11 November is to make a scenario that illustrates and describes a media arts installation that you would want to create. I know that this is a short notice, but we need to catch up. Even if the scenario is not perfect, you can improve it, and re-submit it on the meeting of 02 December.
04 November, 2014
During today’s session we discussed scenario design. In addition we watched a 2008 documentary, Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes, by Jon Ronson. The film inadvertently presents a case study of how an artist conducts research. The items from Kubrick’s research for each of his films are now part of the Stanley Kubrick Archive at the University of the Arts London’s Archive.
Note that I have already received several of the Artifact Analysis papers. Thank you. Please continue the good work and remember to do your readings on The Semantic Turn, by Klaus Krippendorff.
BASIC INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE
11 November, 2014
The topic of discussion was the use of interview techniques as part of design research. Here are the slides of my presentation.
For your final assignment, you should create a short questionnaire that you can use to obtain information about how others view the scenario and concept that you are designing for the course.
Here I include several useful links to online resources that can help you to create a simple questionnaire.
2. Guide to the Design of Questionnaires, University of Leeds, 02.12.2014.
3. A Brief Guide to Questionnaire Development, University of Indianna, 02.12.204.
CULTURE PROBES IN DESIGN RESEARCH
25 November, 2014
Today we discussed culture probes as a research technique that can allow your informant to share his or her thoughts and inspirations. Here are the presentation slides.
In you final assignment you should imagine and illustrate 3 examples of culture probes that you would want to use as a way of involving others in the final design of your installation.
Here I include a link to the original 1999 article, Cultural Probes, by Gaver, Dunne and Pacenti, published in ACM Interactions.
2 December, 2014
Please be ready to present your final scenario designs.
9 December, 2014
Please bring as much as possible of all the works due in the class so we can discuss and gauge the progress made. Note that all the assignments are due at the end of the semester.