Seminar: Impact School

Course Description

Content

For more information, please also check the syllabus attached below (see “course documents” at the bottom of the page)
Course registration by December 4, 2023, via this link.

At a time when environments are increasingly threatened, extremes are becoming the norm rather than the exception. This requires a shift in thinking, methodology, and approach to design and organisation—based on local specificity, understanding of culture, individual challenges, and potentials through collaboration and innovation. In response, Impact for Future and Extreme Environments (IFF EE) offers a new two-semester programme for Master students who want to make a positive impact on our challenged world through field research, hands-on experimentation, creative artistic exploration, and consideration of local site conditions and culture.
With its highly site-specific approach, IFF EE aims to respond to current and future global challenges through research by design, fine-tuned site-specific strategies, and active fieldwork in remote locations that are particularly affected by emerging phenomena related to climate change, biodiversity loss, urbanisation, and more. While the key objective of both modules is to inform and innovate future, impact-oriented developments at home and around the world, the first module (“design-through-research”) approaches the case challenge (see below) by developing impact-oriented opportunities for innovation through various research methods, in contrast to the second module (“research-through-design”) which centers around the development and testing of speculative prototypes in the challenge context.
IFF EE is aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the semester focus and fieldwork this year will take place in the Alps, in close collaboration with experts from renowned partnering organizations such as the German Alpine Association (DAV), AlpSenseRely, and VAUDE’s AVD Foundation. Due to its strong transdisciplinary approach, students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply to the program, including design and architecture, engineering, social sciences, and business.

Important note: IFF EE is divided into two semester modules through which “Design-through-Research” (TUM Project Weeks 23-24 – Module 1 [this document]) and “Research-through-Design” (Summer Semester 24 – Module 2) are contrasted and practically implemented in the development of impact-oriented innovations. Each modules gives students the chance to earn 6 ECTS. There is no obligation to take both courses, or to take them in a specific order to meet the respective learning objectives of either, though we recommend attending Module 1 first. If you take one of the two courses, we will be happy to reserve you a spot for the respective other in the subsequent term.

 

Previous Knowledge

In general, students from all departments are generally admitted to the seminar, however, a good command of English and a general interest in sustainability/impact issues are basic requirements to complete the course successfully. Besides, your success will greatly depend on your willingness to engage with the case challenge.
While there are no formal perquisites to attend this course, we strongly discourage 1st and 2nd semester students and very strongly recommend that you have previously completed at least 6 ECTS in a research-related seminar.

 

Objective

Course Goals

• To learn key theoretical foundations for a better understanding of the role of “design-through-research” strategies, fieldwork, culture analysis and phenomena-based research methods in shaping innovation and design processes.
• To develop an understanding of the role that creativity and design has in impact-oriented innovation processes.
• To analyze critically emerging phenomena in a site-specific context, and to identify key themes and emerging needs relevant for impact-oriented innovation development.
• To explore the ways in which context-specific and phenomena-based design work can inspire and inform entrepreneurial efforts aimed at addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges around the world.
• To encourage creative thinking and the development of innovative ideas for addressing social and environmental challenges.
• To build skills in ethnographic fieldwork, critical analysis, hands-on prototyping, oral and written communication, and collaborative problem-solving.

Learning Outcomes
After the course, students will be able to:

• Define, explain, discuss critically and apply key theories related to impact, design, and qualitative research methods.
• Interpret, classify, and assess the conduct and performance of any organization’s innovation efforts aimed at addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges globally.
• Describe, compare, and appraise design strategies and innovation concepts in relation to potential societal impact.
• Distinguish the newly learned approaches from previously learned strategies and management methods.
• Evaluate how speculative and creative-artistic approaches about the future may inform innovation processes today.
• Compose design-strategic materials and lead impact-oriented innovation processes.
• Execute on and develop impact-oriented initiatives on a prototypical level.

 

Languages of Instruction

English

 

Teaching and Learning Method

This course will draw on a series of inductive teaching methods. We will provide you with various teaching techniques and input sessions to enable you to access independently a large share of the subject matter. For example, you will learn to study, digest, and present academic content and apply it to current real problems. In addition, you will get to know methods help them analyze and understand the importance of thorough design research practice for developing impact-oriented innovation, by engaging with emerging, real-world phenomena. The diverse set of methods you will get to know will help you explore and understand the various roles research may play in different types of innovative and entrepreneurial activities. The final deliverable will showcase your creativity and your ability to transfer what you have learned to any (real-life) setting.

Throughout all classroom session, we will help facilitate and guide the course discussion by taking notes on whiteboards and moderate the overall learning journey. We strongly encourage you to take notes yourselves and to consider not bringing laptops and leaving your phones switched off. Specific topics and definitions may be introduced using PowerPoint slides. Finally, note how a large share of learning will occur through you preparing individually and/or in groups for the in-class session (readings, see below). Throughout the fieldwork days, it is recommended to bring your phone in order to record interviews with locals and taking pictures. A more specific packing list and instructions for the days will be handed out in the preparatory sessions.

 

Course Criteria & Registration

For registration you have to be identified in TUMonline as a student.

Note: 0u27dxtf4ee.typeform.com/to/xKgJyvh3 (by Dec 4, 23)

Given the highly interactive and trans-disciplinary nature of this course, and the requirements this puts into finding a suitable classroom setting, this course is limited to 40 participants. In order to keep your seat, attendance at the kick-off is mandatory (excused absence, if communicated in advance, may be permitted for legitimate circumstances, such as health, family emergencies, or similar reasons. A conflict in your schedule is not a legitimate circumstance). If you are more than 5 minutes late to the kick-off, we reserve the right to re-allocate your seat to unregistered participants attending the kick-off, by their position on the official course waiting list or by random allocation.

For your own sake, we will not allow students to join the course after session 2. If you know that you will not take part in this course after the kick-off, please get in touch, so that we can invite people from the waiting list.

 

Further Information - Recommended Readings

A separate reading package will be provided.

To be able to complete this course successfully, it will be crucial for you to prepare in advance for the respective session. We do not expect that you perfectly understand everything, however, you will have to sufficiently familiarize yourself with all material to be able to engage (and not just follow) a class discussion building on these documents.
If you do not know how to read academic papers, make sure you do not read them simply from the beginning to the end. Rather, try to find the information to answer the following questions:

• What question does the paper ask? Answer in one sentence max.
• What answer does the paper give? Answer in two sentences max.
• What is the best piece of evidence the paper provides to support the answer? Answer in three sentences max.
• What does the paper mean for you and the project? Answer in four sentences max.

You will quickly learn that you will be able to identify preliminary answers to these questions by skimming the introduction. Afterwards, find the specific places in the paper that may contain the information you are still missing. Often, the concluding section would be the second place to look.

If you are generally interested in the topics and methods we use in the course, the following readings may be helpful:
Garette, B./ Phelps, C./ Sibony, O. Cracked it!: How to solve big problems and sell solutions like top strategy consultants. Palgrave MacMillan, 2018
Martin, L. Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage. Harvard Business Press, 2009
Kurz, B./ Kubek, D.: Social Impact Navigator, Phineo, 2017, verfügbar auf www.social-impact-navigator.org