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CONTENTS
build upon this work! ............... 3
INTRODUCTION: what DO
design students need? .............. 5
Using creative workshop

in a classroom setting ............ 13
Teaching the challenges:
Foundation ............................... 21
Execution .................................. 30
Materiality............................... 42
Instruction ............................... 49
Observation ............................... 52
innovation ................................ 55
interpretation......................... 62
about the authors .................... 71
GET THE BOOK ............................. 72
layout based on a design by Grace Ring, HOW Design Press

Build Upon this Work!
This e-book is an accompaniment to Creative
Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills,
Creative Commons License Info
published in November 2010 by HOW Design Press.
The material contained in this eBook is
The print book contains 80 creative challenges that
2011 David and Mary Sherwin. It is offered
will help any designer reach a breadth of stronger
under a Creative Commons Attribution-
design solutions, in various media, within any set time
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
period. Exercises range from creating a typeface in
License for use internationally. The full details
an hour, to designing a paper robot in an afternoon,
of the license can be found here: http://
to designing web pages and other interactive
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
experiences. Each exercise includes compelling
visual solutions from other designers and background To quickly summarize the license:
stories to help designers increase their capacity
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This e-book was written to work in concert with
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Creative Workshop. It is a work in progress, intended
for teachers of design & creative thinking, but it may Remix: To adapt the work
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Under the following conditions
If you have any updates or improvements to the ideas
Attribution: You must attribute the work in the
contained hereor if we made a mistakewed love
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(but not in any way that suggests that they
to the greater design community. And if youve
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created a challenge and tried it out with others, wed
provide attribution back to the authors as
love to consider it for a future Creative Workshop book.
follows: From Creative Workshop: A Teachers
Write us at david@changeorderblog.com.
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Build Upon this Work! 3

4 Exercise #
Introduction: What Do
Design Students Need?
If you want to study something, its better
not to know what the answer is.
Shunryu Suzuki, Find Out for Yourself
When considering the skills that todays designers The answers we received back were surprisingly
need to be successful in todays job market, we often consistent, and distressingly integral to the success of
focus on job requirements, which are listed in tidy any designer working today. The majority of them fell
bullet points on recruitment requests: into the following four categories:
E
xperience working in Adobe Creative Suite
1. Big-Picture Ideation & Planning
version du jour
the Execution
K
nows Flash, Dreamweaver, HTML5/CSS3,
Strong conceptual thinking is the root of any well-
Javascript, and more esoteric flavors of script-
crafted design executionand the skill of creating
ing languages (and theoretically knows how
concepts through focused brainstorming is often
to create an interactive experience)
learned through mentorship or brute repetition on
3
-5+ years of related design experience the job. Additionally, most designers discover that an
idea is meaningless if it isnt delivered on time and
Creative Workshop, both the book and the class,
executed well. So, effective ideation requires strict
was inspired by a survey we conducted in 2008 with
time management and structure. Otherwise, were just
designers and creative directors with whom David
creating napkin sketches.
had worked in the past, as well as creative leaders in
the American design community whose paths we had My experience working with young designers is
crossed. Specifically, we wanted to know what todays that they are excited and interested in present-
creative directors and designers sought in students ing a technique. Often there is little thought
emerging from design schoolwhat skills students behind it other than it looks cool. I prefer to
werent learning that could be infused back into their have the cool as the topping for a carefully
course curriculum. planned design.
The questions in the survey were open-ended, such Wendy Quesinberry, creative director and
as: When working with or managing other designers, principal of Quesinberry & Associates
what skills do you most actively cultivate? We also
Idea generation has become increasingly
asked for anecdotes regarding how they overcame
important to me. That means no computer!
a difficult design challenge, thereby stretching their
Just sketches and notes and scribbles and
talent and growing a practical design skill.
mood boards. These all help keep ideas from
Introduction: What Do Design Students Need? 5

becoming too precious, and encourages with a willingness to share and help each
exploration of ideas. Theres something about other It just doesnt feel like work when youre
sitting down and finessing an idea on the doing it right.
computer that can make it harder to let go of
Duane King, principal of BBDK and creator of
an idea thats just not working. Even when you
the design blog Thinking for a Living
know its not!
Trust is by far the most important thing. Its
Michel Vrana, book designer
fragile and takes time to build, but only with
trust can there be collaboration. And only with
collaboration will people help each other to
make the best ideas in the group surface.
Technology and Scott Berkun, author of The Myths of

Innovation and Making Things Happen
tools should not get in 3. Sketching Ideas

the way of your ideas. Out of all the tools available to a working designer, the
humble pencil is often the quickest method to access
The second this happens, ones intuition. Its often not listed as a requirement
in a job listing, but creative directors and designers
youre screwed. looking to hire you will listen not only to what comes
out of your mouth, but also the quality of thought
David Conrad that you render through design sketching. Only after
considering a sketch can the design execution take
place, whether via Photoshop, code, or tempera paint.
The ability to sketch an idea before executing

2. Collaboration & Communication it is fundamental to any work environment and
to any economy. Sketching affords designers
Even for solo designers, collaboration is the lifeblood
the ability to suggest without committing to
of any professional creative endeavorwith your
marks or grids or any element of design. By
clients, with fellow designers, and with vendors that
quickly sketching out ideas, the poor ones
support fulfilling your work. But to collaborate well, you
fade quickly from priority without wasting pre-
have to squelch your ego, speak your mind, bring in
cious time to execute them. The discerning
partners from other disciplines beyond design, and
designer uses sketching to rule out as well as
know the business problems youre trying to solve.
rule in dominant ideas about the formal ele-
Sharing your thoughts isnt a risk, its an asset. ments of any communication. It is the domain
Creative kinships with people from a wide of the sketch where the concept is nailed
variety of skill sets serve to expand your views down as well, instead of massaging more aes-
of whats possible. Whether designers, pro- thetic details, which dont matter one iota if
grammers, motion graphics artists, illustrators, the big idea doesnt work.
copywriters, or photographers, the result will
Carrie Byrne, Creative Director, Worktank
be a mix of cultural, economic, and creative
energy that can offer true originality while test- Technology and tools should not get in the
ing your assumptions of how things are done way of your ideas. The second this happens,
I love to watch the sparks fly when creative youre screwed.
individuals meet, match wits, and inspire each
David Conrad, Studio Director,
other. I also thoroughly enjoy participating in
Design Commission
these exchanges myself. These relationships
require honesty and a lack of ego combined
6 Introduction: What Do Design Students Need?

