Prerequisite ARTM4710
Co-requisite ARTM0400 Professional Practices Seminar
In a studio setting, students will refine the processes and ideas learned in their Media Arts and cross-disciplinary courses. Students will then write a design statement that articulates their approach to class projects. Ultimately, students will finalize projects proposed and prototyped in ARTM4220 to culminate in a portfolio caliber experience, create a portfolio, and install a gallery exhibition, as the capstone of their XD education.
Students will incorporate peer feedback and fine tune their skills in order to craft a design statement and portfolio within broader personal and professional narratives. They will reflect on the knowledge and understanding gained throughout the XD program, to inform written and verbal expressions of career goals and experiences, how they pitch and articulate their approach to stakeholders and non-professional audiences alike.
Objectives
- Understand dynamic business practices, write and enact flexible proposals, organize projects, work in and lead teams, collaborate with other disciplines, as well as, show an ability to develop more fluid strategies to maintain currency in fast-moving fields
- Identify experience design problems, raise ethical considerations and understand human behavior, user / stakeholders needs through research driven processes, journey maps and use-case scenarios
- Develop ideas and solutions through mind mapping, sketching and wireframing; test ideas through analog and digital prototyping techniques; refine ideas by integrating useful feedback from user tests and stakeholders
- Clearly and persuasively present ideas and concepts, prototypes, completed projects, and start-to-finish processes using oral, written and visual communication skills
- Critically evaluate work and the work of peers, as well as provide and accept constructive oral and written feedback in diverse settings
- Prepare to make the transition from student to job seeking professional
Required Texts
- Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don’t teach you in design school, but should 2014 by Michael Janda ISBN-10: 9780321918680
- Show Your Work! 2014 by Austin Kleon ISBN-10: 9780761178972
Suggested Texts
- Christiane Paul, Digital Art (New York: Thames & Hudson, 2003), 201–3.
- Mark J. P. Wolf, Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation (London: Routledge, 2013)
- Art Interactive. “Curatorial Mission Statement.” (2005), http://www.artinteractive.org/curatorial.php (accessed April 26, 2008).
Assignments
- Long Projects 40%
- There will be two year long projects continued from the previous semester, which will be broken up into 4 major components: sketch book, process documentation, maquettes, and functional demo. Detailed requirements will be posted to the online syllabus and handed out in class. Individually they account for 20% of your final grade.
- Portfolio 20%
- Students will create a portfolio of completed and works in progress to showcase their abilities as designers, and highlight their working thought processes. Students will also participate in the mid-semester portfolio review.
- Exhibition Display 15%
- Each student must propose and present; either, a collection of work or interactive installation, during the Senior Showcase.
- Project Update Presentations 15%
- Update presentations will happen throughout the semester. These updates should cover any research that has been done, show material tests, prototypes, sketches, etc. These presentations should also be a time for you to ask the class for specific feedback on the different aspects of your project, from design, programming, fabrication, etc. Always be prepared to present as you might have to present two or three weeks in a row. Presentations will add up to 15% of your final grade.
- Critique and Participation 15%
- Critiques play a crucial role in all design practices. Group and individual meetings take place throughout the semester. Students encounter numerous situations where it becomes necessary to evaluate, work and rework projects in order to achieve the highest possible standards. Verbal and written skills are important, students are required to explain and write about their design decisions in front of the instructor, clients, and peers.
All projects and exercises are due at the beginning of the class for which the critique is assigned. Critiques and class discussions will become helpful tools only through your participation.