EMD0053 Design Studio 2: Context

The service systems design course introduces design from the perspective of systems and service theories and facilitates understanding and designing complex service systems. Applying systems thinking with the design’s creative and visualising methods, students explore system structures, organizing principles, functions, and systems' dynamic behaviour. Design visualisation and mapping methods (like GIGAmapping, scenarios etc.) help understand and expose to view the richness of contexts and relatedness of the subjects; and identify drivers for change and possibilities for design interventions. Service ecosystem mapping teaches to systemically analyse layers (e.g. functionality, usability, meaning) and players (users and stakeholders) interests, relations and impact; and contextualise design interventions.

Design Studio 2: Context course focuses on developing a new design concept for tackling local communities' challenges. This process includes developing new creative ideas, analysing these critically, visualising the ideas at different development stages, prototyping and testing in communities. Theoretical models of design, systems and services are synthesized and applied in the context of local communities. Communities’ ecosystem mapping teaches to systemically analyse layers (e.g. functionality, usability, meaning) and players (users and stakeholders) interests, relations and impact; and contextualise design interventions. The course analyses how every design decision is related to bigger contexts and practices contextualising at different design processes. The (new) technological possibilities and constraints are analysed in parallel with designing the concept.