across the table and told the client that this
4. Resilience Under Pressure
site will be designed and developed with a
To quote Scott Berkun: There is nothing like the modern, CSS-based format. I had no clue
impossible and the unfair to stretch your talents. if Id be able to pull it off. With the added
Designers who focus their energies on untangling pressure of having given my word I threw
extraordinary and seemingly intractable problems myself into the project and succeeded where
learn design fundamentals more quickly, while before I had not. Ive never gone back to
exposing new domains for future exploration. However, table-based work since. Pressure and fear is
these kinds of stretch projects must be balanced an excellent motivator.
with time for reflection, or designers will burn out.
Andy Rutledge, Principal and Chief Design
There was a time in my career when I worked Strategist, Unit Interactive
for an individual who directed a department
of a well-known agency. This was a person
How Can Students Acquire
of questionable character who overstepped
These Skills More Quickly?
boundaries in every way possible. This Devil
wore Prada. The years spent at that place Why arent more students graduating with these skills?
were my second college education. My but- Can these skills be taught in that setting at all?
tons were pushed. My ego was battered and
In the classroom, there may be a desire to focus on
bruised. Because of this, my creativity/problem
deep study of design fundamentals, such as typog-
solving was stretched to new levels. This was
raphy, layout, and the use of computer programs,
the most tortuous yet rewarding experience of
rather than exploring various domains of design. But
my career. Although it may not seem like it at
in analyzing the survey wed sent out more thoroughly,
the time, being pushed beyond what you think
we realized that developing a fast-paced sequence of
is possible is the best education available.
quick design challenges would force designers to ide-
Jon Lindstrand, designer ate in an improvisational manner. They could illustrate
their ideas in collaboration with fellow designers, and
communicate them to a client or teacher.
Recent thinking by design educators in America is

There is nothing like echoing this desire to create:
the impossible and curricula characterized by flux rather than

stability; classrooms that are open and perme-
the unfair to stretch able rather than closed and finite; teaching
materials understood as participatory plat-
your talents. forms that are modular and extensible; and

pedagogical practices founded on perceiving
the larger system rather than isolated entities
Scott Berkun
within that system.
Holly Willis, Embracing Flux, New Contexts/

New Practices: Six Views of the AIGA Design
I had been studying how to design and devel- Educators Conference, edited by Julie Lasky
op web pages without using tables for layout,
It can be just as hard to effectively learn the skills Id
instead using divs and CSS entirely, but found
identified in two- and four-year design schools as it is
it quite difficult. I always had to abandon my
in the workplace. But not all of this knowledge must
effort and go back to table-layout as I butted
come from doing graphic design projects. Weve
up against my knowledge and skill limitations.
been following ongoing discussions on the Interaction
Shortly after starting my first job at an agency, I
Design Associations website regarding this subject.
had a client discovery session where I looked
Diversion Media, when queried by a graduating

student about work experience requirements for across all disciplines of designmany of extraordinary
becoming an entry-level interaction designer, complexity and difficulty. Most of the people in the
said this: class were also working full-time as designers. Most of
them had tool-based skills with the latest and greatest
The only way to acquire all these skills is to do
software. The only stipulation was that for each chal-
projects However they dont all need to be
lenge in the class, they would need to turn in a pencil-
UX projects. If youve been a carpenter, short
based sketch of their solution, unless a computer
order cook, or theater designer you probably
execution was required.
have a lot of them already. Plus, of course,
you need to demonstrate killer deliverables, The structure of the class was not invented whole-
mastery of several software programs, and sale by the two of us. One of our first roommates
familiarity with the development process. Id post-college was a graduate student in poetry. In
also like to know that youve been on at least the summer of 1999, he took a class called Instant
one successful software project through the Thesis, or 80 Works in 7 Weeks, which was being
full lifecycle (from whiteboard to launch). All taught by the poet Peter Klappert. The class explored
of the above is much more important than an collage methods, blot-outs, concrete poetry, metric/
arbitrary number of years... fixed forms, linked verse, anaphora, dialogue, satire,
visual shape, collaborative writing, fixed and loose
So, every student must master new software technolo-
rhyme schemes, musicality, tone, and dozens of other
gies, old-school design theory, and production meth-
approaches. Each student was responsible for fulfilling
odologies, while fulfilling more projects. But we think
in-class and take-home exercises, as well as coming
the dirty secret is not in that a designer should spend
up with their own exercises that could be shared with
weeks or months on those projects. The projects
the class. Many students found the class to be one
should be unfair in their construction, and limited to
a transformative creative experience far beyond any
an hour or two at a time, not days or weeks.
other classes they had ever taken in college or gradu-
ate school.
With a little research, we discovered that Peters class

was adapted from a course taught at the Corcoran
School of Artone where students were only allowed
Without rules, youve two weeks for creating 80 artistic works! The artist
Angie Drakopoulos said this about her experience in
got no target to aim for. the Corcoran class:
Without flexibility, you The Corcoran encouraged students to work

with many different media and explore new
havent the freedom to ideas. What I really learned was a way of think-
ing about art, not necessarily how to make it,
redefine the target. but how to think about making it. One of my
favorite exercises, in my junior year, was a proj-
ect to make 80 works in two weeks. We were
Duane King
given specific instructions on different media
that had to be used, or an idea to be incorpo-
rated, or a color, or words for a piece to refer
to. It was exhilarating; it really opened my mind
creative overload as a to the possibilities of making art. Also, because
pedagogical approach of the projects size and deadline, you couldnt
spend too much time on any individual work;
To prove this theory, David taught two quarter-long
so you achieved a certain degree of detach-
classes where recent graduates from design school
ment from the end result, which allowed a lot
were tasked with solving 80 creative challenges
of latent ideas and tendencies to surface. I

think that was the first time I experienced art
as a mind-game.
challenge
Youve been asked to submit an
Designing Structures for Improvisation
identity design for the 2012 Olympic
Could design be approached as a similar sort of mind Games in London. The initial sketch
game, fostering a similar sense of detachment, allow- of your logo must be composed
ing intuition to bubble up from the margins? Would from a single, unbroken line. Once
it possible to cram a set of wildly divergent design youve placed your pen or pencil
exercises into the course of short time frame, forcing down on the paper, you cant take it
designers to exercise the full breadth of their abili- off the page until the logo is complete. Dont
ties in a finite period of timelearning critical skills go back for correctionsembrace mistakes!
more quickly? Would people in such an environment
become better designers at an exponentially faster
rate, with substantially better output? Almost everyone knows what the Olympics are, so a
design brief isnt required to understand what charac-
During 2009, we worked to construct the challenges
teristics may comprise a great logo for the event.
that would serve as the foundation of this 80 Works
class for designers. What made this a difficult challenge was the con-
straint around how you exercise a critical, almost
When considering what would comprise these
commonplace skill for any designer: sketching.
design challenges, one of Duane Kings responses to
Becoming more mindful of what ideas flow out of
our survey best summarized the spirit of our approach:
a set of intuitive pencil gestures, and using those
There are various factors in creating an ade- gestures as finished material rather than polishing
quate space for a creative team to work within, and refining identity concepts with tighter sketches
but I tend to focus on the definition of struc- helped students begin to trust their initial ideas and
tures for improvisation, simplicity in complex- their hand-crafted nature.
ity and freedom of will. Without rules, youve
We also had students try out a variant where teams
got no target to aim for. Without flexibility, you
of people had to create Olympic logo ideas with a
havent the freedom to redefine the target.
different constraint:
We loved the notion of structures of improvisation
and how it encouraged a push and pull between
take it further
rules and flexibility. We knew that each challenge
would have to combine open-ended flexibility with Get into a team of four people. Together, you will
rigid rules. The time limit for each challenge would sketch a new logo for the upcoming Olympics. The
also have to force an immediate confrontation of the design will be passed from one person to the next.
problem at hand, rather than letting solutions rumble Each person, using a permanent-ink marker or col-
around in the subconscious for a few days. ored pencil, can contribute one element to the design
at a time. If youre crafting type, you can dot an i or
As an example, one of the first challenges David
cross a t, but only one word can be written per person
taught in the class was One Line Logo, which has a
(unless its a run-on, if you really want to bend the
30-minute time limit:
rules). Altering the paper in any way can also consti-
tute an element of your design. Keep in mind: once
youve started, you cant crumple it up and start over
again. And when youre done, your team will share
your work with the class.

