Center for Experimental Media Arts

A new media lab at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. The lab has been generously supported and funded by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.

CEMA Blogs

WaterCasting

Thu, 09/04/2008 - 10:31 — Gabriel

Year:

2009

Semester:

spring

See attachments below for updated syllabus for 2009

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FROM OCTOBER 2008

Course Websites:
http://cema.srishti.ac.in/content/waterwell
http://watercasting.kluster.com/
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=watercasting
http://cema.srishti.ac.in/content/watercasting

Why this course

Difficult problems abound in contemporary life, and creating solutions and alternatives is everyone’s job. This design lab takes on the task of developing tactics to help solve problems associated with the availability of water. By their nature, difficult problems require the knowledge, ingenuity, and coordination of people from a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and disciplines. The greater number of ‘toolsets’ that we can bring to the table, the better chance we have to find compelling and actionable solutions to the problems we face. You will have the opportunity to put your skills, creativity, and hard work into projects that demand your ability to assemble multiple stakeholders and bring their concerns to an international audience along with your solutions to the problems we share.

First Maneuver

The issues associated with water are unclear and there is no guide to decision-making. People frequently face difficult choices in their daily lives, and although science, policy and technological solutions offer additional options, they are by no means clear-cut. Therefore, your job is to identify the scope of ‘actors’ involved with water, to make their identities known, recognize their interactions with each other, highlight relationships and conflicts with other activities such as science, engineering, and policy, to realize a range of solutions, to analyze the social, moral, economic, and organizational reactions that may ensue, and to visually map these ‘things’ without preference or bias.

Second Maneuver

However, research and mapping are only the first step. As designers we are tasked with choosing among alternatives to arrive at a solution that fits the situation or context. We will use our maps to create concepts around the interactions between people and water. In essence we will develop new future scenarios around use, distribution, and relationships with water based on their ability to engage the public in tactile, aesthetic, and cognitively appropriate ways.

The situation you will find yourself in this class is akin to that which you will encounter in your professional career. By aligning yourself with not one, but many sources of information about the problem, your range of options will be expanded, enhancing your ability to respond dynamically to diverse people, scenarios, and risks. You will concurrently develop the ability to choose amongst alternatives and implement strategic interventions in the form of communications that stimulate behavioral and social change.

Course Deliverables

statement of creative strategy

In no more than 500 words, provide an explanation of your idea and overall thinking.

Visual Identity and Manifesto

Generate comprehensive messaging and communications tools and strategies for water, applicable universally and/or to specific target audiences.

Presentation

Develop and apply new media, online and traditional communications tools for:
collaborative spaces

Define New Approaches for Public Participation

and engagement, from the most tactile to the most virtual. Inspire individuals and communities with bi-directional (push-pull) engagement.

Grading

is based on the conventions of the PDP and ADP programs,but, in general, the criteria for success are:

-epistemological development and intellectual growth,
-coordinated approach and execution of research and creative work,
-evidence of imagination/creativity/risk-taking/innovation,
-evidence of realization skills: have you successfully manifested your concepts -and/or been able to articulate the barriers to realization?,
-level of sincere/forthright/passionate engagement,
-depth of critical reflection, articulation of future directions.

Process

The challenge should be addressed by teams of students, working collaboratively with others of different disciplines. It is expected that the teams will be led by a faculty member or tutor and will demonstrate the following competencies:
• Ability to solve communication problems
• Ability to create and develop visual response
• Ability to collaborate
• Ability to respond to audience contexts
• Understanding of and ability to utilize tools and technology
• Broad understanding of issues
• Ability to work in a global environment
• Ability to construct verbal arguments

The process will engage the team in design thinking—challenging assumptions ruthlessly, using human and non-human-centered research to determine the most effective strategies for communicating, and quickly developing prototypes to test effectiveness.

September 13-18

VOICES FROM THE WATERS FILM FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCES
Stay tuned: conferences on civil engineering and planning as well as gender and caste...
http://www.voicesfromthewaters.com/

September 19

Brief Planning Meeting Friday 19/9 @ OC 4:45

Hand out readings
Get a twitter.com Account

September 26

GOAL: DEVELOP CRITICAL LANGUAGE AND A CURSORY VIEW OF THE PROBLEM LANDSCAPE

READ PRIOR TO COMING TO CLASS:
1. Syllabus: this page

2. Deign Brief (oh and here's a brief history of the Aspen Design Summit so you know what the trajectory has been)

Rittel, H. & Webber, M. M. (1973). Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning. Policy Sciences, 4, 155-169.

Business in the world of water: WBCSD Water Scenarios to 2025. (2006). World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Seetharaman, A. The Life Aquatic. (2008). Time Out Bengaluru. Retrieved September 14, 2008, from http://www.timeoutbengaluru.net/aroundtown/aroundtown_feature_details.as....

