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:
Institution:
Level: , ,
Duration: 15 weeks
Category: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Filed Under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Bookmark Project

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.

Related projects