Syllabus

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing the course, students are able to

Develop and execute suitable designerly strategies for different design objectives, with focus on conceptual design.

Combine design driven insight by creative collaboration with users and stakeholders.Create representations of solution concepts, articulating the design intent and navigating the solution space sufficiently and efficiently valuing and argumenting decisions.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: 9

Schedule: 23.10.2023 - 07.12.2023

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

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

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

Severi Uusitalo

severi.uusitalo@aalto.fi

Tel: 050 486 7476

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  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

  In light of design as  "creative inquiry and action to change the state of the world", the course requires both: finding out and producing solutions.

  The reading materials take approx. 5% of the course time, but reflecting upon them for the final essay (45% of grade) writing ensures there is active learning effort related to literature, combining the course events and theory to a whole.

  Project topics this year are more confined than earlier, due to an effort to achieve more mature output, while still providing sufficiently wide design space. Design for healthcare is in focus. The students are teamed up according to their interest to continue the project in the fourth period in From Concepts to Design -course.
  

Assessment Methods and Criteria

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  • Course project
  • Reflective essay
  • Yearly defined bonus matrix, e.g. active participation, other

• applies in this implementation

  Project 50%
  

  Essay 45%

  Other (e.g. learning diary or other) 5%
  

Workload

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Total workload is 9 cr = 243 h

  • Independent and team work 160 h
  • Contact teaching including tutoring and presentations 40 h
  • Personal reflection 42 h
  • Course evaluation 1h

   

• applies in this implementation

  This year, extra effort is added to mentoring. Lectures are shorter and further focused, and some activating teamwork is done during lecture days, in collaboration with other teams to increase efficiency and peer-learning.
  

DETAILS

Study Material

• applies in this implementation

  All reading materials are provided in forms of articles or book chapters, i.e. no need to purchase or borrow books. Possible prototype materials are provided by the course, with limitations to a set budget/project.
  

Substitutes for Courses

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Substitutes for Courses

Prerequisites

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Prerequisites

SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

10 Reduced Inequality

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Teaching Language : English

  Teaching Period : 2022-2023 Autumn II
  2023-2024 Autumn II

  Enrollment :

  Registration in Sisu. Priority order: 1) CoID students 2) IDBM and CS students 3) Other Aalto Master's students including exchange students.

  Priority order to courses is according to the order of priority decided by the Academic committee for School of Arts, Design and Architecture https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/registering-to-courses-and-the-order-of-priority-at-aalto-arts 

• applies in this implementation

  Expect to also produce something, either digital prototypes or tangible, depending on your project, not merely text or images. Remember: "creative inquiry and action.."
  

Details on the schedule

• applies in this implementation

  To be shared in the beginning in the form of Google sheet with detailed expected activities for each day.
  

Description