This is the opposite of the previous constraint: instead Throughout each class, the students learned to
of completing an idea in one gesture, the idea must use timeboxing both in solving individual challenges
be painstakingly communicated or collaboratively and in team collaboration, working in short sprints
created. And with only one shot to put the idea down tempered by pauses for evaluation and reflection.
on paper, the students had to be clever about inte- When solving design problems, the students
grating any mistakes into their final identity sketch. would use the first timebox as a place to use
unorthodox brainstorming methods to kickstart
This is only one example of how we constructed
their creative process.
the challenges. In the last section of this e-book,
Teaching the Challenges, we provide further By repeating this process over and over again
thoughts around what makes the challenges sometimes in as little as 15 to 20 minutesstudents
in Creative Workshop so, for lack of a better had a chance not only to exercise their own talents
word, challenging. under pressure, but to also gain an appreciation of
the ways fellow designers solved the same problems.
Structuring the Design Process
Needless to say, during the first few weeks the stu-
Through Timeboxing
dents struggled. They were putting in sleepless nights
In the process of brainstorming the challenges, perfecting design executions instead of following the
we realized the following: If a designer knew which skill provided class instruction and focusing on simple
they want to learn, almost any kind of problem could pencil sketches of their ideas. By the end of the class,
be designed to help them acquire it. But the way stu- however, they were exploring strong design ideas from
dents tried to solve the challenges, and the specific sketchbooks filled with possible design directions and
processes they used to arrive at a solution quickly, spending less time sweating under their deadlines
would require an explicit structure if they were going in class and at work. They learned to collaborate
to succeed in the time frames they were provided. with each other effectively; with such short deadlines,
And this structure needed to start with a designer there wasnt time for ego. And, most importantly, they
identifying strong ideas, before she or he became explored domains of design they had never experi-
lost in the flow of polishing an executed design. enced before, which redirected many of their career
paths dramatically.
In researching and testing different design processes,
the one that stood out as an exemplary model for the You can read more about timeboxing and using light-
class was timeboxing. This technique is often used in weight brainstorming methods beginning on page 4
the world of software development, but its just as use- of Creative Workshop.
ful when creating design solutions. It also keeps design-
ers from moving too quickly into a design execution,
before theyve brainstormed a broad range of ideas.
Pretending you know what youre doing is almost

the same as knowing what you are doing, so just
accept that you know what youre doing even if you
dont and do it.
Bre Pettis and Kyo Stark, Cult of Done Manifesto

The rest of this e-book outlines how this more agile
Designing (and Teaching) with
philosophy for design instruction was implemented in
Dirty Hands
a classroom setting. Its our hope that there is mate-
When design curricula is slow to change, and it rial from this text that you can adapt, explore, and
requires great effort to learn and understand the improve as part of your teaching efforts.
new and ever-changing technologies we must use
as designers and teachers of design, its tempting to
cling to what weve learned and what works as the
end-all, be-all of design practice. Yet in schools, were
seeking to keep our students hands dirty all the time.
Perhaps were just turning over the same plot of land.
In having taught the 80 Works class twice, and in

having solved all of the challenges in the Creative
Workshop booksome multiple timesweve dealt
with a lot of ambiguity in the design process, as
well as many blind spots in training and working as
a designer. It would be impossible for us to profess
expertise in many of the focus areas we tackled in
class. In many cases, constructing a challenge and
placing it in the hands of multiple designers has been
a leap of faith: sometimes leading to highly successful
and exciting design thinking, and sometimes fizzling
into a muted failure.
But in all cases, we noticed that as the class (and

by extension, the teachers) settled into not knowing
where the next turn would take us, we became more
creative and more willing to take risks. Pretending you
know what youre doing is almost the same as know-
ing what you are doing, so just accept that you know
what youre doing even if you dont and do it, say Bre
Pettis and Kyo Stark in their Cult of Done Manifesto.
They add: People without dirty hands are wrong.
Doing something makes you right.
Flipping our fear of doing something wrong into a

desire to experiment and take risks is what we think
our students employers truly desire from the designers
that they hire. We should be even more purposeful in
how we cultivate these next generations of designers
with the right thinking tools.
This requires us to surprise ourselves, and by extension

our students and co-workers. Time spent teaching
tools and craft must be balanced with the time neces-
sary for students to gain tacit knowledge in ideation,
collaboration, sketching, and remaining nimble and
creative under pressure. That is, if we want students
to be employable and successful in their first roles as
designers, out in the world.

12 Exercise #
Using Creative Workshop
in a Classroom Setting
The core of a Creative Workshop class is a set of students will become faster and faster at solving chal-
instructor-provided challenges, which is then supple- lenges, so youll need to further shorten their dead-
mented by a set of student-created challenges. lines or increase the number of deliverables required
The teacher then constructs story arcs out of the as you progress.
challenges for each class (and its accompanying
No challenge should have a time limit longer than
homework assignments), conveying larger lessons
two hoursespecially for take-home assignments,
about creativity, craft, teamwork, process, and other
where students will be tempted to lavish days on pol-
fundamental skills.
ishing design executions. They can do that when the
class is over.
What Makes a Great Creative Challenge?
For a challenge to succeed, it needs to contain the True Goals for Growth
following attributes:
Theres what youre asking your classes to create in
a focus area, and then theres what you want them
An Area of Focus
to learn.
When considering which challenges to use in a
For example: Challenge #3, Time Machine, requires
classor creating your own challengesmake sure
students to take an old advertisement and execute
there is a clear, stated area of focus as part of the
it as if it had been published in a modern magazine.
challenge statement. This ranges across the various
While this is the goal for class output, what the chal-
domains of design, from branding to packaging to
lenge is actually teaching students is how to assess
advertising to user interface design. This will help the
the strategy behind an advertisement, analyze the
class gauge what kinds of design outputs are neces-
societal and artistic trends that helped to shape its
sary while solving the challenge. A list of focus areas is
execution, and translate all of those details into a
included in the Creative Workshop book.
modern design execution.
Tangible Creative Output This is no small featespecially in 90 minutes.
Each challenge requires tangible output, from a

