Teaching Experience Design @ MIT: From Product Design to Problem Solving
January 12th, 2009 by Marisa GallagherTags: class, Experience Design, harvard, instruction, mit, Problem Solving, Product Design, razorfish, seminar, Social Media, Teenagers
Razorfish is going back to school this week. MIT to be exact. One of our Senior Interaction Designers, Nadya Direkova, and I are teaching a 3-day course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this week, as part of the school’s annual Independent Activities Period (IAP) between semesters.
Follow along with us - we’ll be posting updates here on the Digital Design Blog and via twitter @ http://twitter.com/marisagallagher.
The course is centered around the idea that Experience Design begins with product design but ultimately is about solving problems. We’re planning to use a small set of lectures and a lot of (Nadya’s tremendous) learning exercises to bring the following structure to life:
- Day 1 - Exploring Fundamental Design Tools + Methods: Having fun and playing games with sitemaps, wireframes, engagement maps, storyboards, and qualitative + quantitative research.
- Day 2 - Understanding + Serving the User: Taking a deep dive into “social” concepts (social media, Social Influence Marketing) and our Razorfish Connected Consumer research, then holding a hands-on client workshop with the non-profit ByKids.org.
- Day 3 (half day) - Envisioning the Future + Solving Problems: Hosting classwide (the students and us) presentations of digital trends we’re excited to see, then finishing up with exercises and discussion about the problems our students want to solve - today and in the future - and how Experience Design can help them do that.
- What do you think?
- What would you want to learn or discuss in a 3-day seminar?
- What do you think a group of MIT, Harvard, and Tuft students will be most interested to delve into during their exploratory January term?
- What types of wonderful accidents and strange surprises do you think might arise?
And a huge thank you to the following folks for all your help with the class materials and you’re willingness to play a bunch of funny games with us: Garrick Schmitt, Shiv Singh, Amy Vickers, Susan Charette, Julia Debari, Patricia Witkin, Craig Prehn, Reggie Wirjadi, Andrew Milmoe, Sarah Murgel, Lilia Manguy, and Carrice Delo.
8 Responses to “Teaching Experience Design @ MIT: From Product Design to Problem Solving”
Sounds like a great course. It will be interesting to see what they come up with, how they react to the games, and whether they push us to re-think some things ourselves.
Thanks, Michael and Renantech - appreciate the feedback and support. Hope you’re both well.
You guys are doing a fantastic job on the course. Thanks!
As is, the workshop is great.
Perhaps, as Forrest Gump might muse, a great user experience is like a box of chocolates… that is there is at least the possibility of surprise. This bonus, in addition to the \
Thanks, Gordon and Peter. Really appreciated both of your contributions to the class, too.
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Thanks so much.
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