Talking with objects: understanding the world through design

The course seeks to expose participants to what lies behind the products that surround us from an industrial design practice perspective, reflecting on a product’s final form as an expression of considerations and decisions made during their development. By observing products, we will analyze and speculate in retrospect as to the constraints and requirements embodied in the product. Discussion topics include materials, human factors, production methods, affordances, and the influence of cultural and economic factors.

We will discern the way intelligent design and a mediated encounter between products with people – and with the world, is expressed in better communication and functionality, as well as setting the stage for discursive, speculative, and critical design.