Course syllabus for Form and manufacturing case studies

MPP111 Advanced Form Design or equivalent

This course focuses at the creative development of form on an advanced level but from a functional and technical point of view. It provides opportunities to apply more technical and functional requirements from engineering-driven courses. It further aims at creating an understanding in how different types of manufacturing methods and materials can be alternated and may cross-fertilize each other in the form design process. An explorative process of transformation from abstract form design to a more concrete product design will offer a chance to work with visual quality, aesthetics, functionality, but also on a technical level. The course also aims to provide a deeper understanding of the connection between form intent and wording of a specific form language.

A. Connect possible form geometries/variants with different materials and manufacturing techniques by analysing a given product area.
B. Categorize identified form variants in groups of possible applications.
C. Interpret selected form variations with respect to the technical and functional form drivers (requirements/opportunities).
D. Develop a great variety and spread of new form design ideas and geometries for a given product area with function, manufacturing and materials technology as a base.
E. Structure the new form ideas in variation matrixes according to possible solution types.
F. Reflect on form results seen both to the overall structure and on a detailed level and iterate using appropriate methods, and by alternating between both physical and digital media to reach a desired result.
G. Describe, analyse and discuss the final results with regard to form intent, technical and functional aspects, process and choice of method.

The course revolves around a big project and is linked to three blocks in sequence that forms the backbone of the process that drives the project. Roughly learning objectives A-C are included in Block 1, D-E in Block 2 and F-G in Block 3.

The course consists of lectures, creative exercises, practical exercises, seminars and scheduled time for reflection.

A-B: Lectures, exercises, analysis of a given product area, supervision, seminars with other project teams.

C: Lectures on materials and manufacturing technology, expertise in specific product areas, exercises, supervision, and technical seminars with other project teams.

D-E: Lectures of form theory, methods and tools for form synthesis, semantics, literature studies, creative, and practical exercises, supervision and form seminars with other project teams.

F: Project work, supervision, seminar

G: Final presentations with peer review

Besides the activities mentioned above, both a reflective diary and a visual portfolio are performed for each of the three blocks in the project. This gives the student the opportunity to collect, organize, evaluate and document the knowledge and gained experience. This enables the student to raise individual and critical reflections on his/her own creative work.

See "Content".

Literature will be announced/provided at the start of the course.

A-C: Attendance (80%) of lectures. Actively working with exercises/tasks in the classroom. Make use of supervision sessions. Active participation in seminars. Report clear results for Block 1 in the form of visual mappings, matrices, as well as visual summaries of form, expression and persona. Complete and submit the reflective diary and visual diary of Block 1.

D-E: Attendance (80%) of lectures. Actively working with exercises/tasks in the classroom. Make use of supervision sessions. Active participation in seminars. Report clear results for Block 2 in the form of schematic overview of the form development, sketches and models. Complete and submit the reflective diary and Visual Diary of Block 2.

F-G: Active work with the project. Make use of supervision sessions. Carry out a thorough final presentation and peer review. Complete and submit the reflective diary and visual portfolio of Block 3.

Preparatory exercises made in the classroom are graded according to the principle fail/pass.
The end result of the project work is examined based on process and actually results in accordance with the principle fail, 3, 4, 5 and represents a combination of both the joint work in groups by:

- Ability to use the relevant facts, theory and methods.
- Ability to translate/convert the acquired knowledge into skills and abilities in design work
- Ability to put the work carried out in pictures, drawings or other representations of the process and results in a relevant way.
- Using a relevant vocabulary at seminars and final presentation.

and by:

- individual performance in Reflective diaries and Visual portfolios.