K E Y   R E S O U R C E S :

p r o t o t y p i n g  (link)
• what are we designing?
• examples
• prototype help
• materials and where to buy
• arduino code & coding
• working with the shop (D2FS)

p o s t e r s  &   v i d e o s  (link)
• guide: videos, posters, reports

c o u r s e   p o l i c i e s  (link)
• my course policies
• consent form for this course
• DEA/HCD statement

c o u r s e   c u l t u r e  (link)
• design culture
• class organization
• societies, jobs, opportunities

I R B   C O N S E N T - - - - - - - - - -
In this course, enrolled students conduct user studies using their peers as participants following the human-centered design methods considered in this course. Students conducting these studies may take written notes, photographs, and/or video as a means of documentation. This documentation will appear in student work and may appear in papers, videos, and conferences for academic audiences. Student will not be identified by name, and no aspect of these studies should cause discomfort or risk to participants. Should any student in the class choose not to participate in any aspect of the study, or have questions about her/his participation, please make this known to the instructor. Non-participation will not impact your grade for this course in any way.

H C D    S T A T E M E N T - - - - - -
HCD is dedicated to fostering a respectful and accepting learning community in which individuals from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can embrace and respect diversity. Everyone in this community is empowered to participate in meaningful learning and discussion, regardless of an individual’s self-identified gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or political ideology. We encourage students to share their uniqueness; be open to the views of others; honor and learn from their colleagues; communicate in a respectful manner; and create an inclusive environment.

C o u r s e   P o l i c i e s

No exceptions but for the gravest circumstances, documented.

P1. Come to class. You might discover something.
Unlike a large lecture course, this course is about:

  • case study videos
  • discussions of previous student examples
  • critiques by the professor, TA, and student-peers of developing student work
  • answers to student questions
  • guest visits

When you miss a class, you miss these rich classroom experiences and fail to share your work and your voice to benefit yourself and your peers. Come to class, undistracted: you might be surprised to discover something important here. In design, we work together. Leave your mobile phone in your bag and be with us; you'll be more engaged and do better in this course. The evidence for this is clear.

(If you need help with academic advising or mental health, please make use of the resources available on campus as described in this guide to Cornell Mental Health Resources.)

P2. Follow instructions for the assignments.
Follow instructions carefully for all assignments; failure to do so will lower your grade.

P3. Get the file format right.
Submit work in the format stated on the course page. Digital files and URLs (e.g., links to videos) must be accessible without us requesting access-privileges. Google Docs are never acceptable. 3 points (of the 100 points total for the semester grade) will be deducted from each assignment that does not comply.

P4. Extensions will be granted, but only for grave circumstances.
If you need an extension for any assignment, email both the instructor and the TA (if there is one) ahead of the due date and make a case for your extension, attaching evidence when available. Extensions may be granted for illness, injury, or family emergency requiring your travel. No extension will be granted because work is due for other classes, or because you are traveling for a non-emergency. Don’t even ask.

P5. If you want a high grade, match or better the quality of best previous work.
The course page for this course offers student examples of “best work” from previous semesters. Your work will be evaluated relative to these “best work” examples when available. If you disagree with a grade for any work in this course, make a case for reconsideration in an email both to the instructor and the TA (if there is one). Why does your work merit a better grade? Do not ask for reconsideration during, before, or after a class session; your request must be submitted in writing by email. And if you ask for reconsideration of a grade for an assignment, you grant the instructor and the TA permission to reconsider your grade for any part of that assignment, which may result in a better grade, no change of grade, or lowering of the grade. 

P6. The Intangible Dimension of Design

           I can teach you how to write, but I can’t teach you how to be interesting.

        — Nikki Giovanni, poet, educator, activist, quoted in Laurel Graeber,
           “The Greatness of Jazz Arranged for Children,” NYT, May 10, 2025.

                      Art is not a profession which can be mastered by study.

        — Walter Gropius, Manifesto and Program of the Staatliches Bauhaus, 1919.

These two quotes are saying essentially the same thing: we can teach you design, but we cannot make you a designer. So while this course offers clear frameworks, tools, and expectations for successful design and technical development, it also acknowledges that some aspects of creative work remain difficult to reduce to checklists or procedures. Originality, clarity, emotional resonance, and conceptual depth are examples of qualities that often distinguish exceptional work—even when two projects meet the same technical criteria.

In evaluating your work, we consider not only how well it satisfies the assignment requirements, but also whether it reflects an engaged, thoughtful approach to the problems posed. This is not about being flashy or clever for its own sake—it’s about recognizing that design lives partly in the realm of judgment, not just metrics. The goal is not perfection, but insight. Live your life, experiment, and live design—it will make you a (better) designer.

P7. "I worked really hard. Why didn't I get an 'A'?"
After grades are posted, I too often get emails from students asking me why they didn't get an "A" for working hard. Design is hard work. Learning how to do it is very hard work. Learning how to do it with little prior design experience and knoweldge is very, very hard work. We call design activity a "design practice": we keep practicing--we are always learning design and we are never done designing. This hard work is in the service of striving to make a better world. If you are working hard, you are practicing design. Keep working, make a difference!