Design & Social Change

DES 302 S1
Fall Semester 2022

Course Information
Class Location: W-321
Class Meeting Time(s): Thurs (03:30 PM-05:10 PM)
Course Prerequisites: noneDES 202
Hardware/Software Prerequisites (if any):
Content Area: This course meets requirements for CND core

Instructor Information

Instructor: Isma Gul Hasan

Office Location: E111
Email: isma.gulhasan@ahss.habib.edu.pk
Office Hours: TBD

Course Description
This course explores the complex problems we are surrounded by, how they affect us on an individual
and collective level, and how designers identify, analyze and engage with these problems to bring
about positive social change. We will examine the design of visuals, products, interactions, services
and systems, while reflecting on our context and society and the many possibilities for creative,
conscientious intervention it holds. Designing for social change, at the same time, requires looking
inward, critically questioning one’s design practice and envisioning a future for it that takes into
account the many realities it is inextricably linked to. The assignments and activities in this course
emphasize a balance between the two, ensuring students bring their learnings back to their own
creative practice.

Course Aims
This course aims to teach students:

1. Innovative and creative ways design has been used (both locally and internationally) to bring
about social change
2. How to approach problem solving and problem exploring through a critical, iterative,
experimental lens
3. How to be active agents of change in their chosen fields
4. Empathy and collaboration as core values of the design

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

By the end of this course students will be able to:

- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the core principles and processes of design for social
change

- Demonstrate contextual awareness of local issues and the steps taken (successful or unsuccessful)
to tackle them

- Creatively and incisively deploy this knowledge to draw relationships between local and international
issues

- Implement critical thinking to reflect on their personal practices and their role as designers/creative
thinkers

- Develop creative alternatives and solutions to existing problems

Mode of Instruction
This is a seminar course and the class will be meeting for one 100 minute session each week.

All course resources (presentations, recorded sessions, reference books, articles and all other support
material) can be accessed through the course site on Canvas.
Engagement, Net-etiquettes & Participation Rules
Students will need to participate in each class via their mics or chat. Turning on cameras is not
compulsory but highly encouraged, especially when participating in class discussions or presenting
your work to the rest of the class.

Students are expected to join all classes on time and participate in all activities conducted in the class.

Required Texts and Materials

Just Design
ISBN: 9781600619717
Authors: Christopher Simmons
Publisher: HOW Books
Publication Date: 2011-12-09

Design Activism
ISBN: 9781136568473
Authors: Alastair Fuad-Luke
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: 2013-06-17

Disobedient Objects
ISBN: 9781851777976
Authors: Catherine Flood, Gavin Grindon
Publisher: Victoria & Albert Museum
Publication Date: 2014-10-07
Design for the Real World
ISBN: 9780500273586
Authors: Victor J. Papanek
Publication Date: 1985-01-01

Design Justice
ISBN: 9780262043458
Authors: Sasha Costanza-Chock
Publisher: MIT Press
Publication Date: 2020-03-03

Design for Social Innovation

ISBN: 9781000464511
Authors: Mariana Amatullo, Bryan Boyer, Jennifer May, Andrew Shea
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: 2021-11-24

Design and Political Dissent

ISBN: 9781351187978
Authors: Jilly Traganou
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: 2020-10-27
 Design Futuring
Authors: Tony Fry
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Academic
Publication Date: 2009-01-01

Assessments
Assignments (60%)

There are 6 assignments altogether and each assignment makes up 10% of the students' overall
grade

Final project (15%)

Class participation (25%)

Class discussions on readings and lecture material as well as activities involving critical thinking and
feedback form a large part of this course.

Grading Scale
Letter Grade GPA Points Percentage
A+ 4.00 [95-100]
A 4.00 [90-95)
A- 3.67 [85-90)
B+ 3.33 [80-85)
B 3.00 [75-80)
B- 2.67 [70-75)
C+ 2.33 [67-70)
C 2.00 [63-67)
C- 1.67 [60-63)
F 0.00 [0, 60]
Note: [a, b) is a range of numbers from a to b where a is included in the range and b is not.

