MAPD5210 Visualizing Complexity Emneplan

This course introduces students to several methods and approaches for systems oriented design analysis and development for complex settings. The complexity relates to social/political, environmental, economic, management, and technological contexts in which the designer as well as products and service that they create, will perform and influence. One of the major methods in this course is GIGA-mapping, which builds on cooperation among students and clients, with lay-people, professionals, stakeholders, and researchers from other disciplines (intra- and inter disciplinary). GIGA-mapping involves the visualization of data in order to accumulate, communicate, and analyse data to understand and create products and services within complex strategic systems and structures.

Admission to the Master's programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved advanced level in the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge 

The student will attain knowledge within:

• general systems theory
• cybernetic and communication theory
• system dynamics and analysis
• game dynamics in systems
• methods for data gathering in complex settings (visual interviewing, design probes and play probes, co-design, among others)

Skills 

The student is capable of:

• describing exceedingly complex contexts through systems thinking as basis for design
• creating GIGA-maps on the basis of complex settings through data gathering, analysis, cooperation and creative processes
• using GIGA-maps as conversation tools
• utilizing methods for data gathering, sharing, cooperation, analysis, and documentation: visual interviewing, design probing, play probing, participatory design, co-design, feministic design, auto-ethnographical research, mapping workshops, GIGA-mapping workshops, and analysis: by theoretical overlay, of relations, patterns, causality, stakeholder, systems dynamics, and concept mapping, on the basis of visualizations data
• documenting all findings in common visualizations and reducing data into graphs that communicate essences of discussions, findings, tendencies, and so forth
• creating services and products on the basis of the above mentioned skills

General competence 

The student attain advanced competence in systems oriented design by:

• developing the ability to understand and handle complexity and systems thinking in design processes in teams and complex organizations, and in products, systems, and service design projects
• holistic thinking and understanding of design projects in relation to sustainability, environmental and social megatrends, general societal contexts and dynamics, culture, politics, market and technological contexts
• communication and cooperation by visualization, GIGA-mapping, and other types of mapping
• all which contribute to the capability to play a lead and cooperative role in design related projects in public and business contexts
• the ability to implement a chosen specialization as an additional approach or focus within this specific course context

Ingen forkunnskapskrav.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• One note of reflection. Max 1000 words.
• One group assignment and peer-group presentation. Various number of depending on collaborating partners etc.
• workshop documentation

Individual or group portfolio examination. The portfolio consists of:

• One gigamap / systems mapping.

The examination result can be appealed. 

Emnet inneholder ett arbeidskrav/obligatorisk aktivitet.

1. Obligatorisk ferdighetstrening i arbeid med egne holdninger og selvrefleksjon ved bruk av kreative og estetiske metoder.

For obligatorisk undervisning stilles det krav om 80 % nærvær. Ved fravær over 20 % gis et omfattende alternativt arbeidskrav som kompensasjon for fraværet. Ved fravær over 40 % mister studenten retten til å fremstille seg til eksamen. Den enkelte student har selv ansvar for å få dokumentert sin tilstedeværelse.

Obligatorisk aktivitet må være gjennomført og godkjent innen fastlagt frist for at studenten skal kunne framstille seg til eksamen.

Eksamen er en individuell, skriftlig hjemmeeksamen over 48 timer på 8 -10 sider. Skrifttype og skriftstørrelse: Calibri 12 pkt. Linjeavstand 1,5. Godkjent referansestil APA for oppgaveskriving skal følges.

Kandidater som ikke består, eller har gyldig fravær ved ordinær eksamen, kan fremstille seg til ny/utsatt eksamen.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.