Reference no: EM133045208

AR7044 Interior Design Theory - University of East London

Assessment:

This module will enable you to advance further your critical thinking and writing on a range of themes presented and discussed in lectures, seminars and possible site visits. The main aims of this module are:

- To gain a good understanding of a number of interior design precedents and of the relevant underpinning design principles
- To develop the ability to read, research, analyse, understand and communicate a thorough understanding of a design- related literature and design precedents.

At the end of this module, you are expected to be able to critically:

1. Demonstrate in a critical and professional manner the significance of historical/ political/ social/ economic/ ethical/ aesthetic agendas for interior design practice.
2. Develop a refined set of conceptual, theoretical and practical tools for future practice.
3. Research, understand and critically reflect on literature relevant to their research topic.
4. Demonstrate critical judgement through writing and/or design.
5. Demonstrate a professional ability to compose, synthesise, edit and present text and images purposefully.
6. Work both individually and/ or as part of a team

Essay (3000-4000 words excluding bibliography): Theory driven design and design driven theory.

Through this essay, you are expected to develop a strong theoretical position and argument presenting the critical thinking that drives your design.

You will read a broad range of theoretical essays and books. You will demonstrate how this new knowledge, ideas, ways of thinking have driven your design process, as well as how your design practice drives your theoretical investigation. Hence, in this essay you will present critically the link between theory and practice; how your critical readings have informed and transformed your way of thinking and designing, and how, in turn, design has driven your theoretical readings and questions. Your topic will draw from one of the following thematic areas: participatory design, participatory processes, design and community building, community engagement, mapping and representation, mapping as design, body and space, the extended body, performative

design, processes of transformation, design methodologies, participatory design in times of crisis, exhibition as experience. Your essay has to include rich visual material, which will be examined in depth and which will drive your theoretical investigation. It has to include images of your design project and process, which will be thoroughly discussed in your text.

For students who do not attend the design module simultaneously (i.e. part time students), you will also reflect between theory and design practice, but instead of your own design you will reflect on critically selected design precedents, relevant to the above range of themes.
It is strongly recommended that this essay forms the basis for the development of your final thesis in your final term of your studies. Hence please have this in mind as you choose your key-readings and develop your essay.

Exercises which will help you develop your theme and/ or your writing skills:

Read books and articles relevant to the themes you are interested in. When you find a specific text that is particularly informative and interesting, and which generates new questions for you, do the following: Find three images, which relate to the main ideas the text is discussing. Write a short paragraph discussing the relationship between the text and the images. Analyse and examine the images in depth. (When was the image made, by whom, why, in what context? What is shown? How? Etc.)

Identify new questions that have come up through your readings. Write them down and rephrase them in several ways. Reflect on how these questions could be translated into design experiments/ processes. Conduct those through design. Show these images and discuss this process in writing.

Identify five images that you consider very interesting/ beautiful/ powerful/ inspiring. Start describing each in as much detail as possible. Reflect critically on who made them, when, where, how, why? And/or do the same for the artefact/ space/ object they show.

Attachment:- Interior Design Theory.rar