Binaebi Akah » Making is Thinking

The following paper was an assignment written in December 2009 for Dr Erik Stolterman's design theory course at Indiana University. For this assignment, we were to write a personal position paper on any topic of design that was covered in the course. This included the designer, designerly thinking, the role between designer and product, designer and user, etc.

Opening Paragraphs

As a mentor for the incoming Human-Computer Interaction Design (HCID) class of 2011, I engage the students in many philosophical discussions. It is the highlight, I feel, of having a mentor relationship with students, because it allows me to reflect upon myself, my actions, my thoughts, and my understanding of the courses here at Indiana University. For instance, in October 2009, I had a conversation with one of my students, where in being completely honest with him, I surprised myself.

The student was asking for advice about electives. He was unsure what he wanted to take, because he wanted to "get the most" out of his experience in the HCID program, but at the same time, was unsure if he needed to expand his artistry background since he was coming from a technical background.

Works Cited

Sennet, R. 2008. The Craftsman. Yale University Press. New Haven, CT.
Smith, M. 2001. Donald Schön: learning, reflection and change. In The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. www.infed.org/thinkers/et-shon.htm
Smith, M. 2005. Elliot Eisner: connoisseurship, criticism, and the art of education. In The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. www.infed.org/thinkers/eisner.htm