Fourteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

In Spring 2019, a group of Interaction and Design students at Farmingdale State College researched and designed ways in which commuters could have a more positive college experience at this commuter school. By observations and in-depth interviews, the students found that commuters studied, ate, and napped in their cars, and the library was often over-crowded. Additionally, commuters had problems finding their friends or making new friends on campus. Therefore, they picked an under-used building space to design a space where commuters could study, socialize, and have a snack. Their design armed to solve the needs of a space (1) to study alone with power outlets for their devices, (2) to work for their group projects, (3) to socialize with their friends, and (4) to get a quick bite. This project was conducted by a “Flipped Class” concept. Class key contents were posted on the Blackboard before the classes. Students made a group decision on where to find a human problem and design solutions for it. The instructor was a co-researcher and co-designer. They used games as prototype tools to design the physical space into an “alone”, a “coordinating” and a “socializing” space. They also designed mobile apps to “find friends”, “order foods”, and “reserve spaces or equipment”. The results of the “Flipped Class” strategy seem to work in some ways. Student designers learned “design thinking” steps by steps. They also shared knowledge of their own on how to prototype more effective and persuasive ways with other student designers.