CITY LIGHTS
Illumination for the public space

Public lighting, which was originally intended to protect against assaults and to provide orientation, became increasingly geared towards motorised traffic with the advance of automobility in the 20th century. In the meantime, however, the "car-friendly city" has become a serious burden for the people and animals living in it, so that a rethinking is now underway. High (fossil) energy consumption through traffic and lighting, harmful effects on the biorhythm of city dwellers, light pollution, insect mortality, dangerously heated inner cities, etc. are leading to considerations of banning the private car from inner cities and using the freed-up space in other ways. In the course of such considerations, entirely new scope for inner-city lighting arises and the possibility of aligning it again with the needs of the inhabitants, with atmospheric and aesthetic considerations coming to the fore.

The South Tyrolean company EWO, which is involved in Vienna's city lighting, will accompany us in this task in the coming semester.

We start with a night walk together with Hannes Wohlgemuth (Managing Director of Ewo) and Iris Podgorschek (Managing Director of podpod design) on 2.3.23 at 20:00 to look at some good as well as bad examples of urban lighting. A full-day workshop together with Hannes and Stefan will follow on 3.3.23 from 9:30-14:00, where we will, among other things, take a look at the MAK garden and take a walk around the Angewandte.

Course and goal of the semester project CITY LIGHTS:
Based on a self-selected example, describe where new scope for the inner-city use of public spaces is emerging. Describe to what extent new or known needs of city dwellers are being met and what behaviour or habits are being established. Explain the role of lighting & atmosphere and suggest how this mood can be set in the example you have chosen.

The CITY LIGHTS project is basically limited to the city of Vienna. For those of you who are interested in a longer-term, professional technical implementation of your project, it might be a good idea to choose a location in the MAK garden for your experiments. We know from Lilli Hollein, the director of the MAK, that she is particularly interested in forward-looking ideas on the subject of urban lighting and can very well imagine implementing such projects as a permanent installation in her courtyard/garden. EWO is, of course, an obvious choice as a manufacturer for the implementation. So: MAK is not a must, but the garden and the immediate surroundings, especially Ufer Promenade and Wien Fluss offer many possibilities.

We wish you an inspiring start and hope that curiosity and the joy of experimentation will carry you through the project. don't forget: the journey is more important than the destination and never forget: enjoy the process!!! 

We are planning an excursion to Ewo in Bolzano on April 21st.

Stefan Diez & Christian Steiner, together with Ewo (https://www.ewo.com/)

The grades in the subjects Design Draft 1.0 and 2.0 are made up of subaspects that are merged into an overall grade after the final presentation and submission of the image and text materials. All materials must be handed in within 3 weeks after the finals. The evaluation is completed 4 weeks after the finals.

DESIGN ENTWURF 2.0 EXAMINATION MODALITIES

 

“DESIGN ENTWURF 2.0" is organised in 4 groups: Katrin Sailer & Jakob Illera, Christian Steiner & Stefan Diez, Elisabeth Wildling & Peter Mahlknecht (represented by Louis Betin), Marcus Bruckmann & Sofia Podreka each form a team of teachers. Supervision takes place weekly together with the students of "DESIGN ENTWURF 1.0".
 

While the final grade in the course "DE 1.0" is given by the teachers of the 4 groups, the evaluation of "DE 2.0" is done by Prof. Stefan Diez in agreement with the supervisors. Therefore, starting this semester, there will be a separate debriefing with Stefan after each of the concept and midterm presentations. The main purpose of the debriefing is to discuss the feedback you received from the teachers and experts during the presentation.

The process and documentation of your semester project is linked to particular expectations, which are explained below and should serve as a general guideline:

 

CONCEPT PRESENTATION  

The concept presentation is about narrowing down the overall semester topic and determining what you want to focus on this semester. This decision is preceded by thorough research on the topic, which should also be largely completed with the concept presentation. The concept presentation leads into a short explanation of your project briefing. This can be, for example, a problem or a question to which you want to find an answer in the course of the semester. Take this opportunity to describe how you want to approach the answer and explain what experiments and trials will be undertaken.  Think about what you want to use the remaining time in the semester for, clarify your priorities and transfer your plans into a roadmap. 

For the concept presentation, it can be methodologically helpful to orientate yourself on the 5 questions of Vico Magistretti*: WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? As the project progresses, these answers will be continually developed. 

It is often useful to include sketches, diagrams, images and mockups in your presentation in order to illustrate your concept and make it more appealing and understandable. In particular, consider the possibilities of CGI to demonstrate the potential or even the utopian potential of your ideas without spending too much time and money.

 

The concept presentation is usually the most difficult presentation, as the outline of your project is already crystallised here and the scope for the coming weeks and months is defined. Your colleagues' presentations are an important part of your training, which is why your active participation in all presentations is obligatory.MIDTERM PRESENTATION

The midterm presentation is about presenting the results of your experiments, illustrating the different possible solutions or answers that have evolved over the last weeks and finally to document the progress of your project. The main objective is to get feedback from other students, teachers and experts. In this way, you can identify potential problems or weaknesses in your concept early on and share ideas on how to fix them at a time when such considerations can still be incorporated into your final project. .... 

The interim presentation is also a good opportunity to communicate your curiosity and eagerness to experiment to the audience and to make your passion and commitment to your work come across.

For the midterm presentation, it can be very helpful to include a working model in your presentation that illustrates your experimental approach and answers important questions about your work. In particular, consider the possibilities of CGI to demonstrate the potential or even the utopian potential of your ideas.

 

 Your colleagues' presentations are an important part of your training, which is why your active participation in all presentations is obligatory.

