Spatial Experience Design

Enrollment for this class should be with 3rd term classes. Consists of a portfolio review & successful review by the Dept Chair before the student is allowed to enroll in any 4th term classes.

Course number: SXD-200
Prerequisite: n/a

Enrollment for this class should be with 6th term classes. Consists of a portfolio review & successful review by the Dept Chair before the student is allowed to enroll in any 7th term classes.

Course number: SXD-350
Prerequisite: n/a

Wild bees play a key role in maintaining balance for the world's ecosystems, preserving our planet's biodiversity, and contributing to the world's food production. The 20,000 species of bees on our planet are essential to healthy ecosystems that support life on earth. In this studio we will dive into the many challenges that wild bees currently face and will ask how designers might work with researchers, biologists, advocates and communities to support ethical wild bee conservation efforts through products, systems, services, environments and campaigns.

Course number: TDS-301B
Prerequisite: n/a

This class will focus on the emotive qualities of material - researching and exploring how material and color impacts 3-dimensional space. Color and Material should not be discrete fields within architecture and design, rather an extension of all real experience. We will therefore approach color and material as integral to the design process, letting the fundamental qualities of both influence design, and treating them as critical points of departure for investigating spatial possibilities. This course involves research, student presentations, and design problems focused on exploring materials and graphic spaces at various scales from object to skin to building. Course Objective: To establish a greater understanding of the emotive powers of color & materials.

Course number: SXD-204
Prerequisite: n/a

Course number: SXD-415
Prerequisite: n/a

This studio provides the student with the opportunity to develop a project, which culminates from research and design, initiated during the seventh term prep studio. The class focuses on the process of design development. The nature of materials, structure, cost, environmental factors, applicable code issues guide the development of the projects. This studio explores the topic and process of moving a design project beyond preliminary design. In the design development phase, the work is further designed through more exact design decisions made due to greater focus on detail and a closer exploration of a part or piece of the project at a larger scale. Accompanying this investigation is a greater attention to material, technological and ecological aspects. There will be a focus on the particulars of the selected projects. Range of projects will be Retail design, Hospitality/restaurant design, exhibit design, Residential design, Interior products (furniture/lighting) and Set/production design. This studio will manifest itself through large-scale drawings/construction documents, models/constructs and/or multi-media presentation.

Course number: SXD-465
Prerequisite: n/a

This course introduces students to essential concepts and skills in graphic communication as it is applied in the discipline of Spatial Design. Students will work on exercises and exploratory projects that provide a foundation for making graphic design decisions, focusing on concepts such as composition, hierarchy, color, typography and grids through various mediums. Software such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop will be used as tools for exploration and design in the development of these concepts. Students will also take practical skills and apply them through the lens of research and experimentation in developing a personal and professional working design process.

Course number: SXD-103
Prerequisite: n/a

This course focuses on the use of graphics for students interested in a broad based design career. Students will explore the use, organization and application of content narrative designing. Projects will investigate the process of problem solving, metaphorical concept and visualization of ideas. Students will be exposed to: sequential imaging, storytelling and scalability of ideas, as well as formal issues related to typography, composition, content and research.

Course number: SXD-153
Prerequisite: n/a

This is an introduction to interactive graphics and its role in spatial design. There is always a certain amount of interactivity in every project. These interactions help to elevate the level of emotional impact and effectiveness. When well crafted, the level of involvement, impact and interactive process adds to the investment of the user and creates a sense of ownership over the experience. The strength of story paired with place, materials and message supply a rich basis for Experience Design.

Course number: SXD-203
Prerequisite: n/a

Completely Integrated Message Making How can graphics, environment, and technology interface to deliver unique opportunities in brand awareness? This class looks at ways to involve and evolve these disciplines into projects that move far beyond tranditional approaches to graphic and advertising campaigns, retail, hospitality and exhibit design. Students will explore branding in three different assignments: 1. Pop-Up Retail/Rogue Shows How do you create a temporary environment that appears unannounced quickly draws a crowd to deliver a message that captures a brand attitude and essence and then disappears or morphs into something completely dirrerent? The future of branding must resonate with today's consumer who wants to be challenged, delighted and educated in unexpected ways. 2. Event Design Event design for corporate functions where the branded message is obvious is one way to speak to an audience. But more and more these branded events are becoming non-labels. Quiet forms of messages are strongly focusing on a targeted purpose for the audience. A one day event can take the shape of finding an old train yard that has a history and making it into a one night concert that offers the best music acts in the world. 3. The City Block Develop a city block into one branded environment. From a window to a facade to the sidewalk and the road. All aspects of a city block and what is encountered along the way can be used to deliver an experience that points to a place, a product, or a service. Technologies are emerging that are changing the landscape of architecture in an urban environment. A brand that can take advantage of this opportunity will have the ability to tell their story several thousand times a day. Lectures include past branding efforts in time from super graphics of the 70's to the uber interactive events of today where the audience is the medium and translators of the message. Guest speakers will share case studies of their own projects as well as those that have inspired them.

