Learning Objectives
The students present their near future artifacts in a clear way and debate their ideas with their classmates.
They can derive actions that can be applied in the now from speculative design work, have reflected their own creative process between design & artistic methods and are able to reflect them in a learning journal.
The students work together in interdisciplinary groups of two and reflect their creative collaboration in a learning journal.
They learn the basics of speculative design related creative methods to create artifacts for challenging the present & influencing the future outcomes, they know the basics of photobashing in photoshop.
Content
This module explores possible futures through design and art. This is done with the creation of visualizations, narrative prototypes, short stories, short films and more. It explores the problems of today by questioning and imagining the future. The aim is not to create utopias nor dystopias, but to help people understand the messy middle for meaningful discussions about the next possible steps to take today. This module is designed to create a culture of better interdisciplinary brainstorming about the future and a space for creative and constructive critique.
The module is structured into three iterative sprints, combining theoretical lectures, practical hands-on classes, and interdisciplinary group project work. Each sprint concludes with a presentation and debate. Then the groups and methodologies will change in the next iteration.
First Sprint: Students learn design methods and their application in project settings. Working in interdisciplinary pairs, they create artifacts based on a specified, current topic that depict near-future scenarios. Discussions also cover the fundamentals of conceptualization, including refinement and storytelling for presentation techniques.
Second Sprint: Focus shifts to artistic methods, where students create artworks related to a predetermined topic parallel to practical hands-on classes and interdisciplinary project work.
Third Sprint: Emphasizes hybrid methodologies for conceptual development. The design & artistic methods are combined in order to reflect and find their own creative method. Outcome will be similar like in the sprints before.
The project work results in a variety of artifacts, including images, objects, or videos, where students have the opportunity to express and articulate their conceptualizations through their chosen medium into aesthetic experiences for discussion and reflection.
Course language
English
Lecturers
Christophe Merkle, Fernando Obieta, Nadine Cocina, Lea Schaffner, Simeon Schaffner
