CMNS 386 (SPECIAL TOPICS): COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DESIGN
Professor: Ellen Balka E-mail ebalka@sfu.ca
Office: CC 6228 Phone 291-3764
Office Hours: Thurs. 1:00-4:00 My office hours are a mix of drop in time and scheduled appointments. Please sign up for appointments on my
office door.
This course can be used as an upper division elective in Communications, and has been approved as an upper division elective in Computer Science, Engineering (as an approved complementary studies elective in the "OTHER" category) and Kinesiology.
It is recommended for
Communications students interested in technology and society;
Kinesiology students in the human factors/ergonomics stream,
Computer Science and Engineering students interested in usability and the social implications of their work.
Pre-requisites:
60 credits, including any ONE of the following courses:
Communication: CMNS 253, 353, 453 or 454;
Computer Science: CMPT 275;
Engineering: ENSC 100;
Kinesiology: KIN 201, KIN 205.
Course Description:
This course will explore social issues and values in designing technology, through a focus on both the objects and processes of design. Emphasis will be placed on communication between participants in the design process, and identification of social issues and values that influence design. Lab exercises will emphasize making decisions that occur during the design process explicit , and making values that enter into design processes explicit.
Topics will include:
- arts, craft, innovation and design;
- the design process as a social and communicative process;
- cultural factors in design;
- communicating across disciplinary boundaries;
- the use of representations in the design process;
- universal design;
- sex, gender and design;
- environmental considerations in design and green design;
- ergonomic considerations in design;
- user involvement in the design process.
Required texts:
Margolin, V. And Buchanan, R. (1995). The idea of design: A design issues reader. MIT Press: Cambridge.
Balka, E. (1998). (Ed.). Custom Course Reader and Lab Manual: Communication and Social Issues in Design, 1999. SFU Bookstore.
Highly Recommended:
Orr, J. (1996). Talking about machines: An ethnography of a modern job. Cornell: Ithaca, N.Y.
Course Format:
The course will consist of weekly 2 hour lectures, and 2 hour labs. Lectures will be used to introduce students to a range of topics. Labs will be used to give students practical experience addressing the topics introduced during lectures. Students will work together in small groups (ideally 3 students, though 4 may be permissible) during labs, and will complete a variety of exercises designed to complement lecture topics.
Assignment Structure:
Students will be evaluated on a combination of individual and group assignments.
Type of Assignment Approximate Due Date % of grade
Individual assignments:
In class mid-term Week 6 20%
Lab Exercise Week 11 10%
Portion of final paper 1 week after class 10%
Class and lab participation Ongoing 15%
Group Assignments:
Design Brief Week 9 20%
Final Paper and Project 1 week after last class 25%
Preliminary Description of Assignments
The objective of final papers and projects is to design or modify a technology. Students do not require previous experience, as the lab exercises and readings will lead them through the steps required to complete their final projects and related papers. All of the assignments are intended to assist students in completing their final projects and papers. Detailed instructions for completing the final projects and paper will be given to students at the beginning of the term.
Mid-term:
The in class mid-term will encourage students to synthesize materials introduced in lectures, readings and labs. It should be viewed as an opportunity to demonstrate that you have kept up with assigned readings and attended labs and lectures regularly, as well as a creative exercise. It will consist of a few short answer questions as well as one or two extended essay questions.
Design Brief:
Each week during the lab time students will be given one or more exercises to complete during lab time, in small groups. Part way through the semester, in their small groups, students will have to complete an extended lab exercise (a design brief), and submit it for evaluation. This assignment builds on work completed in all of the labs that preceded it.
Lab Exercise:
One of the lab exercises included in your lab manual consists of obtaining information about how a technology is used, from those people who use the technology. Your lab exercise will consist of collecting information from users about their use of a technology, and presenting what you have found. You will be given more guidance about methods you can use to obtain user information (e.g., direct observation, interviews, focus groups, etc.) in class and labs. Your lab manual will provide further detail about how to write your lab exercise up.
