Course Description: In recent years, it has become increasingly common for design practitioners to incorporate anthropological methods into their work, while at the same time anthropologists have started to make design processes and logics a focus of their research. In this class, we will explore the intersections of design and culture, examining how approaches from applied anthropology can be employed in conjunction with human-centered design to confront critical challenges in business, planning, and technology. Through the semester we will explore the cultural politics of design, development, and innovation in a variety of domains, drawing attention to how anthropology can shape how we design objects (product design and user experience), places (environmental and urban design), and systems (app design and humanitarian engineering). Through these areas we will also highlight how we can challenge design orthodoxies with critical, indigenous, and decolonial perspectives.
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