DESGN605 Design Research: Energy

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of various types of design research including human-centered qualitative and ethnographic methods as well as formal and analytical techniques. Students will also design imaginative tools to expand understanding of a group of people and/or situated context. The goal is to provide students with research-based skills and resources to strengthen strategic design practice. Concerning Energy is the theme for the 2008 course in Design Research. This design research practicum will use a variety of human-centered research methods to explore the awareness, attitudes, information sources and choices regarding the personal and domestic energy use among diverse groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. Knowing what people think and how their attitudes have been informed at the grassroots level will inform speculative design interventions that meet segments of the public "where they are" in our efforts to inform and influence behavior.