GRCD4020 COMMUNITY PLACEMAKING

/ UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI - DAAP - SCHOOL OF DESIGN

The work of good design teams is not about expertise in any single type of method. It is also not about the software or the deliverables we develop. Our work as designers is about knowing how to structure the conversations we need to inform the best solutions for the work we do….

Bella Martin & Bruce Hanington - Universal Methods of Design, 2012

Course Description

This course aimed first to develop a basic understanding of wayfinding: the process by which users utilize spatial and environmental information to navigate physical or virtual destinations. The second purpose is to consider wayfinding as a conceptual basis for design problem-solving. Students learn to determine user-seeking behavior needs and goals. They then apply wayfinding principles towards solving design problems in various communication channels: print, time-based, interaction, and environmental design programs. Students are provided a survey and case study reviews in environmental graphic design: wayfinding systems, architectural graphics, exhibition spaces, mapping, and the latest integrated technologies.

Co-Taught w/
David Eyman + Mary Dietrich + Chris Rowland

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Apply wayfinding principles and methodologies to derive strategies that lead to solutions for physical or virtual information spaces problems.
Analyze and collect data documenting existing conditions, user concerns, information-seeking behaviors, and needs as users navigate unfamiliar places.
Derive from the primary wayfinding stages: orientation, route decision, route monitoring, and destination recognition towards potential innovative design strategies.
Design spatial systems and positive user experiences that are communicative and intuitive based on programmed content.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES

Apply introduced design methods for analysis, planning, scoping, defining the problem parameters, and building success criteria. This is followed by exploration, synthesis, concept, and strategy development.
Understand how to effectively work in a project design team: defining roles/tasks, sharing and evaluating ideas,/working in an open-minded environment.
Gain management awareness of coordinated communication media channels (print, time-based, interaction, and EGD), their development process, brand benefits, and determining appropriate usage.
Recognize how each communication channel is experienced by the user.