Course content
Designers contribute to the society not only through the products, services, and systems that they design, but also through the methods that they use to design those outcomes. Most of the design methods that students learn as part of the IDE curriculum are new for the creative industries. This means that, when students graduate, they are able to introduce a large repertoire of research-based and innovative design methods and tools to the organisations they work for. Organisations in both the public and the private sector enthusiastically welcome such new ‘method knowledge’ .
From a practical perspective, design methods are rarely implemented as they are ‘written on paper’ in creative practices. Mixing and matching different methods and adapting them to the needs of a specific project are among the core skills of a future designer. This can only happen if students have, at least, a basic repertoire of design methods and know what the rationale underlying each method is.
This course is designed to give students a first impression of various traditions in conceptual, human-centred design methodologies. Students will get first-hand experiences with implementing methods, tools and techniques supporting these methodologies in short design assignments.
This course will stimulate the critical thinking skills of students and enable them to become reflective design practitioners who are not only focused on achieving excellent design outcomes, but also making informed design decisions that they can articulate and communicate professionally