Late Submission Policy

10% grade reduction will be applied for every delay of 24 hours

Week-Wise Schedule (Tentative)

Fall 2022 Weekly Schedule*

Assessments
Week Description Content/concepts Readings Class activities
and Due Date
Intro to the course
- Design for social
Students work in
change: what it is,
groups to identify
what it is not
Week - 1 Local and local examples
Sessions & Add / - The principles of
August 22 international of design for
Drop period DFSC
– 26, 2022 case studies social change
- How does one
measure success?
Class discussion
- The responsibility
of the designer
Assignment 1:
Students reflect
in groups on
Sessions Examples of Design for DFSC
Last day to Drop design and social Social principles/values,
Week - 2
Course(s): change across all Innovation by identify local
August 29
August 31, 2022 four orders of Mariana examples where
–
Last day to Add design form Amatullo, these have been
September
Course(s): different time Bryan Boyer, applied or
2, 2022
September 2, periods Jennifer May, unsuccessfully
2022 Andrew Shea applied, and
present these
findings
individually
 Assessments
Week Description Content/concepts Readings Class activities
and Due Date
Week - 3 Design and
September education: Activity based on
Sessions
5 – 9, Guest lecture by guest lecture
2022 Shehri Pakistan
Week – 4
September How to conduct
Sessions Case studies
12 – 16, research
2022
September Arbaeen/Chehlum
- - - -
17, 2022 Imam Hussain†‡
Week - 5 The processes of
September design for social Assignment 2:
Sessions
19 – 23, change through research and
2022 different examples reflection
Week - 6
September Design and
Sessions Case studies
26 – 30, sustainability
2022
Planet centered Assignment 3:
Week - 7 Sessions & Mid
Design: Presentation
October 3 Term
Guest lecture by based on field
– 7, 2022 Examinations
practitioner research
case study:
Speculation, world
Week - 8 Sessions & Mid Shehr e
building and
October Term Tabassum,
imagining futures
10 – 14 Examinations Afrofuturism,
House of Kal
 Assessments
Week Description Content/concepts Readings Class activities
and Due Date
Students work in
Assignment 4:
groups to identify
students select
environmental,
Towards better issues they want
social, political,
futures to work with and
Week - 9 Diwali: October economic
- How can we Design imagine a future
October 24, 2022 problems in
design better Futuring by for Karachi
24 – 28 Sessions Karachi and
cities, transport, Tony Fry involving an
come up with a
healthcare? alternative or a
series of
solution to the
alternatives
issue

Design and
Design and
dissent: lecture on
political
Week - 10 international and
dissent, case
October local examples of
study: Akeli
31 – Sessions resistance art,
Larkian Group,
November organized protests
Blank Noise,
4, 2022 and projects that
Situationist
challenge the
International
status quo
Assignment 5
Part 1:compare
Sessions and contrast
Week – 11 Last Day to local +
Design and
November Withdraw from Disobedient international
dissent continues Quiz
7 – 11, Course(s): objects visuals
into week 11
2022 November 11, Part 2: identify
2022 disobedient
objects in the
local context
 Assessments
Week Description Content/concepts Readings Class activities
and Due Date
Design justice
by Sasha
Costanza-
Week – 12 Chock,
November Sessions case studies: Discussion in
Design justice
14 – 18, Decolonize groups
2022 Design, Slow
Factory,
Despatriarchise
Design
Design
Assignment 6:
Week - 13 Activism by
Design justice Essay
November Alastair Fuad-
Sessions continues into assignment
21 – 25, Luke, case
week 13 based on field
2022 studies:
research
protests
Students
prepare a
presentation on
Reflection week: their work, their
Week - 14
Students reflect on inspirations and
November
their practice and the kind of
28 – Sessions
what they see designer/creative
December
themselves doing practitioner they
2, 2022
in the future would like to be
in the future,
followed by a
class discussion
Week - 15
December
Sessions Final project
5 – 9,
2022
December
10 – 11, Reading Days Final project
2022
 Assessments
Week Description Content/concepts Readings Class activities
and Due Date
December End Term
12 – 17, Examinations Final project
2022 Days§

Notes:

* The University reserves the right to correct typographical errors or to adjust the Academic Calendar
at any time it deems necessary.

† Subject to the sighting of the moon.

‡ No Class(es).

Attendance Policy
Students are expected to watch all pre-recorded sessions and attend all synchronous sessions.
Students failing to join any live session must inform their instructor within 24 hours along with the
reason. If a student can’t attend any or majority of the live sessions and the nature of the class
requires in-class participation then the student can be dropped from the course.

Final Exam Policy

Not applicable

Academic Integrity
Each student in this course is expected to abide by the Habib University Student Honor Code of
Academic Integrity. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the
student's own work.