Course number: SXD-253
Prerequisite: n/a

In collaboration with the Spatial Design 1 class, students will explore basic design and representational techniques and develop their own drawing skills as a medium of creative exploration, for artistic, design and communication objectives. Students will first learn to see with acuity, accuracy, and understanding, then transform seeing into interpretation and intention with learned drawing skills. With these skills, students can then give design and thought immediate form, as well as create the images that effectively communicate.

Course number: SXD-101
Prerequisite: n/a

The second of three consecutive studio courses, this course is an overview of 3D computer-aided visualization concepts through the instruction of two industry leading software tools. The focus of this class is on the applications of AutoCAD and Maya to the design process and visual communication. AutoCAD and Maya will be presented through weekly exercises and a more comprehensive project-based approach. The course is structured around three application goals: Basics, Processes and Presentations -which are not seen as completely separable, and intertwine with each other during the term. The first goal is for the student to become familiar with basic representation methods and tools, while the second introduces the additional concepts required for students to dynamically interact with the computer and apply comprehension of these basic techniques to the design process. The third component of the class reviews the different communicative capacities of representation methods. Students will formulate a presentation of their project through analysis and evaluation of presentation techniques.

Course number: SXD-151
Prerequisite: n/a

This course explores the application of computation as a design methodology. Building off of the skill set acquired in Digital Process 2, this class will further explore the meaning and the how to of working within a 3D application. We can begin to develop a collaborative approach to using the computer as both a partner and as a medium. This offers the designer an ever expanding potential to generate newness through invention and exploration. The class will focus on the depth of the tools ranging from modeling to animation, and from visualization to rendering.

Course number: SXD-201
Prerequisite: n/a

This class emphasizes how materials, color and lighting influence the experiential aspects of an environment. Students will research scientific as well as cultural attitudes on material and color, as well as documenting and generating their own studies and proposals on the subject. Projects will bridge the thresholds of art and design, by suggesting solutions that are at once both sculptural and functional.

Course number: SXD-251
Prerequisite: n/a

Digital Process 5 continues to work with parametric solid modeling concepts but now the focus shifts from form to assembly. Students will learn to test the form and shape of their design and evaluate its performance, be it formability, cost, motion, structural, etc. Emphasis will be placed on how these simulated real world factors can be evaluated and help to update and inform our designs.

Course number: SXD-301
Prerequisite: n/a

Course number: SXD-900
Prerequisite: n/a

Each section will have a unique description

Course number: SXD-364
Prerequisite: n/a

This course offers an introduction to the materials and processes that inform our spatial experience through the investigation of interdisciplinary techniques and methods of making. Through a series of model making explorations, students will analyze appropriate scalar shifts and material constructs within a conceptual model. Once a fundamental understanding of scale and representation has been established, students will integrate material research and fabrication techniques towards creating a tangible model of spatial experience. The course will conclude with an interdisciplinary group exhibition that showcases each student?s understanding of model making explorations, material representation, and fabrication techniques.

Course number: SXD-104
Prerequisite: n/a

The goal is to design a portfolio that represents not only existing work, but to communicate a students desire professional direction.

Course number: SXD-313
Prerequisite: n/a

This class builds off of the direction, approach and matrix created in Portfolio Studio. This course focuses on the personal career direction of each student and establishes an individual identity for students to: define, edit and present their personal voice in both print and digital portfolios form. Students will define types of studios & firms they are interested in working with in the future and adjust the packaging of their projects to reflect Industry standards. Course Objective: This course is meant to define a student's personal voice and career direction.

Course number: SXD-413
Prerequisite: n/a

In this course graduating students will design their Senior Spatial Design Exhibition. This exhibition should represent both our Spatial Design department as well as the personal-voice and career direction of each student. Students are expected to work together as a team to develop a theme and concept direction for our Spatial Design Grad Studio. Students will also work together to fabricate and install the exhibition for graduation Course Objective: This project is the culmination of our Spatial Experience design curriculum. It defines the nature of our graduating class and their career direction.

