Make To:Gather

MAKE

TO:

GATHER

Make ToGather Webinar + Workshop is a design platform initiated to bridge the gap between interaction design education and practice. Join our conversation over up-to-date design trends and the fresh thoughts around making and creating.

Make ToGather: Interaction Design Webinar+Workshop, organized during 2021 IAP, is a three-day webinar + workshop series aiming at bridging the multidisciplinary interaction design professionals and introducing design thinking and creation to the MIT community.

The series consists of three days of online webinars and short workshop sessions after the webinar. In the webinar session, we invited six creative professionals ranging from industrial design, interaction design, architecture, design education, innovation leadership, and entrepreneur to share their stories and experience in the interaction and experience design field. At the end of each session, participants will join in a short hands-on workshop to apply their takeaway from the webinars to real-world cases.

The goal is to help participants better bridging the sharing with real-world design experience.

Make ToGather

THINK

MAKE

Speakers + Workshop

: SPEAKERS + WORKSHOP

DAY 1:

MAKE PATH Jan 6th , 2021, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. (EST)

Interaction Design

for a post-COVID-19 world

“It seems to me that most designers were doing it wrong for decades, without even knowing. Now that we know, what do we do?”

There are new forms of interaction between people and services that are emerging as a result of COVID-19’s restrictions like social distancing, contactless stores, or eCommerce. Assuming these restrictions will last for a few years, It’s important for Interaction Designers to re-think an approach to create products and services that truly matter to people. This class doesn’t bring answers, but merely provocations and questions on how Democratic Design may be a way to create a new language of interaction design that creates togetherness mitigates digital fatigue, counteracts anxiety, and rebuilds trust.

EQ Design Self

"We are living in a world that is full of distractions, influences, and fear. As creatives, we don’t often take the time to REFLECT on why we THINK the way we do. Yet, we live in a cyclical construct that yields the same results, even when we try to apply new processes. Why is this? Imagine, if you are trying to solve a problem, and the only way you can look at it and define that problem is through the optics/mindset of what you knew to be true. However, one day your eyes opened up to a NEW truth, one that when looking at that same problem you could see things never discovered before.

I have spent many years trying to tackle this issue of ‘being’ as contrasted with “how I wound up being”. As a result, it has lead me to explore many NON-DESIGN-related paths to develop a knowledge base that is helping me to redefine myself first and hopefully the world consequentially after. Join me as I explore how the Emotional Quotient connects to design and research as a process for designers/creatives to consider that will lead to real-time results.

“Imagine, if you are trying to solve a problem and the only way you can look at it and define that problem is through the optics/mindset of what you knew to be true. However, one day your eyes opened up to a NEW truth, one that when looking at that same problem you could see things never discovered before.”

Day 1 Webinar + Workshop is hosted and facilitated

by Sheng-Hung Lee and Ziyuan Zhu.

DAY 2:

MAKE SPACE Jan 13th , 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. (EST)

Indexed Interaction

In the emerging XR innovations where we pass more time for the growing amount of purposes – TikTok prepares live interactions features for artists, Facebook “gives away” the Oculus Quest 2 and creates Venues, Apple patents new AR glasses, Balenciaga creates a virtual store accessible from the web in the format of video games and more. User interaction and experience remain to be a critical medium to power new research and achievements. How to start thinking about human interaction in digital spaces that not only serve a purpose but also induce scalability and integration?

In this talk, a number of VR/AR projects will be showcased, stressing accessibility and highlighting what could be the best practices in this ever-evolving panorama. Furthermore, we will look through the lens of the data cloud revolution as a primary source of understanding of how networked platforms where human interaction is included, work.

“Develop a language that speaks to the future.”

Inspiring Japan

As design professionals, we know we must always balance money and heart -- the things that our users/clients/customers need and want with the things that we personally need and want. But how often do we find ourselves tipping the scale, making sure others get what they need but personally feeling uninspired, dispassionate, and/or lacking the spark that kindles our creativity?

Having lived in Japan for almost 10 years, I am constantly finding myself immersed in creative inspiration. But like with all things in Japan, the most interesting finds are usually hidden beneath the surface. In my talk, I will share some of these finds and the Japanese cultural philosophies that may have inspired them.

“How can our deeper understanding of Japanese philosophy and culture inspire us in new ways and bring greater poetry to our work?”

Day 2 Webinar + Workshop is hosted and facilitated

by Azury Lin and Nani Kim.

MAKE CONNECTIONS Jan 20th , 10:00 - 12:00 a.m. (EST)

DAY 3:

“How might we orient, focus and innovate with limited time and resources to tackle some of our society’s messiest problems?”

Unlocking Design & Systems Mindsets for Social Systems Challenges

Nonprofit leaders, government employees, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs worldwide are tackling some of society’s most challenge problems – rampant homelessness, overwhelming climate change, sexual violence, and rising inequality, to name a few. Constrained by limited resources, they are often asked to understand the complex systems in which they work; strategize, in order to maximize their resources for greatest impact; and innovate, in order to come up with novel solutions to unrelenting challenges.

Nadia and Thomas have taught and coached hundreds of social sector leaders through the Stanford d.school's Designing for Social Systems (DSS) program. They will share a framework they have developed that integrates systems thinking, strategic planning and human centered design to help practitioners see the bigger picture and the myriad of connections, stay grounded in the lives and behaviors of real people, and identify the points of greatest leverage for impact. They will also share a case study that highlights the power of integrating these frameworks to improve people's day-to-day lives, while also making policy changes that have systems level impacts.

Changing the Face of Design

Designers solve problems. All kinds of problems…and in all different sizes. Every day designers use their abilities to solve problems for big corporations and small organizations. But did you know those same abilities can solve problems in the design profession? Are you ready to make an impact, but not sure where or how to get started?

Jacinda Walker is founder and creative director of designExplorr, a social impact organization whose mission addresses the diversity gap within the design profession. Jacinda will unpack the root of the problem, explain the Design Journey Map framework, and present ways for designers to impact their profession.

“Our #1designgoal is to empower today’s youth with real-world skills, connections, and opportunities so tomorrow’s design profession has all the best people leading the way.”

Day 3 Webinar + Workshop is hosted and facilitated

by John Liu and Jonathan Marcus.

ABOUT THIS VENUE:

FULL ADDRESS:

About Planet D

PLANET D

Human-Centered Systems Design

Planet D is a new MIT club that intends to bring together MIT students who are interested in the emerging field of Human-Centered Systems Design (HSD). Initiated by six graduate students from interdisciplinary programs, we wish to create a space for open discussion, collaboration, and professional development specific to HSD, which is not currently served anywhere on campus.

HSD is a set of frameworks and methodologies that aims to solve societal challenges on a systemic scale. The discipline combines theories and ideas from the fields of System Engineering, System Thinking, System Dynamics, Design Thinking, and Sustainability.

Planet D Advisor