SITS Outside Everyones Comfort Zone
design sketch to a high-fidelity design execution.
(Including Yours)
Sharing an idea verbally when time is up does not
count for credit. Truly inspiring creative challenges arent bread-and-
butter design problems. When constructing a chal-
An (Almost) Impossible Time Limit lenge, think about how you can add variables or
unusual constraints to an everyday project to push
In class, the time limits for challenges from Creative
your class (and the teacher) into uncharted and
Workshop can be cut in half, or even shorter. If stu-
risky territory.
dents arent rushing to the last second to complete
the stated deliverables required at the end of a If you dont feel comfortable leading an exercise in
challenge, youve given them too much time. Your an area of design you havent explored before, invite
Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting 13

in other instructors or working professionals to help real-world situations down into their constituent com-
facilitate those challenges. ponents, then analyzing them for ways in which they
can be reconstructed and improved.
Contains Content Your Students
Observation: Requiring students to step outside the
Care About
classroom and their studio into the real world, using
Each time we taught a Creative Workshop class, their senses to observe and reflect on how other
we provided the students with a brief survey at the people behavethen using this insight as the fuel for
beginning where we asked them what types of proj- design solutions.
ects and what kinds of clients theyd like to work with
Innovation: Working with design problems specifically
in the future. This information was incorporated into
in the domain of product design, service delivery,
many of the class challenges and increased
and social innovationforcing designers to grapple
student engagement.
with how to reinvent businesses and reshape human
In addition, we asked for each student to provide at behavior.
the start of every class period a challenge that theyd
Interpretation: Open-ended problems whose solu-
created. This can be for credit, or for students to
tions require designers not only to determine what
have input into the class content. Depending on how
needs to be designed, but also to answer an even
youve structured the class, you can select the
more important question: Why does something need
student-suggested challenges that fit the arc of
to be made?
upcoming classes and incorporate them.
An important additional category to note is
Based on student suggestion, weve included at least
Unsolvable Problems. Students often find ways to
20% student-inspired challenges over the life of each
approach lose-lose situations with creativity and fresh
class weve taught.
perspectives that provide new ways of influencing
major societal issues. We often throw one unsolv-
VARYING LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY
able problem into the mix as a final assignment for
The challenges in Creative Workshop are ordered from the class, for all of us to understand exactly how far
craft-oriented problems that hone making skills to a designers reach can truly extend in dealing with
design problems that are open-ended, highly compli- wicked problems.
cated, and fraught with ambiguity. When brainstorm-
Tasking students with an insoluble problem may
ing challenges for the class and the book, Mary hit
seem a bit sadistic, but its one of the best ways for
upon the following categories for the different types of
designers to understand what it feels like to grapple
problems designers solve in their daily work, indepen-
withand identify in the futurewhether a problem
dent of disciipline:
is wicked (i.e. influenceable, but not solveable). For
Foundation: The fundamentals of being a designer more on this topic, see our rationale for Challenge #79
from a craft-based perspective. This includes typog- on page 69 of this e-book.
raphy, layout, grid systems, design history, research,
illustration, and sketching. Using Exercises in Your Existing Classes
Execution: Moving from fundamentals to real-world When David taught Creative Workshop classes, each
design deliverables, while being forced to explore a class period was four hours and consisted of solving
range of design solutions in a faster timeframe than five challenges in a row. This was a great way to intro-
they may have attempted in the past. duce a range of brainstorming methods, focus on a
series of challenges that teach a specific skill, or break
Materiality: The tangible act of making things as
a large-scale project into digestible chunks.
part of the design processoften without comput-
ersyielding design executions that rely on the hand- Its also possible to string out challenges over a series
made touch for their power. of weeks in a recurring fashion. At frog designs Seattle
studio, David set up a biweekly lunchtime series to
Instruction: Cultivating the crucial skill of breaking
explore different methods of physical prototyping,
14 Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting

using challenges from the book and timeboxing to We required the students to show an artifact for each
teach different ways of building and evaluating com- client review, usually in sketch form. Sharing a solution
plicated systems in a low-fidelity format. verbally is not acceptable to the client. (When was the
last time you walked into a client review and told them
Solution Structures about your design idea without some tangible render-
ing of it?)
What is a solution structure? Its a method of engineer-
ing social situations around specified challenges that This is a solution structure we have used in every
makes them much harder to solveforcing student Creative Workshop class period, continually varying
designers to learn how to collaborate more effectively. the challenges and the unique deliverables required
during each sprint; it forces students to work in parallel
In teaching classes involving Creative Workshop, we
and quickly divide large design problems into smaller
invented the following solution structures. See which
sub-tasks, which is a crucial skill for any work setting.
ones you can come up with as well!
STRUCTURE 2: the Round-robin

STRUCTURE 1: 30 Days in 30 Minutes
Its useful to teach at least one class period in a quar-
Teams of three or four students are provided with
ter or semester where the output from one challenge
a challenge, which they must solve in 30 minutes.
is directly inputted into the next challenge theyll need
Those 30 minutes are divided up into the following
to solve, while rotating the students into an entirely
timeboxes:
lateral design domain.
8 minutes: Each team reaches a goal that is set
As an example: in collaboration with the designer
by the teacher.
Scott Scheff, we created a five-challenge sequence
2 minutes: The teacher serves as the client, provid- where one of my classes had to create a record store
ing quick feedback to the teams and providing of the future.
the next milestone.
In the first challenge, the students came up with the
8 minutes: Each team scrambles to incorporate name of the store and its logo.
the feedback and reach the next milestone.
In the second challenge, they planned out the store
2 minutes: The teacher/client gives another round space in Manhattan based on a defined set of con-
of feedback and sets the final milestone. straints provided by their real estate broker.
8 minutes: Each team incorporates the final feed- The third challenge required them to brainstorm user
back and completes the final solution(s) for the flows for a mobile application necessary to buy and
challenge. download music while in the space.
Last 2 minutes: Each team has 30 seconds to In the fourth challenge, they created a 30-second
present their solutions. TV ad for their store that had to include handmade
puppets.
As an example that describes how this works in action:
We provided a class with the Storybook Ending chal- For the fifth and final challenge, they had to craft
lenge in Creative Workshop, in which they had 30 min- a pitch for investment capital based on everything
utes to come up with the plot and character studies theyd created in the first four challenges.
for a childrens book.
STRUCTURE 3: Variable Client Feedback
Over the first 8 minutes of solving the challenge, they
had to ideate around the theme of their book. In the For certain challenges, weve stopped the students
second 8 minutes, they had to move from the theme midway through solving a challenge and provided
to a full-blown plot and characters. In the last 8 min- them client feedback as an additional constraint.
utes, they had to create a character study and a
Another fun way to deliver client feedback is to
moral for their book.
isolate a student from the overall class, take them

