Design Methods Course Overview

Study Notes

Course: Design Methods
Professor: Dr. Eman Elbana
Faculty: Applied Art
Semester: Spring 2025

Assessment Breakdown

Coursework (sketch/notebook and weekly assessment) will contribute 25% to the final grade
The group project is worth 25%
Mid-term exam accounts for 10%
Final exam is 40% of the final grade

Course Description

The course explores the scope and challenges of designing in today's world
Introduces techniques and research methods applicable to various design problems
Applies to contexts such as graphic, product, media, environmental service, and social design

Learning Outcomes

Appreciation for the scope, variety, cultural and economic significance of design
Basic understanding of the "world-shaping" impact of design
Ability to design as a structured and iterative process
Ability to integrate critical and creative thinking
Skills in problem finding and definition
Practice with design methods like diagramming, story-boarding, mind-mapping, modeling, and prototyping
Practice in basic design research skills: direct observation, interviewing, data analysis
Practice in group work, time and task management.
Assessment will comprise of exams and assignments and will be detailed in the coming week.

Lecture Topics and Schedule

Week 1 (Feb 12): Introduction - Course aims, structure, and introduction to 5 questions about design
- Tutorial Activity: Homework - see Lecture 1-last slide
Week 2 (Feb 19): The Scope of Design 1 - The design spectrum from everyday to professional design - Methods to understand the complexity of design: systems thinking, Life Cycle Assessment
- Tutorial Activity: Group introductions, collect, show, and tell sketchbook/ideas journal, direct observation, data gathering, and analysis
Week 3 (Feb 26): The Scope of Design 2 - Discovering designed things - We design and what we design designs us - Design-as-process: the big picture
- Tutorial Activity: Exercises in thinking, drawing, reflecting, writing, diagrams, designing for people
Week 4 (Mar 5): A Brief History of Design - A short brief on design history, from primitive cultures, industrial revolution to design "NOW"
Week 5 (Mar 12): The Essence of Design - Prefiguration, form-giving, bringing pre-figured form to realization - Design as change and redesign; design as problem solving
- Tutorial Activity: Relational mapping, diagrams, mind-maps, drawing, free-writing
Week 6 (Mar 19): (Design as change) – introduction to problem solving
Week 7 (Mar 26): Revision
Week 8 (Apr 2): Eid Al-Fitr
Week 9 (Apr 9): Midterm
Week 10 (Apr 16): The Processes of Designing Problem Finding, Understanding and Defining - Different stages, ways of working: define, ideate, prototype, test, review, re-iterate - Pre-design research; tame and wicked problems
- Tutorial Activity: Design process exercise: Define problem, generate ideas, drawing, writing, modeling; researching, evaluating, reiterating
Week 11 (Apr 23): Good/Bad design - Good/Bad design – Design Consideration – Design evaluation
- Tutorial Activity: Prepare for the final project
Week 12 (Apr 30): Participatory Design - Reviewing participatory design
- Tutorial Activity: Prepare for the final project
Week 13 (May 7): Final Revision
Week 14 (May 14): Mini project revision
Week 15 (May 20-21): Group Presentations (Final project)
Week 16 (June): Final Exam + deadline for submission on LMS

Design Notes

Suggested to keep a notebook or sketchbook as design notes
Should act as a designer's memoir book, containing new ideas, modifications, and design descriptions
Weekly assignments and research on selected topics should also be done to prepare for the final project