Ideation & Prototyping 2019

Welcome to Ideation & Prototyping!

What: DM-GY 6053 A • Fall 2019
When: Wednesdays 2:30PM-5:20PM
Where: 370 Jay Street, #308
Who: Benedetta Piantella • benedetta.piantella@nyu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, by appointment in #357, please book through my Office Hours Calendar
Slack Channel: For course-related announcements, discussion and questions, we will be using this channel.

Course Description

In this class, we will investigate and explore the creative process in order to generate ideas for art, tech and design projects and more. The course will show how ideation, design research and prototyping can inspire, inform, and bring depth to what one ultimately creates. Students will expand their arsenal of design and research skills, learn how to think critically about their audience, content, form, and processes, as well as, understand the importance of utilizing more than one research and design strategy. The course will introduce a number of tools and techniques through hands-on exercises and assignments to really drive home how iterative, messy and exciting the creative process can be!

For a breakdown of the weekly class content and weekly class assignments visit the page called Weekly Schedule.

Prerequisite: None

Course Goals

To develop conceptual thinking skills to generate ideas and content in order to create something new, turn problems into opportunities, express one’s point of view through making.
To begin developing a research and studio practice through inquiry, experimentation and iteration.
To develop collaboration skills to effectively work in a team or group setting.
To develop critical thinking skills that will allow to analyze and position work within cultural, historical, and technological contexts.
To develop a rigorous, iterative process for looking, questioning, thinking, making, and communicating which challenges assumptions and preconceived notions.
To use imagination to create something entirely new & innovative OR to reinvent an old idea into something new and improved.
To develop a habit of reflecting, writing, documenting and showcasing one’s work.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:

Express, articulate, reframe concepts and ideas.
Research opportunities and transform ideas and inspirations into real world creations.
Experiment and problem solve through making and playing with different materials.
Observe, listen, analyze and provide critical feedback in an articulate manner.
Present and showcase one’s work and process.
Feel empowered to try things, follow new ideas and play!

Course Structure

The course will be comprised of lectures, critiques, discussions, readings, screenings, hands-on exercises, shorter and longer projects. There will be lots of fun exercises and projects throughout the course that will require you to apply the tools, techniques and methods presented in the lectures, discussions, readings, and other material. We will also spend time regularly discussing and critiquing assignments and projects as a group.

Critiques are the best way to articulate your ideas to others and get immediate feedback. During the crit sessions, the class will have a chance to ask questions, analyze and suggest ways to increase the impact of your project. Take notes when your work is being critiqued and do not edit the responses, whether you agree with them or not. Review your critique notes and reflect upon what was said. Ask yourself how you could combine, transform, or expand what you are doing to make your project better. However, resist the temptation to incorporate all suggestions and comments. Only utilize the ones that work for you and your project.

Rules of the Critique:

Be Present and engaged. Truly listen
Give Feedback to your classmates
Do NOT take feedback personally

The overall course is organized around six main phases of project development:

Phase 1: Discovery & Inspiration

Sensing (seeing, touching, smelling, hearing, tasting…)
Collecting, obsessing, hoarding
Re-appropriating, remixing
Organizing initial thoughts and sources of inspiration

Phase 2: Brainstorming & Researching

Brainstorming and ideating
User and ethnographic research
Systems Thinking
Diving deep into what’s out there
Scholarly research & lit review

Phase 3: Sketching & Designing

Visualizing, drawing, sketching
Planning and mapping
Grouping, clustering, comparing, contrasting
Organizing and designing

Phase 4: Making & Prototyping

Answering questions through making
Experimenting, building, creating
Getting to know and understand materials
Rapid prototyping

Phase 5: Iterating

Selecting and editing
User testing
Breaking
Repeating all of the above

Phase 6: Showcasing

Framing and positioning the work within contexts
Curating and editing
Storytelling, verbally and visually communicating, pitching

the creative process

What’s Expected of You & Grading

All work assigned will be completed and delivered on the due date AND with attention on quality of efforts, otherwise you will receive a failing grade for that assignment. In other words, late work will not be accepted, but also rushed, poor quality will not be accepted.
Each student will be judged on the commitment, fearlessness, and continuous improvement that their work shows. Incomplete or unsatisfactory work will receive a failing grade.

