This course invites its participants to answer the question, "What is good civic design?" This 6 week course introduces an approach to civic design rooted in principles of systems thinking and informed by non-linear, interventionist understandings of change. Close reading of a series of case studies is supported by the introduction of tools for learning to recognize the moves and rationales of these interventionists. Through a combination of direct instruction and guided solo exploration, the course encourages each participant to choose how to approach deepening their own understanding while also working towards collective understanding and a rigorous shared language.
Civic Design I is the first in a series of three courses, and cultivates the ability to recognize how a systems-informed design process is practiced. It is followed by two additional courses that walk that design process out into practice. Civic Design II allows participants to join existing Design Studio inquiries in an apprentice, co-research role, and Civic Design III is an individualized program in support of a participant's ongoing practice.
Basic Beliefs, Guiding Values, Norms, Teaching philosophy
The course recognizes that the design of vibrant and just futures must center BIPOC communities, artists and activists. We believe that collectively we can move towards world building, and that in so doing we will create the vibrant and racially just futures that we imagine.
We believe in rearranging our world to create radically new outcomes. We practice rearranging our world to create radically new outcomes. Our experience is that radical, new arrangements tend not to arise from within a traditional framework of schooling. We will not be taking attendance or grading or assigning. The course is an invitation into collective study, into curiosity... We are interested in people who are interested in being interested. Everything is an invitation and assumes desire to participate.
We are not “teaching to the test”. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the work we are doing, nor is there a tidy timeline for change.
We value gaps in understanding and will carefully include them in the course.
We hold this space as practitioners of civic design work. This course is an extension of our work. We are not interested in hierarchies. We do recognize different depths of practice, experience, and areas of knowledge.
At the heart of the course are instances of interventions, our own and others. These instances serve as objects of study and are presented as evidence to be read closely. Interpretation is slowed down to emphasize the importance and generative potential of close observation/description as a site of collective study.
Reading is always a choice but not necessarily. Reading is never required and reading is fundamental. Where possible, we will offer alternatives to reading (such as listening to a recorded lecture) or shorter excerpts.
We recognize that you are making the choice to fold this shared study into full lives and have built in flexible options for engagement wherever possible.
We are available to you. If you knock, we will answer.
This course is 6 weeks: 05/09, 05/16, 05/23, 05/30, 06/06, 06/13 at the Design Gym.