Programs | One Year Immersive | Quarter 1 | IDSE 103
Studio: Foundations
IDSE 101
Research & Sensemaking
IDSE 103
Studio: Foundations
Course Overview
To be successful in design/innovation-oriented roles you must present ideas in ways that are sharp, smart, easy to understand, and memorable (i.e. provocative). In this foundational studio course, you will develop a baseline set of skills in design thinking, process, and visualization to bring your ideas to life.
Outcomes and Competencies
After completing this course students should demonstrate:
Fearlessness in getting thoughts out of their heads and onto, literal paper, in a visual format.
A high-level of comfort of effectively sketching (i.e. hand drawing) at varying degrees of fidelity.
An understanding of the basics of visual design and communication.
Familiarity with design and collaboration tools.
Hustle and grit. Embracing ambiguity and messiness in order to move quickly.
The ability to talk, present, and think visually in a public setting.
The ability to communicate and recruit people to a vision of the future with confidence.
An understanding of and competence in high-value critique
Use frameworks/heuristics for evaluating various forms of design and communication.
Practice sketching through a variety of mediums, and execute at various levels of fidelity.
Generate and sustain their own creative momentum.
Understand the value of rigor and iteration through the design process.
Course Schedule
Class 1
Topics
Teacher and student introductions
Review syllabus and expectations
Outline of course
Introduce required reading
Assignment
Deliverable
Help your classmates understand the significance of a previous movement of art and design.
Rigor Expectations:
Research your art movement thoroughly in order to present material in a highly effective way.
End Form:
Presentation on art movement. Presentation should not only inform and offer insight but also be engaging.
Class 2
Topics
Lesson: How to critique
Lesson: Problem defining tools
Assignment
Deliverable
Create (1) empathy map, (3) problem statements, (3) ideal states, (3) behavioral statements
Rigor Expectations:
Show process and considerations to each deliverable
End Form:
Present your empathy map that guides the creation of your problem statement guiding your ideal state guiding your behavioral statement
Class 3
Topics
Students present deliverable
Lesson: Ideation tools and techniques
Assignment
Deliverable
Sketch 100 ideas based on design research
Inspiration board to accompany your sketches
Rigor Expectations:
Expectation is to see an exhaustive amount of ideas and opportunities
End Form:
Ideas sketched on Post-its or tracing paper
Class 4
Topics
Students present deliverables
Lesson: Grouping themes, hypothesis statement and storyboarding
Assignment
Deliverable
Hypothesis statements
LOFA statements
Class 5
Topics
Students present deliverable
Lesson: Mood boarding, prototyping, experimentation and fidelity
Assignment
Deliverable
Storyboards
Moodboards
Rigor Expectations:
Be able to fully understand and see students' vision. No rock unturned.
End Form:
Ideas sketched on Post-its or tracing paper
Class 6
Topics
Students present deliverable
1:1 collaboration with students
Assignment
Deliverable
High fidelity prototype
Pitch presentation
Rigor Expectations:
Sharply polished and presented prototype and presentation
End Form:
High fidelity prototype
Pitch presentation
Process book
Class 7
Topics
Students present progress on final deliverable
1:1 collaboration with students
Assignment
Deliverable
High fidelity prototype
Pitch presentation
Rigor Expectations:
Sharply polished and presented prototype and presentation
End Form:
High fidelity prototype
Pitch presentation
Process book
Class 8
Topics
Students present final deliverable
Ready to Launch Your Design Career?
Transform your creative aspirations into reality as you learn from experienced professionals at the Austin Center for Design. Dive into hands-on projects, receive personalized feedback, and develop a solid foundation that will kickstart your design career.