- Summer 2018
Syllabus Description:
Design has always been concerned with influencing and modifying user behavior in the world. However, it is only relatively recently that designers have begun to question the ethical dimensions of how design should do this. The relative novelty of this discourse, and the breadth of design's reach can make ethics an exciting, but overwhelming topic for students. In this class, we will try to ease this complexity by developing a number of ethical lenses through which to look at design, and develop best practices. We will draw from literature in other disciplines, and from within design to equip students with an understanding of how these various ethical imperatives overlap and influence one another.
The course will consist primarily of readings, lectures, and presentations from practitioners in industry. Students will create written case responses, critical analysis, and design briefs for hypothetical products.
Expertise with design skills (sketching, 3d modeling, etc) is not necessary, but interest in and experience with the design process (research, ideation, prototyping, etc) will be very useful. Students from design related disciplines (business, architecture, engineering, computer science, etc) across the university are encouraged to apply.