School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Part 1 of Making Meaning: An Introduction to Designing Objects provides an overview of the theories and practices object designers are engaged in today, and how designers use signs, style and utility to generate substance. It also examines the design process in detail, revealing models to help us make sense of its complexity. Starting by illustrating the breadth of the field, the course goes on to explore the power relations and semiotic structures which lie behind object making. It covers how we use objects to express our identity and position ourselves within subcultures, and it analyzes the process of design as it unfolds in the designer’s mind, on paper, through model making, and via other generative “thinking tools”. Incorporating interviews with contemporary professionals the course offers rare insight into the way designers work, the thinking behind their projects, and the methods that lead to successful object-making.

You will learn:

• Product design landscape

• Style and substance

• Language of design

• Generative Process

Session 1: Mission Creep: Product Design Goes Plural Session 2: Style And Substance: The Overt And Covert Politics Of Design Session 3: Reading And Writing Form: The Visual Language Of Designed Objects Session 4: A Generative Process: Design In The Mind, On The Page, And In The Hand