Readings/Viewings

September 13
  1. Tim Brown, “Designers — Think Big,” TED Global 2009 (16:50). This excellent presentation draws the distinction between design and design thinking, arguing for the latter as a more productive and “expansive view” of the field.
  2. Richard Buchanan, “Wicked Problems,” Information Design 2014 (1:07). A very, very brief definition of a wicked problem by Richard Buchanan.

  3. Sunni Brown, “Doodlers, Unite!” TED Talk 2011 (5:50). This is an argument for doodling as a way of concentrating and processing complex information. (Note:We expect you will fill your with doodles during the lectures and the development of your projects.) 

September 20
  1. D.W. Meinig, “The Beholding Eye: Ten Versions of the Same Scene,” in The Interpretation of Ordinary Landscapes: Geographical Essays, edited by D. W. Meinig and John Brinckerhoff Jackson. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979. This essay describes how ten people with different backgrounds view the same scene in ten different ways.
    The Beholding Eye by D.W. Meinig

  2. Jeremy Rifkin,“The Empathic Civilisation,” RSA ANIMATE 2010 (10:39). Rifkin explores the science behind empathy and its evolution. He speculates about the increased importance of expanding our ability to empathize, from familiar contacts to distant strangers.

  3. David Kelley, “Human-centered Design” TED Talk 2002 (17:00). IDEO’s founder, David Kelley, describes the importance of designing for the user’s experience by presenting several of his company’s projects.
September 27
  1. “Prototype Theory,” Casey Frazier 2015 (1:29). A very concise and accessible explanation of the Prototype Theory.
  2. “Edward de Bono on creative thinking,” albin05 2006 (4:18). The author of the book Six Thinking Hats describes what he coined as “lateral thinking.”
  3. “Think Smart: Lateral Thinking – Edward de Bono Book Review” Bookjuice 2015 (3:50). This short video demonstrates the difference between vertical thinking and lateral thinking by solving a series of problems creatively.
october 4
    No readings/ videos for this week.
october 11
1.  Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Thinking Hand: Existential and Embodied Wisdom in Architecture. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley, 2009. The Thinking Hand by Juhani Pallasmaa

2.  Rivers and Tides

A documentary about artist Andy Goldsworthy’s working process. “Thomas Riedelsheimer shadows renowned sculptor Andy Goldsworthy as he creates works of art with ice, driftwood, leaves, stone, dirt and snow in open fields, beaches, rivers, creeks and forests.” Note: Rivers and Tides is a film about Andy Goldsworthy, focusing on his artistic process and the deliberate pace of his work. The movie unfolds slowly, almost meditatively, offering deep insights into how Goldsworthy creates through careful observation, experimentation, and a willingness to fail and learn from those failures. Germane to this talk, Goldsworthy understands process, place, material, and form through making.

3.  Vanity Fair | Notes on a Scene – Edgar Wright

“In this episode of “Notes on a Scene,” ‘Last Night in Soho’ director Edgar Wright breaks down scenes he’s directed from his film and television career, including ‘Spaced,’ ‘Shaun of the Dead,’ ‘Hot Fuzz,’ ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,’ ‘The World’s End,’ ‘Baby Driver’ and ‘Last Night in Soho.’”  Note: Edgar Wright is an exceptionally talented director. This video focuses on scenes from his films that he particularly enjoys. Wright offers technical explanations, discussing the strategy, context, and production behind each scene. He is also known for having strong relationships with his teams. Pay close attention to how Wright speaks about his collaborators and the significant influence they have on the final product.

october 18
  1. Michael Pawlyn, “Using Nature’s Genius in Architecture,” TED Salon London 2010 (16:55). This talks describes using nature analogously (biomimicry) to generate innovative, sustainable architectural solutions.
  2. “The Art of the Metaphor,” Jane Hirshfield TED Ed 2012 (5:38). An animated explanation of the creative nature of metaphorical thinking.
october 25
      1. “The Sherlock Holmes Conundrum, or The Difference between Deductive and Inductive Reasoning,” Danielle K. Kincaid, Medium 2015 (article). The author uses Sherlock Holmes’ modus operandi to explain inductive and deductive reasoning.
        https://medium.com/@daniellekkincaid/the-sherlock-holmes-conundrum-or-the-difference-between-deductive-and-inductive-reasoning-ec1eb2686112
november 1
      1. These two short videos belong to a longer course on Systems Thinking. They describe the differences and interdependence of analysis and synthesis. “Systems Theory 1: Analysis and Synthesis,” Complexity Labs (5:40) and “Systems Theory 2: Analysis and Synthesis Distinction,” Complexity Labs (4:12).

For “Systems Theory 2: Analysis and Synthesis Distinction,” follow the link below (sorry, we had trouble inserting the video:

november 8
  1. Ted Koppel, ABC News “The Deep Dive” 1999 (22:01). Ted Koppel visits IDEO and witnesses the teamwork involved in developing a new and improved shopping cart.

november 15

No readings/ videos for this week.

november 22

“Textbook”: Letters to a Young Poet  by Rainer Maria Rilke

november 29
  1. Steve Jobs,“How to Live Before You Die,”TED Stanford University 2005 (15:04). Steve Jobs imparts words of wisdom to graduating Stanford students.

  2. Emily Esfahani Smith, “You’ll Never be Famous — And That’s O.K.” (NY Times article).https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/opinion/middlemarch-college-fame.html

 

 

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