Course Desc

Sustainable Practices

The term "sustainability" has been applied to a wide range of issues since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit). These issues fall roughly into three categories: environment and ecology; economic development; and human rights equity. There are massive changes needed in all of these areas. The point of this two-point seminar is to research and discuss how these issues relate to our work in interaction design and digital media production, and to determine how the ITP community can have the most positive impact.

In order to limit the scope of our research to something manageable within the semester, we will focus mainly on environmental issues, starting with these central questions: What can we change here and now? What impact do our practices have on the environment, and what changes can we make to lessen the damage we do and increase any positive effects our work has? What skills or ideas do we bring to the table that can have the best effect? How can we use interaction design principles to come up with new practices, ones that are both engaging and healthy for us and our surroundings? What are the most important things for a long-range sustainability program at ITP to focus on?

In looking for answers these questions, we will attempt to address both our practice here at ITP, and the assumptions we take with us into work and life after ITP. We will build an online resource for ourselves and others based on what we learn in the process. This might include reading lists, suggested actions to be taken, links to sources of useful materials and tools for designers and artists, and to organizations whose work overlaps ours. we'll implement what changes we can, and make suggestions on those that will take longer. We'll also come up with a long-term plans for passing on the torch for those longer-term solutions to future classes, and to the administration of ITP, who can see to the continuity of our work, where appropriate.

For several of the class meetings, guest practitioners from a variety of areas will join the class to discuss how their work is affected by these issues. The class will be broken into groups of four, and each group will be expected to research a given guest's work and prepare to lead the class conversation with the guest.

Students will be encouraged to read and research widely on the issues addressed in the class, report on their findings, participate actively in discussions in-class and online, and to begin to take action in their own practices.