AH 3333 (History of Design) Final Essay Instructions
You have two options for the final essay. Choose one:
Essay Prompt 1:
Step 1: Imagine you have been asked to redesign one object or process or environment of your choice for the COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 era. Think of something that you think needs to be redesigned. Here’s some inspiration, a web project I contributed to in the summer of 2020. The entries are wide ranging, taking on topics as far afield as healthcare and airports: https://www.politico.com/interactives/2020/magazine-friday-cover-redesigning-the-world-coronavirus/
Step 2: Make notes for how you would redesign that object or process or environment for the COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 era.
Step 3: Go through the lecture slides and the readings, choosing at least three significant points of comparison or contrast between your design approach (the philosophy and methods behind your design) and the design approach typical of at least three historical design movements or eras we covered in this course.
Step 4: Write an essay in which you 1) define the problem you want to solve, 2) present your design solution, and 3) discuss its comparison or contrast to at least three past approaches (in philosophy or methods) taken in specific design movements or eras in the history of design we covered in this class. Be sure to explain the general design philosophy or methodology typical of that movement or era and give a specific example from each one. The example can be an individual design or a piece of writing by an author we read.
Suggestion for organizing your paper for prompt 1:
Follow the order in Step 4 (above). Section 3 should be divided into multiple paragraphs, each one discussing a distinct historical design movement covered in this course.
Essay Prompt 2:
Step 1: Do some independent critical thinking on the history of design you have learned in this course—from lectures and readings. Specifically consider how ethical considerations in design have been defined and have changed, from the rise of design reform movements in the late nineteenth century through the most recent trends we covered in this course. (“Ethical considerations” means concerns about how design affects and can improve the well-being of society, individuals, and/or the environment.)
Step 2: Before writing your essay, organize your thoughts: Make notes in which you identify distinct phases (identify them by specific decades) in the evolution of ethics-oriented design thinking and practice. Notice that there have been changes in 1) what designers or design theorists thought were important ethical considerations, and 2) the types of solutions they proposed in the form of writings and actual designs. Write down what you believe are the main distinct phases and their (by decades) time frames. There should be at least three. Also, make notes on examples of design ideas (from the readings) as well as examples of designs or designers or design movements (from lecture slides) that support your ideas. One or two examples of a design idea or design practice is sufficient for each phase.
Step 3: Write an essay in which you identify what you believe are the main distinct phases (by specific decades) of ethics-minded design thinking and practice in the history of design that you learned about in this course. Give examples from the readings and from lecture slides to support your points. In your conclusion, point to what you think will or should come next in the ethical considerations of designers.
Suggestion for organizing your paper for Prompt 2:
Introductory paragraph: Thesis paragraph that introduces the topic of ethnics
in the history of design and characterizes the overall direction(s) you believe ethics in design thought and practice have taken since the design reform movements of the late nineteenth century.
Body paragraphs: Each section (which could be one paragraph or
several) should identify and characterize one historical phase of ethical thought and practice in design. You should discuss the phases in
chronological order.
Conclusion: Reflect on where you think ethics in design will or
should go next.
ESSENTIAL ADVICE (for both essay options)
There is no one right answer. This is an exercise in critical thinking as well as accurate understanding of and ability to synthesize and summarize course material. The course material provides ample opportunity for students to arrive at their own conclusions. But just because there is no one right answer doesn’t mean that anything is correct. It is very possible to represent the course material inaccurately. Remember that this is a final exam, so you need to show that you understand the course material.
This essay measures your understanding of the course material. It is not a research assignment.
Because you won’t use sources outside the course materials, there is no need for scholarly citations. If you refer to course readings, simply put the page number of your reference in parentheses at the end of the relevant sentence like this (234).
A good essay will be thorough and varied—incorporating material from the full range of the course.
A good essay will manifest all of the qualities stated in the “A” column of the Grading Rubric. Your opinions are never graded.
Assuming students show an accurate understanding of the course material, I will additionally reward students who show especially imaginative—meaning, original—critical thinking about the course material.
Approximate length: There is no strict length requirement. Approximately 3-4 pages, which should be double-spaced at 12-point font with one-inch margins, might be sufficient. That depends on how economically you write. The content of your paper is what counts most. Worrying about length is a sign of misplaced priorities. If you are doing a thoughtful job, you will not be concerned about length.
When handing in your essay:
- Your text must be double-spaced, 12-point font, with one-inch margins.
- Upload it to Blackboard in the specified folder by 10:00 p.m. PST on the due date. (Your essay will be graded according to the criteria on the Grading Rubric, posted to Blackboard next to the folders for uploading essays. Note that the weight your professor gives to each criterion in the rubric may vary. This is due to the fact that a student’s performance in any one area may be especially good or bad that it disproportionately affects the work’s overall quality.)
- Make sure you get a message from TurnItIn that says your submission was successful. If you don’t receive that message, the paper did not upload. Try again until you get this message.
NOTE: Ultimately, it is your responsibility to make sure your work gets to me. If your paper won’t show up on Blackboard, you must immediately email it to me as a backup so that you get credit for on-time submission. Then keep trying to upload to Blackboard. I will grade the Blackboard version. If you do not do this, I must assume you have no plans to turn the assignment in and will accept 0 points. I will not pursue you to turn in your assignment.
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