Category: design process
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Guiding Research Into, Through & For Design
This has been a busy year. Among other things, in the Fall semester, I took on the challenge to lead the Critical Design & Research Seminar course, which prepares MFA students from the Experience Design and Information Design & Data Visualization graduate programs to start working on their final thesis. For different reasons, the experience…
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Information Design Unbound: The process
Writing a book is not always an easy journey – at least this has been my experience with all my books. Here are some of the learnings from my last book. Information Design Unbound was initially conceived a long time ago and was in the making for over 6 years, during which COVID and other…
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Get your deck of Cards!
It has been more than 10 years since I developed the first version of MapCI Cards. The current version of the cards is the result of multiple rounds of user research that I have been conducting during the last decade. For instance, interviews and surveys helped me uncover designers’ overall problem-solving patterns and identify key…
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Information design research at the intersection of society, technology, and science
Last month, one of the stops during my trip to Mexico was with students from the Design, Information and Communication Masters (MADIC) program at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM). The program includes three tracks – Information Design, Interaction Systems, and Communication Strategies – and fosters an integrated approach to address social and technological challenges at local…
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Workshop: Design research for educators in Mexico
As part of the many changes that design higher education is experiencing in the last decade, there are two that speak louder and are also interconnected: adding research into the curricula and engaging in more cross-disciplinary challenges. The broader the role of design in society, the larger the need for working collaboratively and engaging in…
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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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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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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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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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NEW BOOK! Communicating Knowledge Visually
After many years in the making and a few roadblocks, I’m delighted to share that the book I co-wrote with R. Roger Remington is finally in press, and it will be available for pre-order in September. Communicating Knowledge Visually: Will Burtin’s Scientific Approach to Information Design presents a timely, in-depth examination of Will Burtin’s work…
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Design Expertise for a world in constant change
Problems have grown in size and complexity, and with that the role of designers has broadened becoming more active in a wider range of problem situations. In this context, it is important to clarify what design expertise involves today when everyone seems to be a Designer, but not everyone is fully prepared to tackled wicked…
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