Credits: 3

Schedule: 07.03.2019 - 21.03.2019

Teaching Period (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

IV

Learning Outcomes (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Students who successfully complete the course should be able to:
- Demonstrate familiarity with relevant literature from across a range of areas, including design studies and design theory as well as political science, STS, public administration and others.
- Select, position and contextualize relevant concepts from literature in relation to own research (ie. in relation to own literature, case studies and/or ‘research through design’ work).
- Critically reflect on design/designers in policy and governance, including the roles (and limits) of design knowledge, competencies and practices as well as ethical and political dimensions.
- Articulate (in oral and written forms) the above and especially own position within the course, ie. in dialog with those from diverse disciplinary backgrounds and from academia and practice.

Content (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Design practice is expanding in the formal institutions of government that regulate society through public policy, law, public services and taxation. In addition to longstanding roles of design in governing civil society and individual/group behavior, today the political role of design has expanded categorically as designers and design operate within governmental institutions. For example, "Design to drive renewal in the public sector", "modernization of public administration" and "more user-friendly service provision" is proclaimed in the European Commission's (2013) Action Plan for Design-Driven Innovation. However, design theory has not kept pace with this rapid expansion in practice.

This course explores relevant existing studies and theories in design, as well as from those of other relevant disciplines, in order to develop a critical articulation and thereby to advance some of the ways that we can better understand design in/for/as policy and governance. Furthermore, the course is designed to draw upon and across examples of relevant design and design research practices and practitioners, thus supporting theory-building relevant to practice in the rapidly expanding field. Participants will engage with and develop critical perspectives on the expanding role (and limits) of design/designers in the public sector, on concepts and dilemmas of ‘governance’, ‘governmentality’, and ‘the political’ relevant to design and its contemporary political economies, and issues of agency, positionality and ethics relevant across public service today.

The course is structured as a series of intensive contact teaching sessions, Most work in the class takes place as individual and/or group work (such as reading groups) before and after contact teaching sessions. Culmulatively through these activity, the course explores, builds on and adds to key concepts, sets of literature and a repertoire of examples relevant to the topic.

The course runs in parallel with two master’s level courses at Aalto (MUO-E8012 ‘Design for Government’ and MUO-E0008 ‘Designing for urban governance and services’), which which it may share contact teaching sessions, sites/stakeholders and course materials.

Assessment Methods and Criteria (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

- Attending the first contact teaching session is required
- Participation in contact teaching sessions (including 85% attendance unless otherwise agreed in advance with teachers)
- Completion of preparation and reflection work as well as final presentation.
- Self-organize some some discussions (for example, reading groups, excursions, workshops, etc.)

Workload (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

The course may be offered in a ‘lighter’ and/or ‘stronger’ version, with a workload ranging between 3-6ECTS. If there is a choice in version, students should specify which version of the course that they plan to complete prior to or on the first contact teaching session.

3ECTS = 81 hours ; 6ECTS = 162 hours
• Contact teaching - lectures and seminars
• Reading-group discussions, excursions and workshops
• Individual reading and writing
• Presentations and peer-evaluation

Study Material (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Amount and scope of literature will be attuned to the version of the course and will be made available before the course begins via Aalto’s MyCourses system.

Part (or all) of the course materials will be made accessible at-a-distance through digital means. This may include lectures, seminars and reading-group discussions. This means that it may be possible for individual students or student groups located in other cities/countries to complete the course – interested students/institutions must must check and discuss this possibility with the teacher-in-charge.

Grading Scale (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

0-5

Registration for Courses (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

WebOodi

Further Information (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Only doctoral candidates of Aalto University can register for the course. Additionally these other types of students may be registered on a case-by-case basis: postdocs and ‘Visiting Researchers’ at Aalto, or; doctoral candidates and postdocs at other universities. Student who don't have a study right at Aalto University should contact the teacher-in-charge concerning whether or how it is possible to register.

The course is structured as a series of intensive contact teaching sessions, supported by extensive course materials. On occasion, the course may include teaching sessions in the format of a ‘summer school’ or ‘conference’, which may take place offsite. Exact dates and locations will be announced on MyCourses.

Minimum number of students: 4
Maximum number of students: 15

Description

Registration and further information