Ben Stagl

As the beginning course in the Designed Objects department, students will have an opportunity to explore different methods of working in order to begin establishing a practice that works best for them. Students will be building a strong foundation of skills and techniques needed to navigate an informed design process and successfully complete a design brief. In this hands-on class, students will learn how to find inspiration for an idea, develop that idea into a concept, and use that concept to design and fabricate a high-level, final prototype. Basic research theories and methods are introduced which are then applied towards studio projects. Fabrication and prototyping techniques are also incorporated in order to test out ideas and discover new ones. Students advance through definition, research, ideation, sketching, and modeling phases toward two? and three?dimensional representations (digital and physical) of their work that are orally defended during group critique.

Readings and lecture content will vary and will focus on examples of historically relevant and contemporary designers, artists, studios, and design movements; as well as design practices that highlight different motivations of the designer.

In addition to the two main projects that focus on different methods of approaching design? where students will be producing high-level prototypes, this workshop-style class consists of one-day projects and exercises designed to introduce techniques and skills such as technical drawing and sketching, form-finding, prototyping, and inspiration research, among others.

This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.

This studio challenges students to reconsider standard models of design practice and process, and explore new modes of object making. The studio is conceived from the standpoint that the methods of the past are not necessarily appropriate for the future and that designers have a role to play in redefining their tools, as well as the outcomes of their work. It considers designers as autonomous agents able to lead by example and position themselves within the realms of cultural production, entrepreneurship and corporate business.

Throughout the semester, students will be exposed to the ideas, methods, and work from a variety of the most relevant designers and design thinkers practicing today. Particular focus will be towards practices of agency, autonomy and authorship.

Students are introduced to a range of design approaches which are dissected, critiqued and retaught. A series of exercises and projects encourage them to embark upon a rapid process of action and reflection across multiple contexts, promoting risk-taking and discovery.