Please note! Course description is confirmed for two academic years, which means that in general, e.g. Learning outcomes, assessment methods and key content stays unchanged. However, via course syllabus, it is possible to specify or change the course execution in each realization of the course, such as how the contact sessions are organized, assessment methods weighted or materials used.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Develop and execute suitable designerly strategies for different design objectives, with focus on conceptual design.
  • Learn to combine design driven insightwithe creative collaboration with users and stakeholders.
  • Create representations of solution concepts, articulating the design intent and navigating the solution space in sufficiently and efficiently, and validating a chosen outcome.
  • Articulate an advanced personal metacognition as a designer, by recognizing, explaining, and applying selected concepts and principles of design emergence and activity, as drawn from design research and beyond.

Credits: 10

Schedule: 26.10.2020 - 04.12.2020

Teacher in charge (valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022): Severi Uusitalo

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Severi Uusitalo

Contact information for the course (valid 04.10.2020-21.12.2112):

Associate professor Severi Uusitalo

severi.uusitalo@aalto.fi

050 486 7476


Post doc researcher, Dr Markus Ahola

markus.ahola@aalto.fi

CEFR level (applies in this implementation):

Language of instruction and studies (valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022):

Teaching language: English

Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content
  • Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:

    During the course, the students will constructively develop their understanding of design as an activity, based on, and focusing on the following concepts and skills:

    Creativity and design

    Concept creation and emergence 

    Development of design expertise

    Practical skills for creating representations of design contents in topical field

    Role of research in concept creation

    Concept validation

     

  • Applies in this implementation:

    The learning on the course is based on reading materials, team project, lectures, and reflection. There are three epistemic levels:

    1. Designerly metacognition level, which builds a stronger understanding on oneself as a designer, the capabilities and limits of oneself, and how design can be modeled as an activity. This builds on design science,research on e.g. computational design, and views towards creativity.
    2. Another level is that of skills and methods: on the course the students get to learn, discuss, and practice qualitative research methods and using them as a tool for insights for creating requirements. The concept creation portion lets the students to process the using the insights and requirements to actually come up with emergent solutions.
    3. The third level of information the students have to graps is that of the application area, i.e. the project domain of the study year.

    For 2020 the assignment is about Accessible Magnetic Resonance Imaging (AMRI). The work on the course is heavily linked to a research project and the students can contribute to the development of the technology which has a great potential in improving wellness and healthcare in both developed, as well as less affluent areas. The students will have access, and are expected to get in touch with potential users, patients, institutions, companies, as well as the research team.

Assessment Methods and Criteria
  • Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:

    Personal essay 45%

    Team project 55% (end-result, process, presentation, other)

    Further information and possible bonus points in Syllabus

  • Applies in this implementation:

    Evaluation is based on the following:

    Team Assignment (TA) grading 0-10; 55% of course grade

    Personal reflective essay (PE) 0-10; 45% of course grade

    80% presence (Pres) on lectures and team tutoring sessions is expected. For over 80% active presence, additional bonus points up to 1/2 grade are provided (thus grade 5,5 is theoretical max for the course). Final adjustments for grading can be made during the first lecture, to ensure the grading is just.

Workload
  • Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:

    Contact teaching (lectures, tutoring, presentations, visits) 80h

    Independent work (design work in teams or individually, reading and writing) 150h

    Reflection 40h

  • Applies in this implementation:

    The calculation for the workload is included in the Google Sheet-based schedule, link below in "Details on the Schedule"

DETAILS

Study Material
  • Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:

    A reading package of articles and/or book chapters will be announced in the course syllabus.

  • Applies in this implementation:

    A selection of reading materials will be introduced before and during the course.

    Please see "Materials"-section in MyCourses.

    Primary book for the course is:

    • Andreasen, M. M., Hansen, C. T., & Cash, P. (2015). Conceptual Design: Interpretations, Mindset and Models. Springer, Cham.

    If you are not a designer and need to understand them :) (or if you are and want to develop your metacognition from the get go):


Prerequisites
  • Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:

    Completed Bachelor studies in a field of design for CoID and CoDe students. UID course for students of CoID programme. For students from other programmes, inclusion of the course to personal study plan with approval from academic tutor.

SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

    3 Good Health and Well-being

    4 Quality Education

    9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

    10 Reduced Inequality

FURTHER INFORMATION

Details on the schedule