Course number: SXD-475
Prerequisite: n/a

This course leverages the impact of materials and surfaces on the spatial experience. Previous projects will be brought into class in order to rethink, refine and gain a deeper understanding of material project development. Students will work on sustainable in depth material selections that tie effectively into the storytelling of the project. Aspects like brand relationship, business or use case scenario and local and cultural facets will be addressed in order to create a criteria-driven and sustainable approach towards creating a strong material concept. The effect of selected surfaces and finishes on value proposition, atmosphere and intuitive behavior in space as well as manufacturing processes and finishing techniques will be taken into consideration. Communicating these ideas with compelling material concept representations, refined renderings and material sample displays will be just as important. Course Objective: The goal of this class is to achieve a profound comprehension of thorough material and surface selections, representation techniques and to leave you with elaborate and refined portfolio pieces.

Course number: SXD-354
Prerequisite: n/a

This course is an overview of means and methods commonly employed to realize a design after it has been conceived. This class focuses on the construction, fabrication & manufacturing aspects of spatial projects. Students will be introduced to the process of developing a design with collaborators, consultants, agencies and fabricators. Case-study projects will be analyzed to demonstrate how materiality and connections are deployed on an actual construction. Students will then apply their understanding to the development of their own projects.

Course number: SXD-261
Prerequisite: n/a

General Description: Students will learn to analyze existing products, environments, and processes for sustainability. By moving away from the "how can we be less bad?" mentality to the "how can we be 100% good?" mindset, students will explore the redesign of a variety of objects and environments to be sustainable: to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The class will explore strategies that allow students to take on such issues as up-cycling (recycling scrap products to create new higher value entities), eliminating the concept of waste (waste equals food), and reducing our ecological footprint through the intelligent design of environments and products.

Course number: SXD-312A
Prerequisite: n/a

THE STUDIO BRIEF: This studio will consider issues of sustainability through the exploration and design of: public furnishings, bus shelters, interactive installations and experiences that have us re-thinking our southern california infrastructure As we approach the 2028 olympics here in the city of angels how can we create an infrastructure with adequate shade structures, comfortable seating, arrival time information, greenery and other public amenities that are hospitable to buses, bikers, pedestrians with dignity, creativity, and not be dominated by automobiles? Lectures, panel discussions, field trips and workshops will explore contemporary urban landscape and public garden design, xeriscaping, native plantings, play apparatus, sustainability in public and outdoor spaces. We also consider the reintegration of the public amenities into a streetscape environment, and the various attributes of fun affordable and inclusive public spaces in a city dominated by automobile culture. OPEN TO ALL MAJORS: hosted by Spatial Experience Design

Course number: TDS-373A
Prerequisite: n/a

Each Topic Studio segment has a different course description. See the Department Chairs Office for more information.

Course number: SXD-310
Prerequisite: n/a

Primer class with a focus on learning ways to capture, develop and express ideas on paper. We study a variety of hands skills including; Basic pencil drafting techniques. Diagramming space plans, Rapid Vis quick sketch techniques and assembling scale study models. Students draw objects with a sense of structure. Acquire a basic knowledge of linear perspective and practical ways to apply these skills. This class is a companion to the Studio Class. Assignments are synchronized to help students reach full potential on design exploration and produce quality work on schedule.

Course number: SXD-105
Prerequisite: n/a

This class builds on the knowledge acquired in Visual Communication 1 and continues to emphasize methods to study and present a volume of ideas with authority and style. We continue to practice Rapid Vis technique with pencil, pen, marker and Wacom stylus. We explore professional methods of how to work an idea with the assistance of digital camera for photo reference and 3-D digital modeling programs as a basis for producing sketch under lays. We use Photoshop to apply tone, color and photo entourage. Each student is encouraged to develop a personal voice for expression,

Course number: SXD-155
Prerequisite: n/a

Visual communication 3: Idea Communication with digital drawing, painting & photo composite We continue to blend traditional hand skills with digital media. We will composite hand art over site photos, and import digital textures in hand art. Students will become extremely proficient with rapid-vis color marker, and perspective sketch techniques. They will also sketch and paint on a pen tablet to explore an expressive approach to working with Photoshop, Painter and Sketchbook Pro. We will learn to balance hard edge details with subtle humanity to describe design intent with form and purpose. This class will provide an opportunity to develop a fluid and personal approach to express concepts or a narrative of spatial experience with confidence and a style.

Course number: SXD-205
Prerequisite: n/a