Author: sheilapontis
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Creativity + Science: Prep for the third course edition
Next week I start teaching a new edition of the online Creativity + Science course for science PhD students. Once again, we had an extremely positive response from students doubling our enrollment from last year with more than 65 enrolled students. Of course I’m pleased for students’ interest, but to me this also indicates the…
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Making synthesis visible
Although we synthesize information every day, the activity of synthesis is often thought as mysterious or described as hard to explain. In simple words, synthesis is a turning point in problem solving: when we crystallize understanding and start to see connections from among the many discoveries and ingredients from our analysis. Whether if you are…
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Supervising design research at the intersection of technology, science, and society
With the growing number of cross-disciplinary programs and the active role of design in complex challenges, design theses are increasingly focusing on the intersection of multiple domains, rather than only investigating design related questions. Only in the last year, my graduate students conducted research to investigate very diverse topics, just to name a few:: understand…
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An heutagogical approach for design education
Teaching has changed considerably in the last 20 years, and even at a faster pace in the last five. One of the most noticeable changes I have experienced is students’ attitude towards learning. Before most of the students chose to pursue design because they were passionate about it and showed an unmistakably hunger for learning.…
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Maybe you don’t need interviews
The use of research in design has increased dramatically in the last ten years. Nowadays, most design programs include research as part of the curricula, and courses about design research have also become common. However, research in design has also become synonym of “interviews”. Too often, I hear students said: “Yes, I did interviews,” or…
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Advanced design research workshop for design educators
Once again, this week I’m in Spain teaching a workshop on design research to art and design educators. This time I’m in the Generalitat Valenciana to teach at the Escuelas de Arte y Superior de Diseño in Orihuela and in Alcoi. The week-long workshop covers the key steps needed to plan, conduct and analyze research…
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Design Education 3.0: Understanding how to implement heutagogy
As a heutagogical design educator, most of my classes encourage the core elements of self-determined learning by using experiential techniques and hands-on exercises, stimulating dialogue, facilitating collaboration and supporting self-reflection. As much as possible, I tailor each class and exercise to my students’ needs. Sometimes, I send a poll in advance to identify the concepts…
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Creativity ≠ Design
Me: My Creativity + Science course is going really well.Colleague: That’s great; so, you are teaching them design, right? Me: No, the class is about creative thinking, not about design at all.Colleague: Ah… but…are these different things? The fact that this conversation happens too often indicates the big misunderstanding that still remains about what creativity…
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Creativity + Science: Understanding the role of problem statements
Last week we arrived at the end of the Creativity + Science course with the final project presentations. This cohort created strong and visually engaging presentations, and did an excellent job communicating their research goals and ideas. Interestingly, some of the ideas presented had similarities with that of the first group. For example, robotics seems…
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Book launch event: A conversation with the authors
Join us next Monday Dec 13th to get a glimpse into the mind of pioneering information designer Will Burtin at this special online book launch event. In our new book, Communicating Knowledge Visually: Will Burtin’s Scientific Approach to Information Design, we reveal the life, work, and mindset of Will Burtin. Taking a deep dive into his…
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Creativity + Science: Understanding students’ barriers
After a successful and very rewarding first experience, I’m teaching again the Creativity + Science course for science PhD students. This semester, due to high demand, we expanded enrollment to all universities in Argentina, rather than limiting it to students in the University of Mar del Plata as we did for the first cohort. As…
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Learn about a scientific approach to information design with my new book
“The book will surely appeal to both educators and practicing information designers. It addresses very contemporary issues in design practice and studies, such as a holistic view of the discipline, the notion of human-centered design, and the nature of information design as a research-based practice.” Jorge Frascara, Professor Emeritus of Information Design, University of Alberta…
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