Course syllabus spring 2026
Course syllabus spring 2026
Title
Design, Publics and Engagement
Swedish title
Design, Publics and Engagement
Course code
PD177A
Credits
7.5 credits
Grading scale
UG / Fail (U) or Pass (G)
Language of instruction
English
Decision-making body
Faculty of Culture and Society
Syllabus approval date
2021-06-22
Syllabus valid from
2022-01-17
Entry requirements
52,5 hp credits within the Major Subject Product Design, among these the course Produktdesign: Designmetodik should be passed in it's entirety , or
60 credits within the subject Design.
Level
Basic level
No main field.
Progression level
G2F
Progression level in relation to degree requirements
The course is part of the Product design program.
Course objectives
The course Design, Publics and Engagement provides an introduction to how designers can operate in relation to societal issues. The aim is to offer students with a general overview of how design can be used as way to explore and raise awareness and discussions about societal challenges. Through a group project and seminars in class room the course provides an introduction to some of the design approaches (for example co-design, speculative design, critical making) that aim at mobilize publics around societal challenges and spark engagement, discussion and reflection about them.
Learning outcomes
- To have a basic understanding of how design can spark discussions and reflections about politics, ethics and societal issues.
- To have a basic overview of some of the design approaches that aim at foster public engagement in societal issues.
- To be able to perform a minor design process aiming at sparking engagement, discussion and reflection.
- Show the ability of articulating problem framing within a design process
- Show the ability of evaluating how a design concept is able to invite others to engage in a societal issue.
Assessment
Design project 4,5 Hp (learning outcome 3,4,5)
Written text 3 Hp (learning outcome 1,2)
An assignment will be given 3 examination possibilities in direct connection to the course. Thereafter, the student may participate in examination the next time the course is held and must then do the assignment in accordance with current instructions. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the student administration prior to course start in order to participate in further examinations.
Course literature
- C. Di Salvo, (2009). Design and the Construction of Publics. Design issues, 25(1), 48-63.
- C. Di Salvo, (2010). Design, democracy and agonistic pluralism. In Proceedings of the design research society conference(pp. 366-371). Montreal: Design Research Society.
- A. Yaneva (2009) Making the Social Hold: Towards an Actor-Network Theory of Design, Design and Culture, 1:3, 273-288
- Khovanskaya, V., Dombrowski, L., Harmon, E., Korn, M., Light, A., Stewart, M., & Voida, A. (2018). Designing against the status quo. Interactions, 25(2), 64-67.
- A.Wilkie, M. Ward (2010). Made in criticalland: designing matters of concern. Networks of Design: Proceedings of the 2008 Annual International Conference of the Design History Society (UK) University College Falmouth, 3-6 September
Kompendium med utvalda artiklar kan tillkomma.
Course evaluation
The University provides students who participate in or who have completed a course with the opportunity to make known their experiences and viewpoints with regards to the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarize the results of course evaluations as well as informing participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures initiated in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).
Interim rules
If a course ceases to be available or has undergone any major changes, the students are to be offered two opportunities to retake the examination during the year following the change for re-examination, based on the syllabus which applied at registration.
Additional information
Undervisningsspråk: engelska