 

 

FINAL PRESENTATION

The final presentation should explain the background of the project, the challenges that had to be overcome and the objectives of your proposal. Your presentation should show the results of your experiments and trials and explain what choices you made, why they were made and how they contributed to your project, product or answer.

Your presentation should address how your result relates to the most pressing and important social, cultural, political and environmental challenges of our time and how your proposal will positively change them. It may be worthwhile to have a look at the CIRCULAR DESIGN GUIDELINES**, which contain the essential criteria for future-oriented design.

 

The presentation should also include an evaluation of your decisions and how well the set goals were achieved.  Your presentation can also include future plans for the further development of your project and show that you are thinking long-term.

 

The different aspects of your semester project should be presented using a model or prototype, although the choice of model will of course largely depend on your solution. The presentation should be aesthetically pleasing, interesting and possibly humorous. The use of e.g. videos, sketches, mock-ups, demonstrations with the help of your colleagues can help to convey your message in a more understandable and memorable way.

 

 Your colleagues' presentations are an important part of your training, which is why your active participation in all presentations is obligatory.PROJECT DOCUMENTATION

Your workbook allows to draw important conclusions about your way of working and plays a certain role for the evaluation of your presentation as well as for the debriefing.

The current status of your workbook must therefore be uploaded to the appropriate BASE folder immediately after the presentation.

 

After the final presentation, the following must be delivered no later than 3 weeks:

-A photo/video documentation of your project (eventually taken in a photo studio and done with a photographer).

-A brief project description answering the questions "Who? Where?, What? How?, Why?

-Workbook

 

 

WORKBOOK

The workbook is basically the logbook of your project, you could also call it a project diary. It is constantly updated and allows you to keep track of the progress and decisions made during the semester.  In the workbook, you document your research (with references!), the questions that arise, your experiments (pictures/videos), the conclusions, comments from your peers and teachers, expert opinions, etc. 

The workbook is an important tool for group discussions or debriefing after presentations. 

Your workbook becomes part of our ID1 archive and documents there the progress of our scientific work as well as the teaching and research aspirations of our department. It serves as a source for possible publications such as our website or publications on a research topic.

 

The final grades

Your final grade results from a combination of subaspects and is calculated according to the following key:

 

CONCEPT: 15%

MIDTERMS: 20%

FINALS: 25%

WORKBOOK: 20%

Project documentation (photo, film, text): 20 %

(All materials must be handed in within 3 weeks after the finals. The evaluation is completed 4-5 weeks after the finals.)*Vico Magistretti, Italian Designer 

October 6, 1920 – September 19, 2006

 

*The "5 questions" by Vico Magistretti refer to a method developed by the Italian designer Vico Magistretti to conduct a comprehensive design analysis. This method consists of five questions that are intended to cover the most important aspects of a project:

Who: Who is the target audience for the design? Who will use it?

What: What is the design goal? What is to be achieved?

Where: Where will the design be used? In what environment?

When: When will the design be used? At what time?

Why: Why was the design created? What is its significance?

By answering these questions, a designer should gain a comprehensive understanding of the design project and ensure that all important aspects are considered. This method can also help identify and solve problems in the design process.**THE ROLE OF DESIGN IN THE CONTEXT OF ECONOMY

 

The apparently irresolvable contradictions between the ecological and economic needs of humanity are the challenging field in which Designers work. Industrial production holds opportunities and risks at the same time. On the one hand, industrial multiplication contributes to social equality by making innovative products affordable to a broader segment of the population and providing access to technological progress and prosperity. On the other hand, mass consumption of irresponsibly manufactured products leads to problems with which the younger generation in particular is confronted: waste of resources, global warming, species extinction, land consumption and environmental pollution. We understand design to be political because we want to describe realistic alternatives to the existing society and make them tangible.

 

Today’s production and consumption habits mostly follow a linear logic: extraction, production, consumption, and disposal. Goods thereby lose a large part of their raw material value after just one cycle of use. At least since the Club of Rome’s publication of The Limits of Growth in 1972, there has been a global debate on the extent to which a growing world population, increasing prosperity and associated consumption behaviour are compatible with the Earth’s limited resources. While efficiency approaches represent an important first step in reducing resource consumption and negative environmental impacts, their potential is mostly offset by increasing consumption and rebound effects. The concept of a Circular Economy (CE) goes beyond resource efficiency, minimising negative environmental impacts by closing and slowing down material cycles. CE thus decouples economic growth from the increase of environmental impacts: in the biosphere, consumer products made from renewable raw materials circulate and are ultimately composted. In the technosphere, consumer products of synthetic or mineral origin circulate in a closed cycle. Prominent international proponents of CE include the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and, at least since the Circular Economy Package, also the European Union.

Circular Economy approaches can be applied in the various stages of a product’s life cycle: material selection and design should allow for durability, reprocessing and reparability or biodegradability. The use phase should be intensified and extended. This could be done, for example, by using technical products more efficiently or replacing them completely with digital services. At the end of a product’s life cycle, the various recyclable materials should be separated as far as possible through sorting and dismantling and processed for reuse.

The Circular Economy is a wholly new economic system that will affect all those involved in economic activity, requiring fundamentally changed patterns of thinking and behaviour.

Designers are in contact with virtually everyone involved in product development, functioning as a kind of network node. Through dialogue with publishers, project managers, producers, retailers, and marketing managers, they influence all aspects of the manufacturing process: conception, choice of materials, place and manner of production. Beyond the control through certificates and standards, this first-hand knowledge makes them crucial actors in the advancement of the Circular Economy.

 

Link to the Circular Design Guidelines

Kick off for the semester project is 2 March 2023. All further dates will be published in the ID1 calendar.

Communication during the semester project will take place via SLACK and WORKBOOK. All details can be found in our STUDIO MANUAL.