outside the classroom, and have them draw random survived the entire quarter or semester.
feedback out of a hat that they spout back to the
Also, consider a special prize for those students who
class in response to their work midstream. This not only
complete all of the challenges. Its unlikely that most
makes the class become more creative in response to
students will be able to turn in a solution for all the
out of nowhere feedback, but also helps the student
projects. (So far, there has been only one.)
play-acting the client see what such a situation feels
like from a clients perspective.
Time Constraints
Refer to page 10 of Creative Workshop for a starter set
Assume at least 40 minutes of class time for each
of client feedback items that will keep your class on
challenge the class attempts, including critique.
their toes.
Weve also allocated 40 minutes to discuss all take-
home assignments, which are shared out for in-class
Throw Yourself Under the Bus
critique and review.
Its helpful to read out a particularly difficult challenge,
As an example: We have taught classes over the quar-
execute the challenge at the same time as the class,
ter system, meeting every week for four hours. In each
and then be a part of the critique process.
class, we fulfilled five challenges, and three challeng-
es were provided as take-home work.
Class Lectures
A Creative Workshop class can be conducted over
As you plan the challenges that form the arc of each
the course of a semester, but the shorter the time
class period, consider what mini-lectures may be
period for the entire class, the greater the benefit. For
required that will help to solidify specific skills that
a 7-week seminar, the class would need to complete
youre teaching.
12 projects per week, while over a semester there may
As an example, weve introduced new brainstorming not be as much time pressure. This may require the
methods at the start of a class period, then had the teacher to intentionally manufacture such pressure.
students utilize those methods across a set of chal-
lenges to provide them a chance to road test each Class Rules & Regulations
one individually.
Alongside the class syllabus, weve provided the fol-
In another case, a lecture that closed out a class lowing three guidelines to students:
helped to set up ground rules for how the students
1. You should fulfill every assignment and bring it to
could best fulfill design research in the midst of their
class, no matter what. Work fast. Turn your editor off.
busy schedules.
Take as many risks as possible. The greater the risk in
For sample lectures (in a raw format) that we the work that youre attempting, the more important
delivered during the classes, take a look at the that you bring it to class. You shouldnt have time to sit
class archive here: http://changeorder.typepad. around and think about whether what youre doing is
com/80_works_for_designers/lectures/ good. You should feel uncomfortable every time you
show a solution to the class, no matter how much time
Closing Portfolio Review you have to prepare it.
When teaching a class that solves 40 to 80 challenges, 2. Everything is shown to the group, no matter what.
the last class period should be reserved for a final Each assignment will be viewed and commented
challenge and a review of all of the work created by upon by the group. Listen to how other people view
each student over the life of the class. it, and what they think it can become from their vari-
ous perspectives. This is invaluable input. Dont rush
Students learn a great deal by placing 40 to 80 design
to defend what you meant to accomplish in the time
executions in sequence on a table for the entire
frame. This class is about possibilities as much as
class to comment on. This process can take a num-
finality, and its possible that the input of your peers
ber of hours, so weve encouraged students to bring
may push your work in new directions you hadnt
food and drink and make it a celebration for having
considered.

3. Failure on some of the projects will happen, and is missed in-class challenges, or fulfill appropriate
a desirable outcome. Keep notes on what works and substitute challenges as assigned by the teacher.
what doesnt work. Be willing to throw away work in
200 points will be provided for direct class partici-
progress to start over with what youve learned. Only
pation and involvement
when we reach the end of our class should you focus
on what can be extracted from your best works over The students grade could then be their earned points
the life of the class. Until then, keep a record of your divided by 10 on a standard 100-point scale.
working process and progress, not what youll be
including in your portfolio. What Skills Should Students Have Before
Taking a Creative Workshop Class?
How Do You Grade Creative
Students without an initial foundation of craft-based
Workshop Classes?
design skillsideally with at least one to two years
In a class such as this, fair grading is based on two of design educationmay find a Creative Workshop
factors: in-class participation and solving all of the class with 40 to 80 challenges quite demanding.
challenges posed by the teacher and class. When we have taught a class, a portfolio review was
required for student entry to ensure they would not
Participation need to fully acquire design fundamentals while solv-
ing all 80 challenges.
To receive credit, students will be required as part of
their in-class work to:
Planning the Arc of a Creative
Regularly critique challenge solutions in a group Workshop Class
Work collaboratively to solve challenges as teams On the next page are examples of how the above
ingredients fit together as part of an 80 Works class,
Keep a written record of what theyre observing
as well as a blank template you can use to plan your
about their working progress each week, either
own. (This is based on the quarter system, which is
on a public blog or in a journal format that can
used in Washington state).
be shared when appropriate with the class
The challenges can be arranged over the length
A
t the end of the class, help classmates identify
of the class in escalating difficulty and time invest-
which projects may become part of their portfolio
ment. There should also be take-home assignments
(with any additional polish)
that require small group collaboration alongside
individual exercises, much like what a designer experi-
Challenge Completion
ences when entering into an in-house or studio work
Students receive credit for each challenge they pro- environment.
vide a solution for and present to the class. This is for
The final two to three weeks of the class can contain
both in-class and take-home challenges, including
the most complex, most open-ended challenges you
ones that integrate work from previous solutions into
can muster.
new solutions.
SAMPLE Grading Methodology
At the end of a course with 80 creative challenges, a

student could receive points as follows:
1
0 points for each of the 80 challenges that are
shown to the class. This adds up to 800 points
over the life of the class. If a student misses a
class, they still need to turn in the take-home and

Creative Workshop Planning Worksheet: Quarter System (Sample Class Structure)
Category Challenge Name Category Challenge Name
Foundation Hello, My Name Is Execution

Week 1 In Class ____________ _ _______________________ Week 6 In Class ____________ _ _______________________
Foundation Innovation Group:
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Introduction to
Foundation Interpretation
timeboxing & focus
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
on fundamentals Interpretation Group: Execution
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Execution
____________ _ _______________________ Interpretation _ _______________________
____________ Group:
Homework Foundation _ _______________________

____________ Homework Observation _ _______________________
____________
Execution
____________ _ _______________________ Innovation
____________ _ _______________________
Materiality
____________ _ _______________________ Innovation
____________ _ _______________________
Foundation Fundamentals
Execution Group: Innovation Group:

