Mindfully designing a real product
“Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” Jon Kabat-Zinn.
This course is based on the use of mindfulness to make the students understand the importance of being aware of what they are doing when they are designing a new project.
Throughout a few practical mindfulness exercises, participants will learn to compare how differently things can be seen when the mind is fully aware. And then use the same “eyes” to look at what they will have to design.
The goal of the workshop is to connect design students and young professionals with a real manufacturing company (Tubes Radiatori http://www.tubesradiatori.com/es/empresa), creating a space for sharing ideas and envisioning new scenarios within a specific context.
Addressed to
Design students almost at the end of their studies (last semester from bachelor, Master students) and young professionals.
Design professionals or last semester design students. Professionals from other disciplines with interest and design experience. Participants should have at least a medium level on 3D programs and renderings. The course will be conducted in English. Students are expected to have proficient English communication level (reading, listening and speaking).
Goals
- Learn how to design mindfully for a real company.
- Learn how to see things with new “eyes” yet translate these innovative ideas into real products.
- Answering a design brief given by a company yet design meaningful ideas.
- Learn how to present ideas on a professional level.
- Getting in touch with a real company that could potentially produce the ideas presented.
Methodology
Participants will learn how to design a project going through the following specific phases:
RESEARCH
Participants research and investigate the topic given in the company brief from different points of view, analyzing the history of a specific object typology in different contexts and cultures.
IDENTIFICATION
Participants come to understand their focus and their project’s goal. This goal should be defined on different levels such as innovative values, meaningfulness for the individuals and so on.
DEVELOPMENT
Visualizing and shaping ideas through the use of a wide range of communication tools.
REFINING AND DETAILING
Testing and revising potential solutions and understanding how to choose the one that better meets the design goal.
COMMUNICATION
Communication of the final proposal in a clear and simple way by the use of sketches and 3D rendering.
FINAL PRESENTATION
The final presentation will be prepared by following a given pre-designed format designed by Sara Ferrari, to make all presentation coherent for the final presentation to the company. Participants will be working individually or in groups, according to how many people will be attending the course.
NOTE: Participants should have at least a medium level on 3D programs and renderings.
Content
Mindfulness as a tool to create meaningful ideas.
The course will start with a common practical mindfulness exercise, in order to prepare participants before the research phase of the workshop, making them more aware and learning how to ask them-self the right questions.
It is important to clarify that this won’t be a mindfulness seminar but a product design course, where mindfulness will only be the tool for learning how to look at things from a different perspective.
Participants will also learn, though theoretical moments, what are the most important design ingredients for designing a meaningful yet real product, for a real company.
Sara Ferrari will guide the group from the research aspects until the relevant aspects of how to present an idea to a client.
Professors
Conditions
Eventualmente la Universidad puede verse obligada, por causas de fuerza mayor a cambiar sus profesores o cancelar el programa. En este caso el participante podrá optar por la devolución de su dinero o reinvertirlo en otro curso de Educación Continua que se ofrezca en ese momento, asumiendo la diferencia si la hubiere.
La apertura y desarrollo del programa estará sujeto al número de inscritos. El Departamento/Facultad (Unidad académica que ofrece el curso) de la Universidad de los Andes se reserva el derecho de admisión dependiendo del perfil académico de los aspirantes.
