"How many designers does it take to replace a light bulb?"
Designer: "Does it have to be a light bulb?"
Think about some of the designs that you consider to be great innovations. Quite likely, they came about because the design team was able to see a new problem or opportunity, or reframe things in a new way. As the light bulb joke illustrates, an important strategy of successful designers is to reframe things so that... we can see things in a new light. In this first exercise, you’ll build your needfinding, brainstorming, and reframing "muscles". It’s an opportunity for you stretch your creativity and have fun as you settle back into campus to begin the quarter. Also, the steps that you go through this week -- needfinding, prototyping, evaluation -- give you a mini preview of the design process we’ll go through during the quarter. This way, during the main course project, the steps of the design process will be more familiar.
In studio this Friday (and every Friday), you’ll self-assess your work with the rubric below. Read the rubric carefully before starting; it’s your guide to success. The great thing about design is that you can meet the criteria for success in lots of different ways. Not all designs are good, but lots of very different designs can all be good, and you’ll see that diversity in your studio peers’ work.
Here are two important take-aways we hope you’ll glean from this first week’s design experience. First, the early stages are worth their weight in gold because it takes just as much time to implement a lousy idea as it does a great idea. It’s worth putting extra time and energy into the first few weeks; it’ll pay a lot of downstream benefits. Second, while design is a lot of work, it’s also a lot of fun. Last year, many students reported that this was their favorite class at UC San Diego, and we hope it will be for you too!
Note on prototypes: Prototypes should be something your partner can physically interact with or a scenario that you can take them through
If your solution is an app, your prototype should be one or two 'screens' that are drawn on paper that will help give your partner a feel. If your solution is a service or experience, you can draw 3 or 4 scenes that will help your partner simulate that experience so you can get feedback from them.
Remember we're not designing a GIFT, you're designing a gift giving experience
| Category | Nope | Weak | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interview/(Section 1-4 on worksheet) 3 points |
No interview information written(or no sheet brought). | Took notes on partner’s experience, but point of view is unconnected to interview. OR used Photoshop, computers, or spent too much time ‘neatening’. | Took notes on partner’s experience. Point of view is connected to interview. | Took notes on partner’s experience. Point of view is connected to interview. Messy is good :) |
|
Ideate and Iterate (sec. 5-7)
3 points |
No ideation or iteration content submitted (or no sheet brought). | Brought sheet w/sections completed. OR used Photoshop, computers, or spent too much time ‘neatening’. | Sections are completed and demonstrate iterative thought based on partner’s response. | Sections are completed and demonstrate iterative thought based on partner’s response. Messy is good :) |
|
Prototype (sec. 8)
2 points |
None submitted (or no sheet brought). | Brought sheet w/weak prototype. OR used Photoshop, computers, or spent too much time ‘neatening’. | Prototype submitted that is clearly connected to previous sections. | Prototype submitted that is clearly connected to previous sections. |
|
Reflection (sec. 9)
2 points |
None submitted (or no sheet brought). | Brought sheet w/weak solution. OR used Photoshop, computers, or spent too much time ‘neatening’. | Solution submitted; demonstrates deep reflection on partner’s response | Solution submitted demonstrated deep reflection on partner’s response and insight about the design process. |
| Video Questions
2 points |
No questions submitted from video, or questions minimally related to video | Questions reflect a basic understanding of the video. | Questions reflect a strong understanding of video material and critical thinking that would enrich class discussion. | |
| Lab prep 2 points. |
Prep not started before Thursday’s lab began. | Prep not completed before Thursday’s lab began. | Prep completed before Thursday’s lab began | |
Your prototype should be really rapid -- marker on index cards or similar. Remember you need to be able to build it within 7 minutes! You should create an experience that your partner can engage and interact with.
Your redesign doesn't need to involve a 'computer'. There does need to be a design solution, however. This is your chance to warm up for the quarter and practice a complete cycle of human-centered design. All designs are fair game and the only limit is your creativity.
Do the assignment with your roommate or just anyone you can borrow an hour of their time. Another idea is to post on Piazza and see if anyone else is lacking a partner.