Design for Social Impact

Building Resilient Communities explores the essential foundations of resilient communities. It provides an in-depth perspective on the construction, maintenance, and animation of communities, including theoretical foundations, case studies, practical advice, readings, and discussions.

At the core of the program is a profound reflection on resilience, addressing themes such as mental health at both the collective and individual levels. What strategies are necessary to care for mental health in the community context?

The program goes beyond theory by encouraging students to put these concepts into practice. It fosters the creation of meaningful connections among different MDES cohorts, thus offering an immersive experience where the principles that are taught are applied to real-life situations.

This course will combine theory of the fundamentals of Design Thinking with practical hands-on applications. Over the course of the semester, the group will work in teams of 3 to 4 to solve a collective challenge using the Design Thinking ‘Sprint’ methodology. From this experience students will co-create a tangible deliverable (prototype) that addresses the proposed challenge.

Being able to act in the face of numerous, interconnected, changing, and complex challenges requires a whole range of new and crucial skills. This course is designed to explore the new skills that will be required for the world of tomorrow and to develop them in students through theory, theater, debate, meetings, and more.

Among these skills are the ability to formulate and unfold a vision, responsible project management, public speaking, non-violent communication, the ability to provide feedback, critical thinking, and many others!

The course provides introductory-to-advanced-level research and methodology instruction, covering topics from art and design theory to the use of technology. This course focuses in depth on various research methods currently used to inform the design process. It builds on knowledge and skills acquired in the first semester to introduce students to specific research methods for designers and artists. The course will cover research in physical human factors; human cognitive factors; cultural human factors; and ethnographic fieldwork. Students will learn how to apply these methods to the design process through hands-on projects requiring a multidisciplinary approach.

In this section, students will be introduced to the basic tenets of research in order to support their reasoning with respect to the design process. Foremost, they will learn to formulate a design research problematic; engage in data gathering and analysis; differentiate between primary and secondary research sources; carry out quantitative and qualitative research.

The consequences of design on human behavior, on the fabric of society and on the planet as a whole make it fundamental for designers to consider the ethical implications of their activity. This course will examine how designers can analyse their practice and the greater framework within which they operate in order to encourage ethically conscious choices.

To address the challenge that you are focusing on during this year, there are many ways to act: entrepreneurship for the common good, joining existing organizations while creating yourself a meaningful career, or channeling your energy into volunteer actions on the ground. To take action, you can choose one or several means.

The goal of the coaching sessions will unfold across two main dimensions:

1. Help you choose your battle(s) and associated means of action: Do you have the spirit of an entrepreneur? What roles could you occupy in which type of organization to fulfill the life mission you want to pursue? etc.
2. Assist you in developing the right network, gaining relevant experiences, and acquiring the necessary tools to confidently transition to this mean of action right after completing your Master’s in Design for Social Impact.

The first semester of Design Studio was devoted to acquiring digital tools, the second semester is dedicated to analog tools and skills required to take a design to market. The course is divided into 3 parts:
(1) SPROUT – a design-driven innovation methodology
(2) Business tools: business models, business plans, pitching & marketing
(3) Design Fiction: A design thinking methodology to imagine and address future issues. These sessions are offered during Workshop Week as an intensive 4-day program

In a globalized world of information, goods and people, cities seek tools for governance in economies characterized both by deregulation and new rules. In this context, the consequences on social fragmentation, climate change, and economic uncertainties of our urbanized world create and renew governance through new behaviors: agility, responsiveness, resilience, collaboration, civic representation. Political mobilizations, collective interests, and social concerns question this need for a revisited way of deciding and choosing what needs to be done in cities. This course covers theories and practices both in emerging countries and post industrialized economies in this new urban context : E-governance, participatory and social innovations, mobilization in decision making, urban empowerment, city co-production, development or design.

As part of your final individual project, based on your personal aspirations for the future, organize an event bringing together about a hundred people. This event will serve as an opportunity to move in the right direction for your personal and professional future as a transition actor. Here are a few examples of possible objectives:

• If you’re considering entrepreneurship, host an event to present your prototype to beta-testers or potential funders, laying the foundations for your community.
• If you wish to engage in voluntary action, gather your friends and others to collectively address your cause with a partner organization, aiming to inspire new advocates for action around you.
• If you’re aiming for a career in impact, present your thesis to a broader audience, particularly if it aligns with the same topic, enhancing your credibility for potential recruitment processes.

Students will document the research they conduct on the theme of their final project, as well as the research they have done on the cost and means of production of their project. One of the criteria for evaluating the thesis is the extent to which the student’s work is situated in an art-historic and cultural context, requiring students to conduct research using written documentation, artefacts, and the learning resources available to them in Paris (see section devoted to libraries and other learning resources).

You may select an elective from the many course offerings in your department or in other departments with the approval of your department chair.

• French
• Drawing Technology and Perception
• Advanced Printmaking*
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Concept Development Storytelling
• Photography as Installation*
• Photography in the Expanded Field*
• History of New Media*
• Designer’s Ethical and Social Responsibility
• Educational Principles
• Alternative Processes Image-Making*
• Digital Fabrication Design
• The Art of Code I & II
• 4D Studio I & II*
• The Fashion Editorial
• Design Thinking
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Project Management*

* Undergraduate level courses

To address the challenge that you are focusing on during this year, there are many ways to act: entrepreneurship for the common good, joining existing organizations while creating yourself a meaningful career, or channeling your energy into volunteer actions on the ground. To take action, you can choose one or several means.

The goal of the coaching sessions will unfold across two main dimensions:

1. Help you choose your battle(s) and associated means of action: Do you have the spirit of an entrepreneur? What roles could you occupy in which type of organization to fulfill the life mission you want to pursue? etc.
2. Assist you in developing the right network, gaining relevant experiences, and acquiring the necessary tools to confidently transition to this mean of action right after completing your Master’s in Design for Social Impact.