MUO-E8023 - Values in Design Futures, 18.04.2019-23.05.2019
This course space end date is set to 23.05.2019 Search Courses: MUO-E8023
Assignment 1: What is it for? Who is it for?
Summary
This group assignment involves visualizing a projected future cityscape (a single image of a scene that is also a vision of a possible future). Through brainstorming, realizing and annotating your image, you will collectively explore how values can become materialized in actual places. The exercise is based on real locations with which you are (or can become) familiar.
Aims
● To work creatively in groups towards a historically informed but potentially transformative future vision
● To identify at a general level how social values shape environments over time, and more specifically, how deliberate interventions in the environment involve value judgements
● To communicate about complex socio-technical issues
Deliverables
● A 2-dimensional image (A3 format, any medium you wish) with a caption of max. 300 words. In a separate A4 format file, a briefly annotated list of the sources you used for background research. Provide full references as you would for an essay or report. A paragraph stating what each group member contributed to the whole.
Assessment
Weighting: 25% of total course grade
Due Date: May 26, 17:00, uploaded on MyCourses. Presentations 23.5.
The brief
In groups of 3-4, brainstorm and then produce a visual image of a future that is radically different from today for one of the established shopping malls in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Your projected future should be around 2050.
The future you envision should incorporate explicitly designed interventions. These should reflect a cluster of values that will be allocated to each group separately.
Some references to background material will be provided to help you identify changes and continuities (some facts, images, reports and websites on the Helsinki region in general).
Most importantly, concentrate on thinking about the people who will inhabit or use the space, the benefits and disbenefits of its features, and how its material and symbolic elements will have been deconstructed and then reconstructed to produce your vision. What role do values play (will they have played) in these constructions? Consider potential areas of friction.
You are free to choose style of the image and tools to create it (photographs, renderings, collages, digital or analogue are all ok). Submit it as a pdf that can be printed as A3. As a guideline, take a photograph of the shopping mall you have chosen and overlay components of the vision on it. Write a “caption” explaining the main points and any details that cannot be inferred from the visual.
Assessment will be based on the analytical work that your picture does rather than its artistic merits. However, visually it must be sufficiently clear and compelling that the story that the audience can appreciate its message. You can find examples of “visions” at http://www.visionsandpathways.com/research/visions/.
As a group, prepare for discussion in the final session (23.5. Details, e.g. timings, to follow). After the presentations you can adjust your caption if you wish. Submit finalized visualizations 26.5. by 17:00.
Rubric
Research 40% (Quality and depth of research: main evidences are the research folder and caption)
Analysis 40% (Quality and depth of analysis: main forms of evidence are the caption and the image)
Communication 20% (Quality of written and visual communication: main evidences are the image and caption)
Note: The work is reviewed holistically and at times a clear distinction between assessment criteria may be difficult.
- 17 April 2019, 4:49 PM
- 2 May 2019, 1:46 PM
- 2 May 2019, 1:46 PM
- 2 May 2019, 1:46 PM
- 2 May 2019, 1:46 PM