In partnership with The Pride School Atlanta, this course explores advocacy through the design of space at three scales of architecture (in this case, as the design of building): interior space, the building, and the landscape. Can architects re-imagine the future of educational spaces and social equity by placing attention to the bidirectional relationships of space and behavior within the context of gender equality and human rights? Can advocacy become a mainstream practice, a political voice, for architects?
Prototypes are typically thought of as nearly complete products or technologies which are used to conduct system, alpha or beta testing near the end of a development process. This course is designed to expand on the idea of prototyping and teach how to employ a variety of tools as methods to inspire, contextualize, evaluate and inform any phase of any research or development activity.
This course asks students to examine what we talk about when we talk about “dirt,” and how do the things we communicate about dirt change its presence in our lives. The major assignments facilitate learning goals through four units: dirt vs. soil, earthworks, dirt stories, and trendy dirt. The primary texts in this course will largely deal with a North American perspective on dirt. We will engage with American film (ex: Grapes of Wrath, Waterworld, Noma, Interstellar, The Martian, the Mad Max megaverse), and contemporary American literature.
In partnership with The Pride School Atlanta, this course explores advocacy through the design of space at three scales of architecture (in this case, as the design of building): interior space, the building, and the landscape. Can architects re-imagine the future of educational spaces and social equity by placing attention to the bidirectional relationships of space and behavior within the context of gender equality and human rights? Can advocacy become a mainstream practice, a political voice, for architects?
Technology and Society examines connections between the history of technology and other aspects of human history. The course uses historical episodes to challenge widely held misperceptions about technology and how it operates in the modern world. I argue that technology is a human product, not an autonomous force. Technology makes nothing happen by itself, but only as the result of human action. People can choose to design and use technology in different ways to better serve human needs.
Collaborative Design is a course focused on inquiry-based learning in a project-based environment. Student teams will learn to work together creatively, in a hands-on environment, with emerging technologies to design innovative products or services. The course aims to teach design thinking as an approach that can be used to consider issues and resolve problems more broadly, and promote self-directed learning that can be applied inside and outside the classroom.
Collaborative Design is a course focused on inquiry-based learning in a project-based environment. Student teams will learn to work together creatively, in a hands-on environment, with emerging technologies to design innovative products or services. The course aims to teach design thinking as an approach that can be used to consider issues and resolve problems more broadly, and promote self-directed learning that can be applied inside and outside the classroom.
The purpose of this course is to research and develop information, communication, and media systems to address regional civic issues, using techniques from design, computing, and social sciences, in collaboration with government and community partners. These systems will have real-world impact, and promote social sustainability, equity, and justice.
How do you know what a user wants to see on a wearable display, whether an app feature is being used, whether a clickable button is better than a swipe, or whether a person who is blind can use your physical product? Research methods for HCI allow you to investigate such questions and develop evidence to inform design decisions. In this course, you will learn about common methods employed in user-centered and evidence-based design. You will also learn how to choose methods, plan studies, and perform research that is inclusive of users with a range of abilities.