Provide class
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Begin to reduce Interpretation
brainstorming Execution
____________ _ _______________________
time limits by here ____________ _ _______________________
techniques Execution Instruction Group:
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Materiality _ _______________________
Group: Innovation Group:
____________ ____________ _ _______________________
Foundation _ _______________________ Instruction
Homework ____________ Homework ____________ _ _______________________
Execution
____________ _ _______________________ Innovation
____________ _ _______________________
Execution
____________ _ _______________________ Interpretation _ _______________________
____________
Foundation Execution
Execution Group: Fundamentals Group:
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Beginning to explore This is a breather
Execution Execution Group:

collaborative design ____________ _ _______________________ class before the
____________ _ _______________________
practices Materiality _ _______________________
Group: final stretch Innovation Group:
____________ ____________ _ _______________________
Instruction _ _______________________ Interpretation Group:
____________ ____________ _ _______________________
Homework Observation _ _______________________
____________ Group: Homework Observation _ _______________________
____________
Execution
____________ _ _______________________ Materiality
____________ _ _______________________
Materiality
____________ _ _______________________ Execution
____________ _ _______________________
Interpretation Innovation
Execution Group: Execution
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Starting to bring From here out,
Execution Instruction Group:
in design research
____________ _ _______________________ problems are too
____________ _ _______________________
methods Innovation Group: hard for solo Interpretation Group:
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
designers to solve
Interpretation_ _______________________ Interpretation Group:
____________ ____________ _ _______________________
Observation _ _______________________ Innovation Group:
Homework ____________ Homework ____________ _ _______________________
Materiality Innovation
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Innovation _ _______________________
____________ Group: Interpretation _ _______________________
____________
Execution Execution
Fundamentals _ _______________________
____________ Innovation _ _______________________
____________ Group:
Overwhelmingly
Innovation _ _______________________
____________ Group: hard problems in
Interpretation _ _______________________
____________ Group:
Instruction _ _______________________ brief time frames Innovation _ _______________________

Group:
____________ ____________
Interpretation
____________ Group:
_ _______________________ Interpretation _ _______________________
____________ Group:
Homework Observation _ _______________________

____________ Homework Interpretation _ _______________________
____________ Group:
Instruction _ _______________________
____________ Interpretation _ _______________________
____________ Well, in My Book
Interpretation
____________ Group:
_ _______________________
Interpretation Kobiyashi Maru
Week 11 In Class ____________ _ _______________________

Creative Workshop Planning Worksheet: Quarter System
Category Challenge Name

____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
Homework ____________ _ _______________________ Homework ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________

____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________

____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________

____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________

____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________ ____________ _ _______________________
____________ _ _______________________
Week 11 In Class ____________ _ _______________________

20 Exercise #
Teaching the Challenges:
Foundation
This logo is for the artist one has become, and does
Hello,
My Name
Is not limit the artist that one will be. Remind everyone
that designers grow and mature, and just like people,
some of our more enduring brands (from IBM to the
The Goal United States Postal Service) have also evolved their
colors, font selections, and iconography.
Logo design
If your students are really stuck, limit the logo to a par-
Expansion into personal identity system
ticular aspect of their work. While having four logos
showing wizardry in After Effects, advertising, Maya,
The True Goal
and wedding invitationsisnt practical in the real
L earn to organize disparate thematic elements world, this initial constraint can help to organize the
into a concise statement thoughts of a frantic Renaissance designer.
Separate the designer from the work, and

internalize the objectivity that comes with this
separation
Easy
as
ABC

Design for change and growth: understanding
that a permanent mark does not necessarily
mean a unchangeable brand The Goal
Create a typeface out of found objects

When To Use It
Add additional symbols or create a poster using
Younger designers, especially those right out
the typeface
of school
Designers transitioning into freelance after work- The True Goal

ing in-house or spending time at an agency
Separate letters from each other and understand
Career transition them as stand-alone forms
Document the creative process

Further Thoughts
Designers have difficulty with their own identities for a When To Use It
number of reasons. In choosing a logo, participants
Designers who are overly attached to a comput-
have to decide which skills to highlight and which
er-driven process
to let fall away. This can be traumatic, especially for
younger designers, who still want to Go and Be and Designers who feel they are not crafty or artsy
Do Everything.
Anyone who loves to argue over which font is
worse, Papyrus or Comic Sans
Teaching the Challenges: Foundation 21

Further Thoughts When To Use It
We learn words by first learning letters, and so abece- Designers who struggle when moving deliver-
darian exercises tend to rely on more rudimentary ables between print to screen
approaches. Most of the work will likely fall into two
Around discussions of timeless or iconic
categoriesthe same material being used for all of
design
the letters (jeans, ribbons, pushpins), or the word for
the material starts with the letter being illustrated (B is
Further Thoughts
for Boy, C is for Cat). Be on the lookout for typefaces
that highlight the disconnect between the words for We think of research when it comes to designing
the objects and the letters they illustrate, as the inspi- products: How will a consumer use this? What kinds
ration for material choices may not be obvious to the of features do they want? But the research for this
entire class. This can make for good group discussion. assignment serves another purpose: to understand
how design elements, motifs, and compositions have
Despite the description of a typeface of twenty-six
evolved from decade to decade. Start conversations
characters, dont let that limit your participants. If
about basic subjects such as font choice and white
someone speaks Greek, encourage him to compose
space. The why? of these choices may be a tired and
from that alphabet. If he can present to the class a
common question, but getting designers to see the
chart for comparison, even better.
pervasiveness of a particular visual trend can be pow-
However, American Sign Language (ASL) and other erful. This will help them to see patterns in their own
hand-language systems are easy to replicate for this work and in the work of others. And by watching the
assignment, and they could be great temptations for progression of present-day work, it can also help them
students. Depending upon the class, you might want plan for future projects.
to clarify whether these are allowed or not.
Advertising has been around forever, and while the
pictures and the products have changed, our basic
needs havent. Though this is a research assignment
at heart, it is also a great idea to point out whats hap-
Time
Machine
pening beneath the visuals. What are we really selling
when we design an ad? What are we really saying?
The Goal
Bring an old ad into the future after research
Or take a modern ad and push it back in time
The True Goal

We become very attached
L earn to identify what works and what doesnt
to our computers we
while integrating historical motifs into a design encounter a lot of design
Isolate individual elements in a design and adapt through our computer
them appropriately, while maintaining overall
cohesion
but any disciplined
Understand the transient nature of visual descrip-
designer will tell you,
tors and textual explanation despite the fact its just not the same
that the driving forces for the products have not
changed (survival, acceptance, status, etc.)
as pencil and paper.
22 Teaching the Challenges: Foundation

One
Line
Logo
Im
Drawing
a Blank

The Goal The Goal
Create a logo from a single unbroken line Make a folder using white as the dominant color
With one or more partners, create a logo from Create associated sell sheets
individual unbroken lines
The True Goal

The True Goal
Understand what people mean when they talk
L earn to incorporate mistakes into a design
about white space as a design element
Use basic sketching skills to communicate a com-
Learn to unravel overly complicated layouts and
plex identity rather than use the staid approach
brand systems, reducing them to their most pow-
of type, image, and color selection
erful elements
When To Use It Discover new uses for small but powerful

applications of other colors
D
esigners who rely heavily on the computer to
drive process
When To Use It
Alongside projects that are grounded by photo-
Designers transitioning from Internet to print
graphs, type, or materials
Students having difficulty negotiating the bal-
Further Thoughts ance of text to image
This exercise is one of several found throughout the As a reward for designers who rarely find an outlet
book that is meant to help designers get back to for their minimalist approach, or as a punish-
basicsin this case, sketching. ment for those who feel the need to fill every inch
of a page
We become very attached to our computers, espe-
cially when the early stages of discovery rely so heavily
Further Thoughts
on it. Whether its through emails or Internet research
about our client, we encounter a lot of design through Color is one of the more powerful tools we employ as
our computer. Its only natural to simply switch pro- designers. But often, were limited to the real world
grams when it comes to the physical work of design- interpretations of those colorsgrass is green, skies
ing. There are even programs meant to mimic the act are blue. With color being constantly attached to
of sketching. images illustrating reality, its easy for students to for-
get about red, green, and white as pure design ele-
But as any disciplined designer will tell you, its just not
ments. Especially when people start throwing around
the same. With paper and pencil, the mistakes are
the concept of white space.
more tangible than on screen. Its easier to see where
the design has come from and where it is going to. As a color, white doesnt get a lot of respect. Its usu-
ally treated as the one thats there when nothing else
Should strident challenges arise, students can always
bothers to show up. As a result, the power of white is
do the assignment twice (with a different client, of
confined to being a simple buffer between other ele-
course), once with a computer and once without.
ments. This exercise requires the designer to fully focus
Allow them to time their iterations, track their progress,
on white as its own unique entity.
and explore the efficacies of each process.

