This essay is part of my project last year in my interaction design education. As I am supposed to relate theoretical perspectives with empirical experiences, I included my reflective journal in files (reflective journal.docx) that include various things we did in the group project. It can help with writing the essay, especially when including my practical experiences in it. Down below are the instructions. I think the topic I want to go within the topic suggestions is topic 3. (How prototyping can go wrong (and why/when), I thought about this argument for this topic: “Although having assumptions in the design process can be fortunate in some cases, I will argue that it can also lead to biased results and design outcomes if the designer isn’t mindful.” Then include some empirical experience for my essay. I included a draft in the files as well on what I started with on this essay with this argument, (individual essay – prototyping course.docx) though a lot of it is AI-generated, but maybe it can be good to use for reference.
My previous essays that I have sent in I didn’t pass, because in some cases I restated literature too much, and there were voice issues, the teacher couldn’t see what was the source and what came from the writer. Furthermore, the one I sent in recently, the argument was apparently restating an argument my literature already did. I attached the recent essay I sent in last and included the teacher’s feedback on it on the last page, (prototyping essay.docx) just as an example of my writing style.
I attached the five different literature sources from our course that can be drawn from and used in the essay. The teachers want us to only use course literature, not from other sources. So, only any or a combination of this literature, perhaps, has to be used. At least one paper in the essay has to be used.
Essay instructions:
This essay assesses learning objective #6, relating theoretical perspectives on prototyping to empirical experiences. You must work with one of topics below. Consider each topic and set of bullet points as a prompt to get you thinking about the topic and find your own argument. They aren’t meant to be a question to ‘answer’.
The Essay Writing Guide Download Essay Writing Guidecan help you develop your topic. You’re strongly encouraged to critically engage with the literature during the course in your journal to help you develop ideas. Don’t leave it until the last week.
Your task is to conduct your own analysis and/or make your own argument from the basis of one of the provided topics below.
You must draw on your practical experience from the Prototyping project and the course literature. Please use the Essay Writing Guide Download Essay Writing Guidefor help on what constitutes an argument and how to unpack a topic.
Topics
The practical value of a perspective on prototypes/prototyping from the literature
In general, theory can help suggest a way forward or help us to understand what has happened. That doesn’t need to be said. Can a more specific argument be made as to the concrete value that theory (or a particular part of a theory) has for our design process and/or outcomes?
By ‘practical value’ we mean that which is constructive for our way of conducting design activities and potentially the outcomes of a design process, such as insights and the concept itself.
The tenuousness, materiality or experienceability quality of prototypes and its significance for creating insights for design.
eg. in practice, should we care about the balance across these qualities? And how does our purpose for a given prototype relate?
eg. is one quality particularly challenging to work with, to get the ‘just right’ amount of tenuousness? And if so, how/when do we judge this? What are the consequences? What can be done about it?
How prototyping can go wrong (and why/when)
It doesn’t need to be said that projects can go wrong, that there can be issues with teamwork or external factors. Here, it’s more about how the designer or participant can be mislaid by prototyping or prototypes, how we can be aware of it and why it happened in the first place.
It’s not a report about your project, but rather identifying and lifting up the principles or phenomena at work.
Avoid speculating on how the outcomes it would be different (eg.”if designers did x instead of y, they would get the better outcome z”). And if it’s generally true that designers should strive for x (eg. “designers should be mindful when engaging with participants”), it doesn’t need to be argued.
Requirements
Submitted to Canvas in PDF format, spaced with regular ‘single’ line spacing.
1,000-1,300 words. This does not include references and meta text. Do not include an abstract.
Engagement with at least one of the course texts. Literature cited in the lectures is also allowed, but please do not go beyond this – nor should it be necessary.
Full and correct APA citing and referencing. See this guideLinks to an external site., if in doubt.
Anchored in one of the topics listed above.
Constructively presents and uses examples from your own first hand design work from the Prototyping project
In the form of a coherent analysis and/or argument. Not a description or summary of what you have done, read or learnt, nor a collection of opinions.
The essay must not consist of ‘telling us what we already know’ – ie. restating the premises of the literature,
lectures or general design practice.
Assessment
7HP
LO6. Relate theoretical perspectives on prototyping to empirical experiences