Final project and paper:
Working in small groups, students will invent, modify or design a technology. (Some lab time will be set aside for students working in groups to work on their projects). Groups must submit a paper that provides a rationale for the invention, modification or design of the technology the group has focused on, and charts decisions made during the design process, including social and cultural aspects of design. In addition, each student must hand in an additional short paper that addresses how social, cultural and disciplinary issues were addressed in their group’s design process, and how material from assigned readings and lectures was incorporated into their group’s project.
Class participation:
It is expected that students will attend both lectures and labs regularly, and will come to class prepared. Class participation will be based on contributions to lectures and labs.
CMNS 386-4: Communication and Social Issues in Design
Weekly Lecture and Reading Schedule
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Week |
Topics, Readings and Labs
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Week 1
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Introduction to the Course themes and requirements
Lab: Mapping from memory
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Week 2
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Situating Design in Technology and Society Studies The Use of Representations in the Design Process Lie, M. and Sorensen, K., (1996). Making technology our own? Domesticating technology into everyday life. In M. Lie and K. Sorensen (Eds.). Making technology our own? Domesticating technology into everyday life. Oslo: Scandinavian University Press. (Course Reader). D. Wood, (1992).Maps work by serving interests. The power of maps. New York: Guilford Press. (Course Reader). 1st Buchanan article, Arnheim article in Design Issues.
Lab: Defining a problem |
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Week 3
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Design, Users and Use Greenhalgh, P. (1997). The progress of Captain Ludd. In P. Dormer (Ed.). The culture of craft. Manchester: Manchester University Press. (Course Reader). Orr, J.(1996). Chapters 1 and 9 in Talking About Machines: An Ethnography of a modern job. Ithaca, N.Y.: ILR/Cornell Press. (Course Reader). Deforge and Margolin articles in Design Issues.
Lab: Investigating needs
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Week 4
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Situated Work, Skill and Design
Johnson, J. (1995). Mixing humans and non-humans together: The sociology of a door closer. In S.L. Star, (Ed.). Ecologies of knowledge: Work and practices in science and technology. Albany: SUNY Press. (Course Reader). Kuhn, S. (1996). Design for people at work, and Profile: Participatory Design. In T. Winograd (Ed.). Bringing design to software. New York: ACM Press. (Course Reader). Grint, K. and Woolgar, S. (1997). Configuring the user. The machine at work: Technology, work and organization. Cambridge: Polity. (Course Reader).
Lab: Establishing performance criteria
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Week 5
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Social Responsibility, Ethics and Design Findeli and Papanek articles in Design Issues. B. Friedman and H. Nissenbaum, (1996). Bias in Computer Systems. ACM Transactions on Information Systems, vol. 14 #3, July, 1996. pp. 330-347. (Course Reader).
Lab: Writing design briefs
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Week 6
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Exam Dilnot and Krippendorf articles in Design Issues.
Lab: How to build a prototype.
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Week 7
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The Meaning of Products Krampen, Tyler, Csikszentmihalyi and Balaram articles in Design Issues.
Lab: Expanding your thinking
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Week 8
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Design and Culture Ghose, Fry, Hirano, Cheng articles in Design Issues.
Lab: Develop ideas
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Week 9
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Design, Sex and Gender Maldonado article in Design Issues Whiteley, N. Feminist Perspectives. Design for society. London: Reaktion Books Ltd. (1993). (Course Reader). Sparke, P. (Ed.). (1995). Preface and Introduction. As Long as it's Pink: The Sexual Politics of Taste (1st ed.). London: Pandora. pp. vii-12. Bicycles by N. Oddy, on reserve. The Suit by L. Wright, on reserve.
Lab: Test ideas
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Week 10
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Green Design Papenek? Green Design by N.Whiteley, on reserve.
Lab: Communicate solutions.
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Week 11
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Universal Design book re: universal design (HC) and book I got in Nottingham. Lab: Evaluate your process.
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Week 12
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Ergonomic Design Dul, J. and Weerdmeester, (1993). Ergonomics for beginners: A quick reference guide. Bristol, PA.: Taylor and Francis Ltd. (Selections; in Course Reader). Lab: Implementation
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Week 13 |
Wrap-up Selle, Moles and Margolin articles in Design Issues.
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CMNS 386 (Communication and Social Issues in Design):
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