But its not all about white. By using white as the domi- From a technical perspective, designers should be
nant element, students are forced to more closely able to visually recognize branded colors (Starbucks
analyze their other color selections. In a sea of white, green, Coca-Cola red). But beyond reading PMS col-
a two-inch tall logo in red can become a beacon. ors and RGB values, we also have to communicate
While thats easy for a teacher to say to a student, it subtle differences in hue through verbal descriptions
doesnt sink in until the decision is visible on the page. in meetings with our teams and clients. Given its per-
ceptual subjectivity, color is difficult to speak about;
the ability to speak clearly and confidently about visu-
al components and their related effects cannot be
Mr.
Blue
overemphasized. So as students present their solution
to this challenge, encourage them to be as precise as
possible in how they describe their work.
The Goal
Design a magazine using the color blue as the

driving design concept
Gridlocked

Expand this into spreads, masthead, and an over-
all grid scheme
The Goal
The True Goal
Learn to place elements in a fixed grid
Identify and then break down beliefs around
Learn to adjust grids based on new content
color theory associations
requirements
Understand that color is not restricted to a par-
ticular hue The True Goal
Train the eye to detect subtle shadings and Understand that certain pieces of a design may
undertones run counter to a preferred aesthetic
Learn to view designs as a whole, and then learn

When To Use It
to break them into their constituent parts
Designers consistently working in the same color
Learn to think about the grid as a powerful tool,
palette
rather than an unfortunate necessity
In conjunction with discussions around readabil-
ity, culture, and psychology When To Use It
As a reward for designers who feel discipline is

Further Thoughts
a strong suit
Red means angry, blue means sad, green means
To break designers from the habit of leaning on
envious. As designers, we dont need to know where
the same layouts
these associations come from, but we do need to
know that they exist. We also need to know that they For less experienced designers who may know
are changeable; the proper use of blue in a layout about grid systems, but may not understand how
can work with other elements to make the audience to construct them
laugh or cry.
Further Thoughts
Another color assignment, Mr. Blue plays with
our ideas about color association and meaning. Ah, the grid. Bane of many a designers existence, a
Realistically, you could use any color for this chal- throwback to the old ways of doing things, when the
lenge, but as blue has the distinction of being the grid was brandished as a weapon by anal-retentive
most popular color, there are more potential concep- Swiss professors willing to do anything to crush the
tual associations to play with. creative spirit of an aspiring artist.

But while the grid is powerful, it is actually benevolent. Whenever a portfolio shows signs of being too
The grid allows us to not only view a layout as one homogenous, especially when a students work
cohesive unit, but it also forces us to consider each indicates that the prevalence of similar material
individual element in relation to the others. When the is being dictated purely by preference and not
grid weve initially set for a layout changes rapidly, we ability
have to re-identify the prioritization of elements in the
Designers who want to incorporate live event pro-
layout (because it may not be the same), and we are
motion into their repertoire
forced to consider each element anew. The physical
position of elements is just as important as the ele-
Further Thoughts
ments themselves.
Graffiti conjures up some specific, and perhaps unfair,
When we become more comfortable with the grid
associations. As designers, we have to be able to
and its ability to focus the eye on particular content
recognize the difference between reality and our own
elements, we can easily adapt that content for mul-
biases. At the same time, we also have to be aware
tiple formats. Changing a two-page spread into a tri-
that those same biases may exist in other people. This
fold brochure is a lot less of a headache when weve
is pretty obviousnot everyone thinks like usbut with
had this kind of practice.
graffiti, theres a lot of controversy over its artistic value.
This is not just a struggle related to class and culture.
Its also about creativity, control, spontaneity, and art
Spray
Paint Wars
in the public domain. The reasons behind the stigma
and the reverence are complex.
So, this exercise is a great way to explore our opinions

The Goal
about a complicated hot-button topic, so that we can
Use graffiti hand-lettering to design a logo, story- determine how to talk to our clients about such design
board, and storefront choices in the future. This challenge is also good for
honing illustration skills; street artists work very hard to
D
evelop an event for the store
develop a personal voice in their work under extreme
conditions.
The True Goal
The opportunity to create a public happening
Learn to spot assumptions and stereotypes
around something as polarizing as graffiti is some-
Identify when to use those assumptions and when thing that designers dont often get to grapple with.
to ignore them And while we want to maintain our own individual
style, just like street artists do, we have to remember
B
egin to craft a vocabulary around promoting
that their work often incorporates elements from the
public events
surrounding environment. Students can really push
this challenge by placing the store in different local
When To Use It
neighborhoods, anticipating community responses
Students who need to hone their illustration skills and designing the logo and events accordingly.
The rules of typography are not only the most helpful

for constructing a powerful layoutthey are also
unfortunately the most common for a client to ignore.

really challenge them, consider setting a word count
minimum. As an alternative, try requiring a minimum
Tragic
Sans number of additional design elements (i.e. five fonts
and a minimum of two photos), or require the use of
typefaces generated in Easy as ABC.
The Goal
Create a brochure cover using five or more

distinct fonts Designers have to be able to teach
Add two more fonts to a brochure display setup themselves about a particular
field or product and then design
The True Goal
appropriately for it. When we
Learn
typography and arrangement as distinct
design elements present work to a client, we have
Deal with clients who make truly terrible to demonstrate a mastery of those
aesthetic decisions
concepts, even though we usually
Cultivate simplicity in complex layouts
are not experts in that field.
When To Use It
Designers
whose work is consistently austere
or simplistic
To settle battles between typeface snobs