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of each class.   This class meets for 2 hours and 50 minutes per week. We have a lot of material to go through, so come on time. Students who arrive later than 10 minutes after the class started will be marked late. Students who arrive later than 20 minutes after the beginning of class will be marked absent. If you know in advance that you will not be able to attend a class, email me beforehand. Attendance is absolutely mandatory for any meetings and final critique and showcase.

3 latenesses = 1 absence.
One absence is allowed, because life happens; if you need to miss any other class you may seek documentation through the engineering website: https://engineering.nyu.edu/campus-and-community/student-life/office-student-affairs/procedures-policies-and-forms. And/or contact Deanna Rayment – deanna.rayment@nyu.edu – the Coordinator for Student Advocacy and Compliance.
Any additional absence that is not properly documented will affect your grade negatively.

Participation

Participation is imperative in this class. You are expected to engage actively in class discussions, critiques, workshops and class activities. Asking questions is extremely encouraged and welcome. There are no stupid questions; if you have a question, most likely somebody else in the room has the same one but might be too shy to ask.

Your final grade will be based on a synthesis of quantitative & qualitative rubrics. Just showing up and doing the work does not automatically guarantee an A in the course, the quality of your participation, your assignments, research process and experimentation and documentation throughout the entire length of the course will influence your grade. Stay consistent and work hard!

Quantitative Grading Overview

Attendance 15%
Participation 20%
Documentation 15%
Assignments 20%
Project 30%

Qualitative Grading Overview

A Exceptional (Work of exceptional quality; Exceeds Expectations)
A- Excellent (Work of high quality)
B+ Very Good
B Good (fulfills course requirements and demonstrates original applications)
B- Above average
C+ Slightly above average
C Satisfactory (Average; Satisfies course requirements)
C- Below average (but passing)
D+ Poor Work (but passing)
D Inadequate (Deficient, but passing)
F Unacceptable (The performance and/or attendance of the student has failed course requirements.)

Projects & Assignments

Assignments

Project

City as Site

All assignments, responses and project documentation are DUE by 7PM the Tuesday night before class. You must post the link to your assignments on the #assignments channel on Slack at that time.

Materials Needed for Class

A Notebook or Sketchbook (Analog or Digital (i.e. Evernote, Paper by FiftyThree, RocketBook etc.))

Readings

The following list of required readings may be incomplete and is subject to change. Please see the weekly schedule for updates.

Must Watch

The following list of required media may be incomplete and is subject to change. Please see the weekly schedule for updates.

Additional Resources

See the Resource Page

Technology Use in Class

Laptop computers and other mobile devices are invaluable tools for artists, designers, and students when used responsibly. However, this technology can also be incredibly distracting, especially in the classroom. When in class, you may use your laptops and other devices for any activities pertaining to the course: taking notes, researching material relevant to our readings and discussions, doing homework, making class presentations, etc. However, the following uses are unacceptable: checking email, instant messaging, texting, using social networking sites such as facebook, etc. Also, during class discussion, presentations and workshops, your laptops should not be used.

Cellphone use in the classroom is not acceptable. Turn your phone off, or put it airplane mode. Think of the battery life you’ll be saving. If you are using a phone in class, it will count as an unexcused absence and negatively affect your grade.

Shop Training

Using the MakerSpace and its facilities (laser cutter, 3D printer, etc.) requires a standard training session. If you are interested in using the shop, please make sure to sign up for a training session. We will have a group session at the MakerSpace but for more in depth tutorials on how to use specific equipment please check with the MakerSpace staff.

Academic Integrity

All work for this class must be your own and specific to this semester. Any work recycled from other classes or from another, non-original source will be rejected with serious implications for the student. Plagiarism, knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own work in any academic exercise, is absolutely unacceptable. Any student who commits plagiarism must re-do the assignment for a grade no higher than a D. In fact, a D is the highest possible course grade for any student who commits plagiarism. Please use the MLA style for citing and documenting source material.

Academic Accommodations

If you are student with a disability who is requesting accommodations, please contact New York University’s Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at 212-998-4980 or mosescsd@nyu.edu. You must be registered with CSD to receive accommodations. Information about the Moses Center can be found at www.nyu.edu/csd. The Moses Center is located at 726 Broadway on the 2nd floor.

Discrimination and Harassment

Discrimination and harassment are behaviors that are incompatible with the standard of conduct required of a member of the NYU community in the workplace or in any college-related setting, including but not limited to off-campus, college-related events and activities.