Thesis Spring 2022 Schedule

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WEEKLY SCHEDULE

WEEK 1: January 26th

In class:

  1. Intro to Thesis and Advisors.
  2. Brainswarm:
    • How to express the feeling or emotion your topic engages in you
    • An experiment that will help you develop your topic of research
  3. Create 3 possible designs that will address a question you are pursuing for your thesis.

In-class Resources:

Homework:

  1. Attend “Life Design Workshop” on Friday, February 4th, 9:30am ET
  2. Post your in-class possible design exercises to your thesis journal (TJ)
  3. In study groups share 3 projects from your portfolio or IMA, and 3 inspirational projects that somehow relate to your work. Explain what about these projects you find inspiring
  4. Watch and Listen to:

WEEK 2: February 2nd – No class for Chinese New Year

WEEK 3: February 9th

In class: 

  1. Residents and alums present their Thesis: focus on the process, how the experience went, and what they wished they’d done differently.
  2. 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.
  3. Create a mind map that will help to guide your project research.
    • 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?

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 visual representation to represent your personal or emotional connection to the topic and goals for your project
  • Identify 3 people who are interested in or work in your thesis field, and post brief descriptions about them as well as links to their sites to your thesis journal (TJ)
  • In preparation for the presentation by NYU’s Librarian Margaret Smith & NYU’s Writing Center’s faculty consultant Mara Jebsen, please familiarize yourself with the resources beforehand:

WEEK 4: February 16th

In class: 

  1. All Together: NYU Librarian Margaret Smith, Intro to Research for Designers & NYU’s Writing Center.
  2. Share your experiment in small groups.
  3. Shuffle groups and share your project’s visual representation.

In-class Resources:

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. Post it to your thesis journal
  • Write a ‘Dream Review’ of your project

WEEK 5: February 23rd

In class: 

  1. “Thesis Proposal Guidelines” introduction.
  2. In Groups: Present research and pull quotes from review.
  3. 1:1 meetings with Advisor.

Homework:

  • Post your DRAFT Thesis Proposal by Sunday, February 27th, 11:59 PM ET. Please refer to the “Thesis Proposal Guidelines” doc for more detailed instructions
    • Consider an appointment with NYU’s Writing Center
    • Make a copy of this template document, fill it out and upload to this folder
    • Follow this file naming convention: “YOUR_NAME_IMA Low Res Thesis Proposal – Draft Submission”

WEEK 6: March 2nd

In class:

  1. 1:1 Meetings with Advisor to discuss Thesis Proposal draft

Homework:

  • Continue developing your thesis proposal and try to address any advisor feedback
  • Special guest on Monday, March 7th, 8:30am ET: Sara Raza

WEEK 7: March 9th

In class: 

  1. How to start building? Suggestions and expectations.
  2. 1:1 Meetings with Advisor and section Resident.

Homework:

  • SUBMIT YOUR THESIS PROPOSAL BY 11:59 PM ET Sunday March 13th
    • Make a copy of your draft proposal document, and upload a final version of it to this folder
    • Follow this file naming convention: “YOUR_NAME_IMA Low Res Thesis Proposal – Final Submission”
  • Start building your project. Aim to be able to playtest a prototype in class in two weeks.
  • Review Thesis Proposal Feedback (expect to receive feedback by end of day March 22nd)

Week 8: March 16th – No Class for Spring Break

WEEK 9: March 23rd 

In class: 

  1. Review Spring Midterm presentation guidelines.
  2. Discuss proposal feedback with your Advisor.
  3. Best user testing practices and in-groups project playtesting.

Homework:

  • Based on your Thesis Proposal feedback, make changes to your project concept
  • Continue working on your final project prototype
  • Prepare Spring Midterm presentation – please see Spring Midterm presentation guidelines doc
  • OPTIONAL: Attend Monday open thesis office hours with Ruta to talk through your midterm presentation
  • OPTIONAL – continued research suggestions:
    • Find 9 experts in your field of research. Identify 3 as your preferred people to interview.
      • Explain why you chose these 3 experts 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 experts
      • 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 artifacts 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.

WEEK 10: March 30th

In class:

  1. Spring 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 5 weeks?
  • Create a production timeline that encompasses the remainder of the Spring semester and the Summer session. Break this down into the following categories and post to thesis journal:
    • Continued research (references, experts, conversations, reflections on previous research)
    • Design & development
    • User testing
    • Iteration & continued production
    • Documentation & presentation

WEEK 11: April 6th

In class:

  1. Overview: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
  2. Overview: “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” event.
  3. In-class workshop: creating project’s KPIs.
  4. 1:1 Meetings with Advisor and section Resident.

Homework: 

  • Finish making a list of your project’s KPIs and, if necessary, update your production timeline
  • Keep working on your project
  • OPTIONAL: Attend Monday open thesis office hours with Ruta

WEEK 12: April 13th

In class: 

  1. “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” check-in.
  2. 1:1 Meetings with Advisor and section Resident.

Homework:

  • Continue working on your project prototype
  • 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 4 feedback sessions starting Thursday at 7:30am ET. You’re expected to sign up for 4 meetings by the end of Sunday

WEEK 13: April 20th

In class: 

  1. “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” event

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 additional user testing do you have to do?
  • Continue to work on building a working prototype of your thesis
  • Conduct user testing and document this testing for your final Spring semester project demo
  • OPTIONAL: Special guest on Monday, April 25th, 9am ET: Kelli Anderson

WEEK 14: April 27th

In class:

  1. “Show-A-Thing Feedback Sessions” event debrief
  2. Review guidelines for end of Spring semester project demo presentations:
  3. Looking ahead into Summer ’22

Homework:

  • Continue working on your project
  • Prepare your project demo presentation to be shared during class next week

In-class Resources:

WEEK 15: May 4th

In class:

  1. Final in-class Spring Thesis Project Demo Presentations.

Homework:

  • Tune in for ITP Thesis Week Presentations, May 10-13
  • Continue working on your project in preparation for the Summer session
  • Optional – Participate in End of Semester Spring Showcase, May 16-17

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