The studio has been a part of the practice of design from the disciplines origins in printshops and woodshops. But as design has achieved more and more political importance within technology organizations, and as the tools of design have become increasingly cheaper and portable, the environment and impact the studio has diminished. Without placing undue judgement on that trend, this talk is about recapturing elements of studio culture, especially the externalization of work and critique, and how the MHCI+D studio builds and rebuilds that culture every year.
Michael Smith is a Senior Lecturer of Interaction Design at the University of Washington’s School of Art + Art History + Design and the Director of the interdisciplinary master’s program in Human-Computer Interaction + Design (MHCI+D). His design practice is about using speculative and critical design to influence the future of human organizations. Before joining UW in 2016, he worked for frog Design as a Principal Designer, focusing on complex interactive systems and metadesign practices.