Topic: Assignments | ARTX-C1008 - Sustainable Design, 20.04.2021-01.06.2021 | MyCourses

Home Schools Course feedback Service Links Intelliboard

This course space end date is set to 01.06.2021 Search Courses: ARTX-C1008

Topic outline

Assignments
Course work (as well as evaluation) consist of session-related independent assignments (30% of grade evaluation), a bigger group work on conceptual design (30%), and personal learning diary (40%). The assignments are listed below, and also in relation to sessions in course schedule.
(The list of assignments is still updated before the course beginning...)
- Independent assignments:
  Independent exercises are related to specific sessions, and are sometimes done before the session as a primer, and sometimes after as a follow-up.
- Calculate carbon footprint with SITRA's lifestyle calculator (before session 2) URL
  Test your own carbon footprint with SITRA's lifestyle calculator at https://lifestyletest.sitra.fi/
  You do not need to submit anything else than the your score at the at https://flinga.fi/s/FQH5S2W . The whiteboard prompts also a question of whether you think your footprint is big or small. Please use this option to think that how do and can we think of entitlement and a fair share of carbon emission budget.
- Find labels and product standards for sustainability (before session 3) Assignment
  
  Make a submission
  Search for and select three labels and product standards for sustainability, preferably from different areas / of different type.
  Find out who has created and grants the label and what criteria it has.
  Upload as a single file three images with texts to MyCourses by 26.4. at 20.00.
- Sustainability - meanings and messages (before session 4) Assignment
  
  Make a submission
  
  Products and services communicate sustainability with different means. Labels and product standards are formalized and often quantified 'proofs' of sustainability. However, visual and textual means can also indicate sustainability in less formalized ways. For this exercise you should search for representations of sustainability that are interesting, surprising, unconventional and perhaps also controversial.
  Semiotics is a study of meanings, language and communication. You can find inspiration for this exercise from reading Susan Vihma's text in the reading list. She e.g. distinguishes iconic, indexical and symbolic meanings attached to products.
  Exercise: Select one product/service that communicates sustainability effectively or interestingly. Submit a single file by 29.4. with needed images and short paragraph of what you think is going on in terms of communication and meanings related to sustainability.
- Assessment and redesign exercise (sessions 5-7) Assignment
  
  Make a submission
  Part 1 (session 5): Select a topic for the exercise and begin research on its sustainability impacts
  Pick a topic for exercise (product/service/system/material; See session 5 slides)
  Identify main materials, processes, stakeholders
  Identify major sustainability issues and impacts along the life phases
  
  Part 2 (session 6): Redesign ideation – suggest improvements
  
  Present your topic briefly in class, and continue towards redesigning phase
  Redesign your focus product/system/material use
  Reflect on improvements (materials, processes, system)
  
  Produce a poster (for session 7): Communicate sustainability improvements
  
  Produce a poster to communicate results: Landscape layout with images and text, existing case on left, redesign on right (see session 6 slides for example)
  Present with 5 min pitch on session 7 (Tue 11.5.), with selected topic and justifications, sustainability concerns, and suggested redesign with sustainability improvements
- Groupwork - conceptual design case:
  The course includes a small conceptual design case around novel materials, focusing on the sustainability aspects. Case work is conducted during sessions 8-10. Groups and topics will be assigned after the course has initiated.
  Groups perform research on selected material/project
  Groups produce a design concept idea with selected material/context
  Groups of 3-5 students will be formed on the 18th May (you can also propose a team)
  Final presentations online with posters on Tuesday 1.6.
  Complete the preassignment Material Wondering (deadline 17th May at 9 pm)
- Material Wondering slide (due 17th May by 9 pm) Assignment
- Interim presentations (session 9) Assignment
  Groups prepare a presentation (ie. few slide PPT) of the material and your concept
  Upload as PPT/PDF to MyCourses by Mon 24.5. evening
  Each group discuss their project with teachers in separately scheduled tutoring sessions (20 min. / group)
- Project presentations (session 10) Assignment
  Groups prepare a presentation of their design concept 10 min. presentation + 10 min. discussion / group
  Upload your presentation to MyCourses by 31.5. evening
  Prepare a 'poster' (digital) for the final presentation. The size is free, for example A2 or A1. During the presentation you can zoom in to show the details. Poster has to include: Name of the concept, team members, starting point or problem, proposed solution(s), arguments for the sustainability. (Don't include the whole working process or all the background information, only main steps if needed). Don't include too much text, and keep your message clear. And the time of 10 min is strict; your presentation will be cut by the tutors if it seems to go overtime.
  You are supposed to follow the whole session. Schedule:
  9 Team 1 Alexandra, Fiona, Kathleen, Emma / Material: Coffee grounds
  9.20 Team 2 Lu, Radovan, Diana, Kamilla / Material: Red cabbage
  9.40 Team 3 Solveiga, Tuomas, Carlotta, Vilhelmiina/ Material: Algea, alginate
  10 Team 4 Maria, Jaakko, Erik, Julia / Material: Bamboo
  10.20 10 min break
  10.30 Sonja Norpila (10 min) / Material: PET
  10.40 Team 5 Nina, Daniel, Matteo, Elina / Material: Paper
  11 Team 6 Asala, Jihae, Irina, Kristin / Material: Orange peels
  11.20 Team 7 Elde, Iiro, Vilis, Kristen / Idea: Buildings for the future
  11.40 Vilma Leinonen (10 min) / Material: Stone
  11.50 Short wrap-up
  12 The course ends
  
  Evaluation: clarity (communication), informativeness (concept development), argumentation (sustainability)
- Learning diary:
  The assignments also include a personal learning diary, that consists of roughly week-based reflections that are each around one page long texts plus possible images and sketch . Altogether the learning diary should be 5-7 pages in length. It will be submitted at the end of the course, but each entry should be made on weekly basis.
- Writing your learning diary Assignment
  
  Make a submission
  Learning diary is an edited compilation of texts (Word or PDF) that revisit topics that are discussed during sessions, or related to exercises and groupwork. It consists of several roughly one-page long entries, and it should altogether be about 5-7 pages, or around 2000-3000 words in length.
  
  In your learning diary, go through the weekly topics, and revisit at least the following:
  
  What level in sustainable design action is most important? How are levels connected? [week 1]
  Pick a product/service that communicates sustainability interestingly: reflect what/how and how effectively does it communicate. [week 2]
  How comprehensive is the understanding on sustainability challenges? Reflect on controversies and contradictions from a design perspective. [week 3]
  Reflect on your assessment and redesign exercise (sessions 5-7). [week 4]
  Reflect on the process and results of your groupwork (sessions 8-10). [weeks 5-7]
  You can also add reflection and ideas of development and future topics for the course as a whole.
  
  Upload by the end of the course. Official deadline is June 6th.