DIY and EP in the Classroom.

DIY + EP in the Classroom: A Novel Approach to Understanding Design

Kevin Shankwiler, IDSA | Georgia Institute of Technology
Gabe Landes, IDSA | Georgia Institute of Technology

Background

“…Design taken as a function of the activity of professional designers and
being part of an established cycle of the design, production and consumption of
goods; and "Do It Yourself" taken as its antithesis—a more democratic design
process of self-driven, self-directed amateur design and production activity
carried out more closely to the end user of the goods created” (Atkinson, 2006).
“Do-it-Yourself” is an emerging trend in the design and delivery of manufactured goods. The
term DIY is a broad moniker, encompassing structured operations like mass customization as
well as experimental, individual craft solutions. As understanding of and applications for DIY in
industrial design practice grow, so do opportunities for employing DIY approaches in academia.
This paper presents an application of craft-based DIY investigation in a graduate-level academic
studio: ephemeral products (EP).

File attachments: 

DIYEP.pdf