Scholastic dishonesty shall be considered a serious violation of these rules and regulations and is
subject to strict disciplinary action as prescribed by Habib University regulations and policies.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on exams, plagiarism on assignments,
and collusion.

a. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of taking the work created by another person or entity and
presenting it as one’s own for the purpose of personal gain or of obtaining academic credit. As
 per University policy, plagiarism includes the submission of or incorporation of the work of
others without acknowledging its provenance or giving due credit according to established
academic practices. This includes the submission of material that has been appropriated,//
bought, received as a gift, downloaded, or obtained by any other means. Students must not,
unless they have been granted permission from all faculty members concerned, submit the
same assignment or project for academic credit for different courses.
b. Cheating: The term cheating shall refer to the use of or obtaining of unauthorized information in
order to obtain personal benefit or academic credit.
c. Collusion: Collusion is the act of providing unauthorized assistance to one or more person or of
not taking the appropriate precautions against doing so.

All violations of academic integrity will also be immediately reported to the Student Conduct Office.

You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered in lecture and
the sections with other students. You can give "consulting" help to or receive "consulting" help from
such students. However, this permissible cooperation should never involve one student having
possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in the form of an e-mail, an e-mail
attachment file, a diskette, or a hard copy.

Should copying occur, the student who copied work from another student and the student who gave
material to be copied will both be in violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

During examinations, you must do your own work. Talking or discussion is not permitted during the
examinations, nor may you compare papers, copy from others, or collaborate in any way. Any
collaborative behavior during the examinations will result in failure of the exam, and may lead to
failure of the course and University disciplinary action.

Penalty for violation of this Code can also be extended to include failure of the course and University
disciplinary action.

Program Learning Outcomes (For Administrative Review)

Upon graduation, students will have the following abilities:

PLO 2: Research - Deploy diverse research and methodological skills and tools to
understand complex social and technological milieux.

PLO 3: INTERDISCIPLINARITY - Display a capacity to think beyond disciplinary epistemes

and work collaboratively and empathetically with other peers

PLO 4: THEORY IN CONTEXT - Deepen their awareness and sensitivity to the complex and
 long-term systemic, ethical and political implications of their work - particularly in their
immediate context - through exposure to theory.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) mapped to Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

CLOs of the course are designed to cater following PLOs:
PLO 2: Research - Deploy diverse research and methodological skills
and tools to understand complex social and technological milieux.
PLO 3: INTERDISCIPLINARITY - Display a capacity to think beyond
disciplinary epistemes and work collaboratively and empathetically with
other peers
PLO 4: THEORY IN CONTEXT - Deepen their awareness and sensitivity to
the complex and long-term systemic, ethical and political implications of
their work - particularly in their immediate context - through exposure to
theory.
Distribution of CLO weightages for each PLO
CLO 1 CLO 2 CLO 3 CLO 4 CLO 5
PLO 2
PLO 3
PLO 4

Mapping of Assessments to CLOs

CLO CLO CLO CLO CLO

Assignments
#01 #02 #03 #04 #05
Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Assignment 4
Assignment 5
Assignment 6
Final Project

Recording Policy
Only asynchronous and synchronous online sessions will be recorded and uploaded on our Video
Management System (Panopto). Link to the folder of recordings will be available to all students. Hyflex
classes might be recorded if faculty deems it appropriate.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In compliance with the Habib University policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss
appropriate academic accommodations that may be required for student with disabilities. Requests for
academic accommodations are to be made during the first two weeks of the semester, except for
unusual circumstances, so arrangements can be made. Students are encouraged to register with the
Office of Academic Performance to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations.

Inclusivity Statement
We understand that our members represent a rich variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Habib
University is committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity. While working
together to build this community we ask all members to:

share their unique experiences, values and beliefs

be open to the views of others
honor the uniqueness of their colleagues
appreciate the opportunity that we have to learn from each other in this community
value each other’s opinions and communicate in a respectful manner
keep confidential discussions that the community has of a personal (or professional) nature
use this opportunity together to discuss ways in which we can create an inclusive environment
in this course and across the Habib community

Office Hours Policy

Every student enrolled in this course must meet individually with the course instructor during course
office hours at least once during the semester. The first meeting should happen within the first five
weeks of the semester but must occur before midterms. Any student who does not meet with the
instructor may face a grade reduction or other penalties at the discretion of the instructor and will have
an academic hold placed by the Registrar’s Office.