As described in the course syllabus, this year’s topic for Design Research is Possession/s, examining our material possessions and how we think and feel about them. The three sections of the course will look at slightly different subsets of this question – how and why people simplify their material possessions, how people define what is “enough”, and how non-material exchange gains value in a material world.
We will use the analysis and synthesis of the findings from our secondary and human-centered research to stimulate design ideas, mock-ups, and prototypes that will address needs and opportunities in the domain of material possessions, with which we will return to the field for feedback. Our work is informed by concerns of sustainability while honoring the values, connections and economic realities of our diverse subject populations and their communities.