ID 20ST-09 Special Topic Design Studio, Fall 2024

RISD BFA Industrial Design

(8-8:30am: optional work time/office hours) | | Instructor | Kelin Carolyn Zhang (she/her) | | Instructor email | [email protected] | | TA | Kate Opre (she/her) | | TA email | [email protected] | | Office Hours | Mondays 8-8:30am in studio; Thursdays 10am-1pm on Zoom (by appointment only, email to schedule) |

Introduction

Software is now integrated into every aspect of our lives. The design of the digital products we use every day is more important than ever.

But phone and computer interfaces are now mature and optimized. Patterns are commoditized, processes are industrialized. Soon, generative AI and non-designers will be able to create live code for clean, standard interfaces — without needing professional designers to mock it up.

The industry does not need more product designers to reinvent the wheel. The job market reflects this.

At the same time, the arrival of generative AI models creates a new frontier for computing and opens up endless new creative possibilities. The way computers work is fundamentally changing — they can talk back to us now, and create artifacts of their own. Designers are sorely needed to shape this new material. Likewise, the processes and responsibilities of the designer will evolve beyond the old ways of static mocks and design systems.

Designers must adapt and shape the frontier of AI-driven computing — while navigating the opportunities, risks, and ethical responsibilities of working with this new technology.

In this new world, creation is cheap, craft is automatable, and everyone is a beginner. The ultimate differentiator will be the creator’s perspective, taste, and judgment. The software design education for our current moment must prioritize this above all else.

By course's end, students will have hands-on experience with an end-to-end digital product design process, culminating in a physical or digital product that takes advantage of the unique properties of generative AI models. Prior coding experience is not required, but students will learn using AI coding assistants like ChatGPT and Claude. The instructor's professional practice in digital product design, code-based prototyping, and experimental AI interfaces will guide the course.

Learning objectives

• Understand the unique material properties of software & generative AI models
• Get hands-on experience with an end-to-end software design process involving ideation, prototyping, user testing, iteration, and deployment
• Learn how to code prototypes with LLM assistance
• Understand the range of perspectives on the future amongst industry practitioners working with AI
• Give students the information and experience they need to decide for themselves how they wish to engage with AI in their practice

Teaching philosophy

To thrive in this new world, designers must be experimental, adaptable, and ambitious.