the studio education

Education > Design Studies


BFA Thesis

Description:

In this course, students will pursue in-depth research and study within a studio concentration that culminates in the public presentation of the BFA Thesis Exhibition in the Spring. In this first semester of this year-long course, students determine and define their individual thesis investigations. This semester is also the time that students create a design direction as they begin production of materials that showcase their solutions to the probelms they investigate. At the end of the semester, students will be required to prepare and present their thesis, problem and proposed solution for critical review to their Faculty Committee. The committee will determine if the students proceed to the next semester, or re-present in the first few weeks of the Spring semester.


Objectives:

To provide the student with specific working format and guidance during planning and preparation of the BFA thesis investigation and research.


Syllabus

(Below is a broad overview of the course. Please download the BFAF13.pdf file to see the complete, current schedule.



Course Overview and Assignments

Intro:

Course Introduction:

BFAF13.pdf

Agreement To Be On Committee.pdf

Roadmap.pdf

Research.pdf

 

8-28:

Analyse

 

9-4:

Presentation 1 -iMovie

Design Challenge due

Initial Mood Board

 

9-11:

Empathy Map and Initial Problem Statement due

 

9-18:

Presentation 2

Re-worked Empathy Map and Initial Ideation

Peer Reviews Empathy Maps

Peer Reviews Ideation

Findings.pdf

9-25:

Define

Committee Forms Due

Initial roughs

Agreement To Be On Committee.pdf

 

10-2:

Initial Comps of Visual Solution

Work Day

 

10-9:

Ideate 2

 

10-16:

Presentation 3

Prototype 2

Second Peer Evaluations

Mid Year Requirements

 

10-23:

Define

Individual Meetings

 

10-30:

Test

Prototype 3

 

11-6:

Presentation 4

Piece Description due

 

11-13:

Prototype 4

Test with Key Stakeholders

Ideas List for Presentation

 

11-20:

Dress Rehersal for MidYears

 

12-2—6:

Mid-Year Reviews

 



 josef muller-brockmann poster for juni-festvochen

Images from the "Bleed" Fesival of Graphic Design, held in Belgium in 2012


Course Extras

External Links

Articles

Horst and Webber's Original Article

Pretotype It!

Buchanan's Wicked Problems in Design Thinking

Resources


patti smith just kids

  The Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb and Williams


The Psychopath Test Jon Ronson

  Design Writing Research by Ellen Lupton and Abott Miller


Atlantic Monthly July 2011

  Visual Research by Ian Nobel and Russell Bestley