Topic outline

  • General

    Basic information:
    The course is an elective course, open to all student in Aalto. It is targeted to Master’s level students. 

    Learning outcomes:
    The course is related to Usability and Inclusive Design. Students learn basic knowledge about user-oriented design, and inclusive and participatory approaches. They will learn to observe the built environment with respect to various user groups, looking at physical, visual and sensory perception of the space. They learn basic terminology related to Universal Design and user-oriented space design.

    The course is a lecture course, with experts in user-oriented approaches. It includes a group work for an assessment task of a building design and personal reflections. The course will include working in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. The teamworking and communication skills are part of the learning outcomes.

    Assignment:
    working in multidisciplinary teams, analyses of a building focusing on the themes of the course, a detail analyses of themes related to usability. The group will document their analyses and design task in a common presentation. The assignement mode is free including drawings, or other visual presentation and text, video etc.

    Evaluation criteria:
    attendance to course and active participation in teamwork

    Evaluation method: 
    presentations and peer evaluation in the last session

    Grading: accepted/ rejected (3cr.)


    Lectures on Mondays at 15.15 to 17.00 (zoom)

    11.01.2021 Introduction to the course, Ira Verma, researcher (D.Sc. in Architecture), Department of Architecture

    18.01.2021 Usability of Built Environments; processes and methods, lecture by Suvi Nenonen (Ph.D), Specialist in Work and Learning Environments, SYK Oy

    25.01.2021 Designing for human stories, Lecture by Markus Ahola, (D.Arts in Industrial Design), Aalto University

    01.02.2021 Group task, assessment of library designs, Ira Verma

    08.02.2021 Accessibility, (Visit / lecture) Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities, Marika Norlund (MSc) and Johanna Hätönen (Landscape architecture) specialist in accessibility

    15.02.2021 Contemporary public libraries: emerging uses and functions, lecture by Mina di Marino, Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, NMBU, Norway

     22.02.2021 Final presentations, peer evaluation