This class helps students develop methods for analyzing, developing and communicating design ideas.

Designers have many choices for representing an idea for further development.  To see a design question with clarity, we need to look at it in different ways.  We can use a design medium’s inherent nature to reframe a problem and open up new perceptions. Media is not neutral. It gives shape to ideas by prioritizing elements, sequencing operations and focusing attention.  This course will cultivate your ability to use different media processes to help you address specific design inquiries.  By creating visuals, studying examples and sharing reflections, we will consider how media can enrich design. 

Learning Objectives

With successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• accurately represent imagined forms and spaces
• select & use appropriate design tools, methods & representations
• shape insight by varying geometry, views, lighting and materials

• deeply understand a structural system

Course Handouts

Student Work

Linda Hallgren  Staight to Curves

Haruna Madono  Umbrella studies

Ana McKernan  Frei Otto Design Inspirations

Tyler Miller  Shell forms

Shannon Payton  From shell to Guggenheim
Zach Pennell  Saarinen's Dulles International Airport

David Vu  Umbrella / Tree Forms
Robert Wendt  Sydney Opera House

Ellen Wu  Inspired by Erwin Hauer's Continua