Senior Studio Project Mission Statement

What (curriculum), Who & Where (RISD)

It is important that young designers receive a formal and well-rounded introduction to humanitarian design. Humanitarian design focuses providing long-term solutions for the needs of financially, socially and/ or physically disadvantaged people.

This project aims to design a curriculum for RISD under the Industrial Design department that introduces humanitarian design. It will result in more thoughtful and informed product, service and system design projects. I envision integrating existing programmes but tailoring them to RISD. I hope to provide students with an opportunity to be immersed in the humanitarian design field material and design thinking by compiling reading materials, videos, field trips, and exercises. Peter Hocking, the director of the Office of Public Engagement, is my advisor.


How

Research methods: Case study research, interviews, reviews with people mentioned, focus group meetings with RISD students and extracting from existing models.


Structure of investigation: My research is divided into three parts: curriculum material, looking at existing programmes, and blue sky ideas that may be possible to weave into the curriculum. I will commit to a blog where my assignments can be recorded chronologically and available to others at any point it. I will make three versions of the curriculum for myself throughout the semester checking it constantly with fellow classmates and advisors.


Quantifiable outcome: Along with writing a curriculum, I will be processing information and making it visual. I will produce many boards, mind maps, graphics that can maybe be compiled to a book and/ or blog.

Measuring the success: The final outcome of the project will be a curriculum designed for RISD. It will be submitted to the other designs schools for feedback and criticism. This way I will get a more realistic perspective on the logistics of implementing a new course that I would not otherwise get.


Why

Industrial design is about delivering an experience. Industrial designers also leave school and come into the world with a great set of problem-solving tools. In a world with growing problems, climate change, energy crises, ageing populations and natural disasters, I feel that there is much need for problem solvers like us. We lack, however, knowledge of the history, economics and politics that have to do with designing for people in such situations upon graduating. More importantly we need exercises and design challenges that will help us improvise once we are in the field developing skills in using limited materials, communicating with community members, working in groups and handling unexpected surprises.