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WEEKLY SCHEDULE
- Class 1: February 4th
- Class 2: February 18th
- Class 3: February 25th
- Class 4: March 4th
- Class 5: March 11th
- Class 6: March 25th
- Class 7: April 1st
- Class 8: April 8th
- Class 9: April 15th
- Class 10: April 22nd
- Class 11: April 29th
- Class 12: May 6th
CLASS 1: FEBRUARY 4
In class:
- Intro to Thesis and Advisors
- Create a mind map that will help to guide your research. Even if you are unsure of your topic.
- What is the essence of what you are trying to communicate? What is the most important idea you are trying to get across?
- Attempt to identify who your audience is and a location where your research will fit best.
- Is it a museum, a design competition, a nightclub, a school, a public festival?
- What are the needs of these specific locations?
- What are the needs of your audience and how will they be able to engage with your work?
- Create 3 possible designs that will address a question you are pursuing for your thesis.
- Set up one second a day, video.
In class resources:
Homework:
- Post your in-class possible design exercises to your thesis journal (TJ).
- In study groups share 3 projects from your portfolio or IMA, and 3 inspirational projects that somehow relate to your work. Explain what is about these projects that you find inspiring.
- Every day film one second of your experience or yourself related to your thesis, to be complied together at the end of the term.
- You can use this application
- Watch and Listen to:
- Amanda Gorman recite “The New Dawn Blooms” and listen to her NPR Interview
- Eyeo 2017 – Mimi Onuoha
FEBRUARY 11, No Class for Chinese New Year
CLASS 2: FEBRUARY 18
In class:
- All Together: Residents present their Thesis: focus on the process, how the experience went, and what they wished they’d done differently
- Thesis Groups: Past projects and inspiration presentations.
- Provide at least 1 reference (writer, project, artwork, technology) that you think will be useful to someone else’s project.
- Brainswarm an experiment that will help you develop your topic of research.
- Brainswarm how to express the feeling, or emotion, your topic engages in you.
In class resources:
Homework:
- Conduct one weekly experiment in visual audio or other material in your subject of interest. This can include sketches, material or physical experiments but should have a component of engagement with another human being.
- Build a “Cornell Box” to represent your personal or emotional connection to the topic
- Identify 3 people who are interested in or work in your thesis field.
CLASS 3: FEBRUARY 25
In class:
- All Together: NYU Librarian Margaret Smith, Intro to Research for Designers
- Share your experiment in small groups
- Shuffle groups and share your Cornell Boxes
In class resources:
- Margaret’s presentation video (starts at 01:00:45)
- Margaret’s presentation slides
- Library Resources for IMA (Guide)
Homework:
- Conduct Research – include academic references, art works, literature, products in the market, anything that you think is part of the ecosystem of what you are working on.
- Pick at least one academic paper, post a link and your response to its claims/insights.
- Create a mood board combining visual research and takeaway quotes, ideas, studies. Show in TJ.
- Write a ‘Dream Review’ of your project.
CLASS 4: MARCH 4
In class:
- In Groups: Present research and pull quotes from review
- Create a short written proposal based on your topic (1/2 – 1 page) and your project (art/design) response
Homework:
- Post a draft of your Thesis Proposal by 11:59 ET Sunday March 7th. Please refer to the “Thesis Proposal Guidelines” doc for more detailed instructions.
- For people in Despina’s class, sign up to meet with Despina and Carrie during next week’s class on the google sheets:
8 AM (New York Time) Session Signup Sheet
8 PM (New York Time) Session Signup Sheet
CLASS 5: MARCH 11
In class:
- 1:1 Meetings with Advisor to receive initial feedback on your proposal draft
Homework:
- SUBMIT YOUR FINAL THESIS PROPOSAL BY 11:59 PM ET SUNDAY MARCH 14TH
- Make a copy of this template document, fill it out and upload to this folder along with a 1 minute video
- Follow this file naming convention: “YOUR_NAME_IMA Low Res Thesis Proposal – Final Submission”
MARCH 18, No Class / Receive Thesis Proposal Feedback
Homework:
- Create a production timeline that encompasses the remainder of the Spring semester and the Summer session. Break this down into the following categories:
- Continued research (references, experts, conversations, reflections on previous research)
- Design & development
- User testing
- Iteration & continued production
- Documentation & presentation
CLASS 6: MARCH 25
In class:
- Discuss proposal feedback + production timeline with your Advisor
- Review Midterm presentation guidelines
- Use class time to prepare interview lists questions
Homework:
- Prepare Midterm presentation – please see Midterm presentation guidelines doc
- Optional – continued research suggestions:
- Find 9 experts in your field of research. Identify 3 as your preferred targets.
- Explain why you chose these experts as your targets and what you hope to gain, overall, once the 3 interviews are complete
- Prepare a script, including 5 questions for 1 of the 3 preferred targets
- Describe the scenario for the expert interview including location, tone, equipment needed, travel time, etc.
- Brainstorm ways to contact the 3 experts, justifying why the method is best
- Draft 3 correspondence letters
- If your project is meant to be used in a public setting:
- Find a public location relevant to your research and track the positions and movements of people within this space over time. Recording the pathways and traffic patterns of occupants of a space helps to define zones of different spatial behaviors. This reveals how artefacts and environments figure in people’s lives, highlighting aspects of their lifestyle, habits, priorities, and values. If this is not possible because of COVID, brainstorm on ways to gain those insights by other means.
- If your project is meant to be used in a private environment (i.e. home or office)
- Draw observations from your own activities and those people you have access to and observe how your work would be integrated in their everyday life, their habits, needs and the ways they interact with other people and other objects in their environment.
- Find 9 experts in your field of research. Identify 3 as your preferred targets.
CLASS 7: APRIL 1
In class:
- Midterm presentations
Homework:
- Write about your experience with your midterm presentation and be honest. Did you prepare adequately? What do you need to focus on for the next 7 weeks? Adjust your production timeline to reflect these changes.
- Build something physical. Using any materials available, quickly assemble possible forms or interactions for user testing of your project.
- Conduct a user test which helps to reveal unanticipated issues or needs. Re-evaluate your ideas as needed based on this user test.
- Build a working prototype of your project.
- Prepare for the “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” event next class. See “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” info doc
- Use this sheet to sign up for at least 3 feedback sessions by the end of Wednesday.
CLASS 8: APRIL 8
In class:
- “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” event
- Feedback sessions sign up sheet
Homework:
- Reflect on your experience at the “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” event:
- What do you need to change or develop to encourage your ideal interaction?
- What additional research would help advance your project?
- Do you need to update your production timeline?
- What user testing do you have to do?
CLASS 9: APRIL 15
In class:
- 1:1 Meetings with study groups advisor and residents
Homework:
- Continue to work on building a working prototype of your thesis
- Conduct user testing and document this testing for your final Spring semester presentation
CLASS 10: APRIL 22
In class:
- Internal group user testing
- Review guidelines for end of Spring semester presentation – project + presentation
- See “End of Semester Presentation Guidelines” doc for more details
Homework:
- Continue working on your project
- Start working on your project presentation with placeholders slides
CLASS 11: APRIL 29
In class:
- Project progress check-in
- Thesis presentation “How To”
- Despina’s presentation “How To” slides: LINK
Homework:
- Continue working on your project
- Complete your project presentation to be shared during class next week
CLASS 12: MAY 6
In class:
- Final in-class project presentations
- Each student will present for 10 minutes on their thesis project
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