Design Languages

Instructor

John Grimes

Overview: A set of techniques and frameworks for creating more effective presentations and more clearly structured arguments.
Covers the rhetoric of design case making using primarily verbal and visual modes of persuasion. Includes a survey of document and presentation types useful in the product development process. Introduces methods and tools for persuasion in both narrative and expository forms. Also, the structure and uses of a variety of design documents will be covered.
Unlike other classes at ID, this class is about you, your personal development as a speaker and storyteller. It is meant to equip you with the tools necessary to guide a project and to deliver its result in a compelling form. The methods taught here do not guarantee success, but success is not possible without them.

Format & Grading

Schedule:
Date Lecture / discussion topic

Jan 22 Overview of the class, a reading on persuasion with a classroom exercise, and voice assessment.
Jan 29 introduction to The User Centered Case, Simplifications (ELITO, elevator pitch), and developments
(integration of business plan)
Feb 5 As above
Feb 12 Presentations: rhetoric, technique, and social human factors
Feb 19 Public speaking techniques: voice control, body language, attitudes
Feb 26 Partially lost to Recruit ID. Work with individual students on technique.
Mar 5 Stories and student presentations of competitive analysis.
March 12 Visuals, the Silvia Rhetorica, the crime of Powerpoint, and common Powerpoint crimes
March 19 Spring Break
March 26 Visual Strategies, review McCloud reading.
April 2 Student Presentations with visual vocabulary tests
April 9 The quantitative argument
April 16 Impromtu exercise. The prototype in persuasion and teambuilding
April 23 Narrative Drawing or improvisation workshop with a guest
April 30 Final Presentations
May 7 Final Presentaions

Format Classes will be conducted as a combination of lecture, discussion, and student presentations. The intent is to have every student presenting at least every two weeks, and more frequently if the class is small enough.
The content of the handouts would also be discussed every class. Emphasis is placed on understanding analytical methods by applying them to illustrative situations or projects. Part of the class time will be spent discussing student projects as required. The final class will be dedicated to the presentation of student projects and critique.

Grading:
In class performance 3/4
Project and other assignments 1/4

The meaning of grades
A = You have a future in the subject this class covers
B = I don’t know whether you have a future in this area. You might.
C = This is not your future, at least from what you demonstrated here.
E = You didn’t come to class or you didn’t make the final presentation.

Final Project The eight minute presentation

Using the user centered case make an eight minute presentation that utilizes verbal, visual, quantitative, and prototyping (optional) techniques to persuade an audience of the need for change from a user perspective.