Information Design 1 (Fall 2021)
Information Design 1 is a core undergraduate course for design and combined majors. Students complete three projects and learn to understand and synthesize data from multiple sources, communicate information visually to specific audiences, and identify ethical issues.
My 2021 Information Design course responded to the challenges of the pandemic by situating learning in the outdoor environment. Holding class outside pulled us away from the technologies that dominated the first year of pandemic learning. It also reshaped students’ concept of design by creating space for material environmentally-responsive practices that move beyond screen-first approaches.
In the first course project (row one), students designed and created participatory information visualizations situated in, and responding to, the Fens, Boston, MA. In this process, they gained experience in collecting and curating data as well as designing for public engagement. In the second project (row two), students created textile information visualizations related to their experience in college. Students explored a variety of fabrication techniques to create a coherent storyline connecting at least three pieces of data on a variety of themes including diversity and inclusion, mental health, and relationships and community. In the final class project (row three), students developed creative wayfinding activities based at Magazine Beach in Cambridge, MA. The community group Magazine Beach Partners introduced the class to the space and the many communities and needs that it serves.
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