NL
Minor Design for Digital SocietyThe minor

Minor Design for Digital Society

About the minor

Minor
Minor Design for Digital Society
Mode of study
Full-time
School
Games and Interaction
Duration
5 months
ECTS
30
Type
Minor
Language
English
Email
sz@hku.nl
Phone
+31 (0)30-2091540

Minor Design for Digital Society in brief

  • What are the social and human consequences of the rapidly digitalising society? You create user awareness of this question
  • You therefore design creative experiments in the areas of privacy, security, big data, new digital business models, autonomous vehicles, domotics and robotics
  • You stimulate social discussion about the use of technology
  • To do so, you use your prototypes to explore the boundaries of the possible

About the course // Why design for a digital society?

The Minor Design for a Digital Society aims to create awareness and agency for the members in a society that is becoming more digital, less transparent and driven by tech and data.

Based on research and inspirational talks, we need designers to come up with clever tools and meaningful experiences to address opportunities and challenges of our (future) society. Think health care, smart living, technical solutions for the environmental challenges we face, privacy and designing social interactions that help to unite. During this minor you will practice coming up with concepts that address relevant topics. Using research and being able to develop prototypes to validate your concepts with the target audience in this proces is key.
Minor Design for Digital SocietyWhat will you learn?
Minor Design for Digital Society

What will you learn?

You learn what the challenges are or could be for the near future, when it comes to structuring our society through the implementation of new technology. This may include autonomous vehicles, robotics in healthcare or smart homes, etc.

Based on research and lessons about these challenges and technology, you work with others on creating concrete prototypes that promote further research, within the context of questions from the professional field and addressing these questions.

You'll learn to:
• make a working prototype as a creative solution to a design question
• design a prototype that can be played/used by the target group
• make a well-considered choice of suitable technology
• deliver a correct professional design of your prototype

Set-up minor

The Minor is build up by projects. Starting with a relevant inspirational kick-off lecture, you will do research into subject matter, stakeholders and the target audience. You will need to come up with several concepts and build prototypes to validate these concepts. Each project ends with a presentation. During the minor you will get work on projects that take longer to finish, moving from learning the design proces into a more in-depth end result orientated project. Halfway during the minor you will reflect on the previous projects in order to set your goals for the second half.

Modules

The following modules (classes) will be taught during the minor;
    • Philosophy | What defines a society and what are the inner workings.
    • Socializing Technologies | With technology becoming smarter, we need to educate our systems
    • Platform Design | How platforms like Amazon, Bitcoin and App Stores are disrupting our economy and society
    • Future in Tech | The challenges and opportunities of the new technologies
    • Behavoural Sciences | How human behavior impacts personal thoughts, decisions, interactions, and actions
    • Design Sprint | How to quickly get your first concept and prototype validated
    • Using Arduino for Evil | Building interactive systems for global dominance (or other evil doing)
    • UI/UX and Prototyping | Basic knowledge of UI and UX design by making prototypes
    • Databases | How do set up and work with databases and visualise that data
    • Mechatronica | Fusion of Electronics en Mechanics. Building Machines, Rapid Prototyping.
    • Maker Lab | Make it until you fake it
    • The Orientating Professional | Learn how to present your concept and yourself as an upcoming professional
    • User testing in real life context | How do you validate your design? Do you have access to your target audience?
    • Modules of choice | (based on Games and Interaction curriculum)
    • Shocking Experience | How to build to shock your audience
Minor Design for Digital SocietyApplication and admission
Minor Design for Digital Society

Application and admission

Do you identify with the points below?

You take a critical look at the rapidly digitalising society and its social and human consequences. You want to contribute to raising user awareness, because people are always the focus of your interest in technology and data. You enjoy experimenting and do not hesitate to explore the boundaries of the permissible for a good cause.

Apply through Kies Op Maat

Entry requirements:

Basic knowledge of programming, network knowledge, data science or prototyping

Apply for the Minor Design for Digital Society through Kies op Maat.
  • Attitude and motivation.
  • Students who take a critical look at society and social media.
  • Students who are interested in technology and data, but always with people as their starting point.
  • Portfolio that demonstrates basic knowledge such as the ability to make prototypes, UX design, visualisations and presentations.
There is a continual selection process up to the application deadline. For important dates, see Kies op Maat.