| PROGRAMME |
| MA DESIGN (PATHWAY EDITORIAL DESIGN) Course 1: DISCIPLINE RELATED REFLECTION (EDITORIAL DESIGN) Study Time: 640 hours. Duration: 32 weeks: week 1-16; week 21-36 The Discipline Related Reflection course series parallels the Critical Studies course series thus enhancing reflection and interaction between design-based research and theory-based research. Within the Discipline Related Reflection courses, you follow your specific design pathway. As a continuation of a BA-program, the discipline-specific courses in editorial design, fashion design, interior design, and urban design offer a further deepening of relevant themes, skills, discussions, and concepts topical and prominent in your field. However, in unit 2 Analysis (week 9-16), you are obliged to follow one of the analysis courses outside your own design discipline in addition to the analysis course in your specific design discipline. This strategy enables you to both compare and develop idiosyncratic modes of analysis. The Discipline Related units are categorized by the four notions Exploration, Analysis, Elaboration, and Presentation. Unit 1: Exploration: Week 1-8 Editorial design is the craft of engineering meaningful vehicles for information. In this unit, you will gain thorough insight in the underlying structure of (publication) design. Not only its formal outcome, but also the accessibility and meaning of (publication) design will be discussed. Therefore, topical debates and issues will be explored in the various professional magazines. . Unit 2: Analysis: Week 9-16 In this unit, the structures and forms of visual interpretation, argumentation, and formulation are analyzed as aspects of (visual) narratives. Taking references from classic rhetorics to modern cinematographic scenarios and hyper-textual environments, visual narrative is studied as a way of translating information into a structured whole that can be experienced by its intended audience or users as a story. The meaning of the story is not only structured from within, but also produced by making meaningful links to external contexts. Unit 3: Elaboration: Week 21-28 Editorial design focuses on interfaces. A newspaper or magazine, a website or signage system, a dashboard or information campaign; all are interfaces which enable their users to easily access information. In this unit, interaction and the design of interfaces is studied and practiced, not only as a digital craft but also as the craft of organizing links for and actions by users. The user-perspective is highlighted here, because design is seen from the vantage point of its facilitating aspects. Unit 4: Presentation: week 29-36 In todays dense information societies, the way information is embedded into its cultural and social surroundings is crucial for its communicative success. In this unit, students will deepen their insight in cultural processes and include that meaningfully within the structure of their designs. A thorough insight into the theoretical bases of cultural and media processes is developed. Course 2: CRITICAL STUDIES Study Time: 480 hours.Duration: 20 weeks: Week 1-20 The Critical Studies theory courses focus on the development of a critical research attitude in the theoretical field of art and design. Such attitude will eventually lead you to design your own research concepts generating a research trajectory implying relevant, theoretical texts from your own discipline. However, texts from disciplines different from your own could be included if they have the capacity to act as innovators with respect to your own design field. The ultimate aim of the Critical Studies is to theoretically inspire you and help you to write a Master research essay that could contribute to novel insights in your field. The Critical Studies consist of three units, Visual Studies, Concept Development, each eight-week instruction units, and Cross-Disciplinary Studies, a four-week instruction unit. The Critical Studies are topped off by a series of individual research essay coachings by the pathway theory lecturers. Unit 1: Visual Studies (Week 1-8). At the start of the Master's program, the interdisciplinary theory course Visual Studies obligatory for all students launches the Critical Studies theory courses series. During eight weeks, the Visual Studies course demonstrates different perspectives on theory tackling issues such as the role of research as an activity, interdisciplinarity, and modes of analysis in both theory and design. Unit 2: Concept Development (Week 9-16). The second unit, Concept Development, is a discipline-specific course taught by your own pathway theory lecturer. The Concept Development unit focuses on the analyses and production of research concepts. Questions and issues to be tackled are, What is a concept? How do authors from your discipline develop their concepts? How could you write a short paper while deploying found concepts? What are the classic concepts deployed in your field? How do concepts act as tools generating a research trajectory? The seminars include two writing assignments as practical exercises for creating and deploying a conceptual framework. Unit 3: Cross-Disciplinary Studies (Week 17-20; four seminars). The third unit, Cross-Disciplinary Studies, is a collective research project. In encounters and dialogues with students from both the four design pathways and the MA Fine Art program, you will be challenged to critically reflect on the boundaries of your own professional field. During the course 2008-2009, the research theme will deal with Staging Experience. During the first three meetings, a methodology will be discussed. Next, the workshop will focus on the theme of Staging Experience and the formulation of a series of research hypotheses through guest lecturers. Subsequently, in multidisciplinary groups, students intensively work (on location) on the completion of the research and on creating an adequate form of presentation. Unit 3: Supportive Studies (Week 17-20); four seminars. Supportive Studies paralleling the Cross-Disciplinary Studies knows four seminars given by theory lecturers and deal with interdisciplinary approaches to essay composition and essay research. During this unit, you will proceed with the development of your research essay. In week 20, you must hand in the first 2000-2500 words of your research essay together with your plans for the continuation of your research essay trajectory. Course 3: INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROJECT Study Time: 800 hours. Week 17-48. Course 3 is characterized by an individual design production and an individual research essay. First, it is the course where you modify and ultimately transform your project proposal - presented at the start of the program - into a full-blown research project. Your individual research activities and their visual results will be evaluated in group discussions (research seminars). In these critical discussions, you report on the progress of your research in the form of visual research presentations, whereas the transformation of your project and its progress will be evaluated and, if necessary, adjusted. In addition, regular coachings with your design lecturers monitor the progress of the research. Based on various try-outs and critical discussions, you should (in writing and image) be able to both communicate and adjust the transformations in your research. In addition, you must report on the meaning of the chosen contextualization for your design. Your investigations and reports should continuously demonstrate a dynamic interpretation of the creative practice. The second individual trajectory in course 3 - both paralleling and traversing your design project - is your essay research. Your research essay must not only contextualize your design work, it must also connect with current issues and topics in your own field of design while deploying an innovative, conceptual framework. In individual coaching sessions with your theory lecturer, the progress and content of your research essay will be monitored. In group presentations and try-outs, you must be able to report on the progress and content of your research essay and its relevant sources. Your final 5.000-word research essay should have the capacity to function as a innovative source of inspiration for your field of design and its professionals. The presentation of your design work in the Graduate Exhibition and the public defense of the research essay (End of August) will conclude your participation in the Master program. |
