IAT 499 Graduation Project

Course details

'IAT 499 Graduation Project – Spring 2027’ is a semester-long design studio focused on the development of one substantial, self-directed project from initial concept through to public presentation.

Rather than approaching the course as a series of separate assignments, students will work through an iterative design-studio workflow: framing a meaningful project direction, researching and exploring possibilities, prototyping and testing ideas, receiving critique, refining the work, and preparing it for a final presentation or exhibition.

The course is intended for students interested in completing a capstone project of significant depth and scope that brings together methods, skills, and perspectives developed across SIAT. Projects may take many forms including interactive experiences, installations, games, interfaces, physical or digital products, speculative designs, immersive media, creative technologies, or other interdisciplinary work.

Students may work individually or in small teams.

Studio Workflow

The semester will operate much like a professional creative studio. Class time will combine:

• Studio-based lectures and workshops introducing methods relevant to project development, experimentation, documentation, presentation, and critique.
• Project studio time where students actively develop their work with guidance from the instructor and peers.
• Weekly critiques and design reviews used to test ideas, identify opportunities, troubleshoot challenges, and determine next steps.
• Iterative prototyping and testing, encouraging students to make, evaluate, revise, and progressively increase the resolution of their work.
• Exhibition and portfolio preparation focused on communicating both the completed project and the thinking behind it.

The emphasis is on continuous project development rather than producing numerous separate deliverables. Students will maintain a lightweight record of their process and will periodically present the current state of their project during studio critiques.

The primary outcomes of the course are:

1. One substantial graduation project developed to a high level of resolution.
2. A concise project record documenting the project's rationale, development, key iterations, and outcomes.
3. A final public presentation or exhibition of the completed work.

Projects will be presented publicly, either digitally or physically, as part of an end-of-term Graduation Showcase. The format and character of the showcase will be developed collaboratively by the class.

Throughout the semester, students will also develop the ability to articulate the ideas, research, design decisions, and processes behind their work, skills that will support both the final showcase and future portfolio, employment, graduate school, or independent creative practice.

Contact

• For general course questions, contact siat_advising@sfu.ca.
• To discuss project proposal ideas, please contact Mark Nazemi at mark_nazemi@sfu.ca.