Business and water: Running dry. (2008, August 21). The Economist. Retrieved September 14, 2008, from http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11966993.

Facing the Freshwater Crisis. Rogers, P. (2008, August). Scientific American.

Meadows, D. (1999). Leverage points: places to intervene in a system [Electronic version]. Hartland, VT: The Sustainability Institute. Retrieved February, 15, 2005.

EXAMINE: WATER SOLUTIONS AND CREATIVE EXPLORATIONS

http://www.ideorg.org/aboutus/index.php
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/elasticmind/#/246/
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/elasticmind/#/202/
http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/index.php?id=866

DO: ANALYZE EXAMPLES BROUGHT IN BY PARTICIPANTS | BRAINSTORM PROBLEMS, ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES | IDENTIFY CRITERIA

September 27

GOAL: RECOGNIZE TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

READ:

Bowker, G. C., & Star, S. L. (1999). Categorical Work and Boundary Infrastructures: Enriching Theories of Classification in, Sorting Things Out. MIT Pres. Cambridge, MA.

Ingram, J., Shove, E. & Watson, M. (2007). Products and Practices: Selected Concepts from Science and Technology Studies and from Social Theories of Consumption and Practice. Design Issues. Retrieved February 14, 2008, from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/desi.2007.23.2.3?journal....

Bernard, H. R. (2000). A Guide to Research Anyway in, Social Research Methods. Sage Publications, Inc

Manzini, E., Vezzoli, C., & Technology, I. &. E. U. N. E. P. D. O. (2003). Product-service Systems and Sustainability: Opportunities for Sustainable Solutions (p. 31). United Nations Environment Programme.

Morelli, N. (2002). Designing Product/Service Systems: A Methodological Exploration. Design Issues, 18(3), 3-17. doi: 10.1162/074793602320223253.

EXAMINE: KLUSTER, INNOCENTIVE, RELATIONAL NETWORKS
DO: SELF ASSESSMENTS | MAPPING, COMMUNICATE AN IDEA BEYOND YOUR GROUP | DEFINE RESEARCH STRATEGY

September 29

GOAL: TO RECOGNIZE THE TOPOLOGY AND SCALE OF DIFFICULT PROBLEMS AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY PRESENT; AREAS TO FOCUS ATTENTION WHILE DOING RESEARCH

GOAL: OBTAIN TOOLS FOR PERFORMING ANALYSIS OF SYSTEMS; RECOGNIZE WHAT DIFFERENTIATES A SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITY; FIND HELPFUL HEURISTICS; CONNECT SITES OF IMPORTANT INTERACTIONS

October 17

SOLUTIONING | COLLAGE, PASTICHE, LABELING, MURAL, SMALL SCIENCE, OBJECTS D'ART, VIRTUAL WATER, REALITY DESIGN SHOW,

GOALS: DEFINE CREATIVE STRATEGY, CRITIQUE, REWRITE

READ:

Buchanan, M. (2007). What made you read this? The New Scientist, 195(2611), 36-39. doi: 10.1016/S0262-4079(07)61714-X.

Critical Art Ensemble. (2000). Children as Tactical Media Participants in, Digital Resistance: Explorations in Tactical Media. Autonomedia.

(online) Collaborative actions for sustainable water management. (2005). World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Retrieved September 14 from, http://www.wbcsd.org/includes/getTarget.asp?type=d&id=MTYxOTg

(online) Emerson, J. (2008). Visualizing Information for Advocacy: An Introduction to Information Design. Tactical Technology Collective. Retrieved September, 15, 2008, from http://basil.apperceptio.com/infodesign/final.pdf.

Pink, D. H. (2006). Introducing the Six Senses in, A Whole New Mind. Riverhead Books. NY, NY.

D4S - Design for Sustainability. . Retrieved September 14, 2008, from http://www.d4s-de.org/.

October 18

GOALS: DEFINE MANIFESTO

October 24

GOALS: DEFINE VISUAL IDENTITY

October 25

PRESENTATION I
* Project proposal in the form of an illustrated report or an annotated presentation that reflects the following:
1. This is how you would sell your solution to a client
2. Who’s the audience (local? global?)
3. Intended goal(s)
4. Steps to achieve the goal(s)
5. How was the solution arrived at (For instance, what research did you undertake?)
6. Estimation of costs for implementation, manpower and resources

GOAL: REALIZE PRESENTATION

November 7

PRESENTATION II

GOAL: CRITIQUES OF PRESENTATIONS

November 8

PRESENTATION III
GOAL: PRESENT FINAL PRESENTATIONS

INTERIM SEMESTER: WATERCASTING ELSEWHERE

Deadline for final group presentations (movie & images): Dec 1st

Course Level:

ADP