Back to school days, course are being prepared

It's back to school days here, pencils are being sharpened, wireless notebooks being bought... and new courses are being prepared. This year will have a decent share of teaching in various institutions. I am currently preparing some fresh material for the following courses

  • HEAD-Geneva for masters students:
    • "Introduction to interaction design": a year-long 2-hours a week course about the main notion of interaction design (affordance, mental models, design process, direct interaction, usability, interaction styles), the history of the field and the main subdomains (web, mobile, locative media, 3D virtual worlds, networked objects, etc.). It's going to be a mix of lectures, discussions and practical exercises.
    • "Usage-Oriented Design": a semester-based course about how to apply field investigation in design. The emphasis will be made on data collecting techniques and how to turn the results into sound design. This one will be a mix of short lectures and studio-based activities.
  • ENSCI, for undergraduate students:
    • "Introduction to design research: from usage to design" with Raphael Grignani (Method, SF): a week-long workshop about how to apply field investigation in design, in November.
    • "Usage-Oriented Design: from usage to prototyping" with Yves Rinato (Intactile design) in March 2012, which will also be a week-long workshop about the articulation between field investigation and design prototpying.
  • Ecole Gobelins Annecy, for masters students:
    • Bottom-up innovation and foresight: a three-days workshop about diffusion of innovation theories and foresight methodologies. This course is based on both lectures and workshop-based activities.
  • EPFL, Lausanne, for masters students (yes I'm back teaching at my Alma Mater):
    • "A creative toolbox for innovation" with Daniel Sciboz. The year-long weekly 3 hours course will be an overview of design processes, approaches and tactics. From prototyping to sketching, design ethnography and storyboarding. This course is based on both lectures, studio-based activities and a personal project by the students.

And of course there will be more punctual interventions in other places about similar topics.