Senior capstone – design system development
Posted
Image 1 - Rise project presentation board. © Erik Ruuska, The Ohio State University, Visual Communication Design major program alumni.
Image 2 - Ballot project presentation board. © Michael Booher, The Ohio State University, Visual Communication Design major program alumni.
Image 3 - Breeze project presentation board. © Connor Mitchell, The Ohio State University, Visual Communication Design major program alumni.
| Educator/s: | Paul Nini |
|---|---|
| Institution: | Ohio State University |
| Level: | Advanced, Capstone, Senior |
| Duration: | 15 weeks |
| Category: | Animation, Branding, Design Methods, Environmental Design, Experience Design, Graphic Design, Information Design, Interaction Design, Motion, Print, Service Design, User Experience, User Interface, Visual Communication, Web Design |
| Filed Under: | 3-D, Collaboration, Community, Design for Democracy, Design for Good, Design Research, Design Thinking, Digital, Four-year Program, Information Architecture, Integrative, Interdisciplinary, Iteration, Multidisciplinary, Participatory, Printed Matter, Process, Production, Publication, Signage, Social Impact, Usability, Video, Wayfinding, Writing |
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Project Brief
Students create a comprehensive design system addressing a topic of their choice, using a process that involves research, problem identification, prototype development, user testing, and design documentation. Below are three project examples.
Project 1 - Rise: a digital platform for self-directed learning by musicians.
Project 2 – Ballot: a digital resource to assist young adults with the voting process.
Project 3 – Breeze: a physical and digital wayfinding system for visitors to Chicago.
Learning Objectives
Students achieve a working understanding of:
1) Research strategies to uncover human problems and ways they may be improved.
2) Development of communication prototypes in various media that can be evaluated by users.
3) Documentation of a comprehensive research and design development process.
Deliverables
Design prototypes, project documentation, and various materials used to present projects in our annual spring exhibit of capstone work by graduating students.
Readings/Resources
1) The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design - https://www.designkit.org/
2) Elizabeth Sanders - Convivial Toolbox: Generative Research for the Front End of Design (Laurence King Publishing, 2013)
3) Bruce Hanington - Universal Methods of Design: 125 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions (Rockport Universal, 2019)
4) Vijay Kumar - 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization (Wiley, 2012)
Reflections
My colleagues and I have taught this course many times over the last several years and have refined it quite a bit, so that it works well as the culmination of our program sequence.
