SDESIGN distance

Summer 2012

Which role does design play in the quest for sustainability? How can an interdisciplinary approach to design unlock new creativity and beauty? How could different design solutions in nature serve as a model for new human made designs? And what are the limits of human ingenuity and creative design?

These are some of the questions we are excited to dig further into with this course "Sustainable Design". With inspiration from ecology and nature, and in-depth discussion of how cultural conditions define human perceptions of the environment, the course tries to reach practical conclusions on how creative design can contribute to a sustainable and insipiring world


Peer Review 1 + Lecture Slides

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Alejandro

Hi everyone,

Hope everything is going fine with you!

As you have probably seen, you all should have an email in your inbox regarding the Peer Review 1 that it is coming next Wednesday, the 22nd of April.

In this email you have a link to the instructions for the Peer Review, the schedule for every group (you can also find a copy in The Design Project Space), and the initial document from the group you are going to review. Read the documents and prepare what you are going to explain about your process and what you can ask about the other group project. It will be a good moment to share experiences and check your challenges, doubts and difficulties.

Another update from the course: the lecture slides from Camilo Calderon on Participatory Design are now available under “Lecture Materials”.

Have a nice weekend and see you next week,

Lakin & Alejandro

Design Groups and more

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Alejandro

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a great weekend and you started the week with energy.

In the The Design Project Space, you have a document with a summary of the groups, topics and selected books. We have received most of your problems and the 2nd book choice via email but not all of them. Have a look into the document and if your group has a " * ", please send us the missing information as soon as you can (deadline April 15th at 14:00h).

This week we won’t have class but, as the previous week, we will be available at CEMUS to help you in your process. As we told you, different groups will be in different stages of the process. Some groups might need help to finish with the problem formulation and others might be collecting information and researching about the topic. However, remember that next week is the Peer Review 1 and you should be able to explain what you have, where are you in the process and where are you heading to (more info to come) to other groups and the course coordinators in order to get some feedback and keep working.

Good luck with your project and email us if you have any question!

Lakin and Alejandro

Make Up Tasks for Seminar 2 and Workshop 2 now available

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Lakin

Hi everyone,

Thanks for a generally productive session on Wednesday. Those who came seemed to make progress, and for the most part a good vibe for the projects is in the air.

If you missed either Seminar 2 or Workshop 2, Make Up Tasks for both are now on the course portal under 'assignments and instructions'. Any questions, email us on sdesign@csduppsala.uu.se

Alejandro & Lakin

Location and Schedule Change this Wednesday, 8th April

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Lakin

Hi everyone, and Happy Easter!

Tomorrow's lecture 'Why Sustainability Needs Fiction: Design Fiction and The Future' will be pushed forwards in the schedule to the end of April/start of May (Date TBA). This is so you can all focus on starting immediately with your Design Group on your project work after the Easter break.

Tomorrow in class time (17:00-19:30) we will instead have a co-working session with your Design Groups at the CEMUS Library/Lab/Lounge. In this session you can together continue to work on the four steps from Workshop 2 (5W+H, "how might we....?", group assumptions, who could we talk to?), and to otherwise plan. Material from Workshop 2 is now on the course portal. Course coordinators will be available for any discussion, questions or help with this you may need (email us beforehand if you want to book a meeting at a specific time, otherwise we will be free). Attendance is up to you, however this will likely be a good time to meet with your group, as you all have this time in your schedules.

Also a reminder, you must submit a document which shows the problem your Design group will work on and the progress on the above-listed four steps by Friday 10th April. It is OK if this is not perfect or a 'work in progress', but you need to submit the progress you have made. Also include the title of the second course book book your Design Group has chosen from the provided list, or selected yourselves.

See you then, and apologies for late posting of this message,

Alejandro & Lakin