Grungevetica

In conjunction with discussions around
readability, clutter, and distraction
The Goal
Further Thoughts Distress the Helvetica typeface in a manner

related to the original version
By now, everyone should have a basic understand-
ing of the rules of design. But our clients usually arent Design a poster that incorporates the
designers, and their tastes might offend every single updated font
principle we hold dear. So sometimes the rules we live
by have to be broken. And the rules of typography are The True Goal
not only the most helpful for constructing a powerful
Learn what makes a particular construction work,
layoutthey are also unfortunately the most common
and what doesnt
for a client to ignore.
Gain a working vocabulary for describing neces-
We think of fonts within certain frameworks, as being
sary changes
appropriate for one particular use but never for anoth-
er. Fonts have looks and styles; some seem futuristic Understand how to dissect a type-based solution
and others are perfect for more classic approaches. into forms, principles, and execution
What happens when we separate each typeface from
those associations? Can we change emotional reac- When To Use It
tions through word arrangement?
To reward students who feel constrained in their
The easiest solution to this challenge is to use one output (i.e. any designer that has worked too
word per font. And while that addresses the issue of long with an in-house style guide)
simplicity, it might not help a designer deal with the
With anyone dismissive of design historys role in
aesthetic crisis that multiple fonts can present. To
its future

Further Thoughts There may be students that already have an under-
standing of quantum computing. This doesnt excuse
Its time to shake up the establishment, but the estab-
them from the research aspect of their project; in fact,
lishment doesnt always want to be shaken up. How
they are under an even heavier burden in that they
do we describe the need for an update to our client
will have to scale their knowledge into a smaller out-
while still maintaining their original spirit? Coming up
put, rather than build up their newfound knowledge
with fresh ideas is difficult enough; how do we make
into a larger output.
something classic fresh, when changing its form may
be considered verboten? With regard to execution: what were working with in
this exercise is similar to the typography-focused chal-
Be sure to emphasize each students description of
lenge Tragic Sansonly this time, were dealing with
their solution when solving this challenge. Its not
more ambiguous concepts from the client. Typefaces
enough for a student to run over a sheet of typewrit-
and logos conjure up certain feelings and resonanc-
ten paper with a car and call it done. There has to be
es dependent upon the content surrounding them.
a solid conceptual bridge between the original font
Certain images and their presentation make us feel
and the distressed output. Making these connections
a company is conservative; others make them seem
with photographs and logos is easy; typography is
more cutting-edge. Sometimes, our clients challenge
another beast entirely.
our interpretations, and a designer must know how to
address those concerns.
Future
Penmanship

Strange
Chemistry

The Goal
Design a futuristic logo using a hand-drawn solution The Goal
Extend this logo into Flash animation, stationery, A cover for an annual report using a handwritten
or a Web site solution with refined photography
Design an online experience that animates these

The True Goal
two different aesthetics
Discover how to handle seemingly conflicting
aesthetics The True Goal
Understand how to research challenging ideas Understand how creative juxtapositions generate
novel, potent relationships
When To Use It
Avoid politics, sticking to the task at hand
Designers who are showing a profound lack of
research skills, or who are showing a weakness in When To Use It
being able to synthesize research information
Surrounding discussions of the emotional
In any class where there is a marked lack of hand influence of particular design elements
illustration skills and/or understanding of the emo-
Designers see this challenge strictly as an
tional and rational impact of typeface choice
ideological exercise
Further Thoughts
Further Thoughts
Designers have to be able to teach themselves about
Putting opposite things together is a reliable way of
a particular field or product and then design appropri-
generating new and exciting relationships within a
ately for it. When we present work to a client, we have
design. But with this challenge, its the content that
to demonstrate a mastery of those concepts, even
can derail the process.
though we usually are not experts in that field.

Despite the type of client involved, this isnt about Gain an appreciation for how people of other
how we feel about chemicals or the green movement. backgrounds perceive common objects
Its about putting disparate concepts together and
studying how they interact. Public opinion toward the When To Use It
environment and toward industry is frenzied right now,
Groups of students from diverse backgrounds
but dont let students get caught up in the politics.
Make sure that students do not become distracted Groups that have exhibited polarized attitudes
by the ideas represented here. While it is important to (or single-minded executions)
be able to identify our ethics surrounding the clients
we feel comfortable representing, it is also important
Further Thoughts
to be able to recognize basic design problems even
within domains that may be ethically fraught. If we There is a great power in universal symbols. Olive
cant, then we lose the ability to migrate our execution branches mean peace, frowning faces mean sad-
skills from client to client. ness, snow means Christmas. Unless youre Jewish. Or
if you live in California. Or if
In short, this challenge is about nailing the basics.
There will be plenty of time in other challenges for Ah, symbols. We know how easy it is to miss the mark
them to struggle with ethical issues. when we assume everyone sees the same things that
we do. We attach meanings to pictures because of a
staggering variety of influences, most of them specific
to our families, our hometowns, or our social circles.
Three
in One
Everyone has a story to tell, and these stories have a
profound effect on how we perceive ordinary objects.
But we cant realistically design for each individual
The Goal
interpretation; eventually, we have to pick an image
Use a single item and accompanying text to and some text and make it work.
convey three different meanings
So for this challenge, encourage your students to
Storyboard your favorite execution for a talk about their images and the text they choose to
television spot accompany it. When we explore how text plays with
these perceptions and attitudes, we can watch how
The True Goal our reaction to an object changes. More importantly,
we can learn how to use text and images to change
Begin to understand the stories behind everyday
other peoples reactions. This is what effective adver-
items and how copy can manipulate those stories
tising is all about.
Students can really struggle with iteration, mostly

because they dont know how to incorporate failure
into their process If you think something, and its
terrible, no one will ever know. But you cant deny
whats staring back at you on the page.

10
x 10
The Goal
Design a container by drawing 100 sketches
Design a Web site for the container using the

same process
The True Goal
U
nderstand that there really is no limit to the ideas
in our mindswe just need to get them out of our
thoughts and onto paper
Confront truly terrible ideas and learn that they

are a powerful part of the design process
When To Use It
Designers who dont like making mistakes and

want to get it right quick
Around discussions concerning hand sketching

vs. computer work
Further Thoughts
Its trendy right now to talk about mind-body relation-

ships, about intuitiveness and flow. There are many
nebulous and sometimes bizarre ways that people
talk about the creative process. You can put all of that
stuff aside. Because like a lot of things, the truth is that
design is something you often have to physically do.
Sometimes, you cant think through a problem in your
head, you have to put pencil to paper and work on it
in the real world. With a deadline breathing down your
neck, you dont have time to figure out why such a
physical process works, youre just glad that it does.
Students can really struggle with iteration, mostly

because they dont know how to incorporate failure
into their process. Most dont know how to frame the
concept of failure, and this is true even of more expe-
rienced designers. Every one of the sketches gener-
ated for this challenge isnt going to be The One, and
facing the fact that we arent geniuses all the time is
a little humbling for some. If you think something, and
its terrible, no one will ever know. But you cant deny
whats staring back at you on the page.

Execution
and coming up with a brilliant headline that makes
Sixty
Second
Deadline
everyone want to buy dust bunnies. Its about seeing
the connections between the lofty and the mundane,
and realizing that any sort of material can contribute
The Goal to the effectiveness of our work.
Create billboard copy in sixty seconds The sixty-second deadline is an added bonus for dis-
cipline. Even the best marathon runner knows how to
Develop a series of billboards based on the most
sprint to the finish.
effective execution
The True Goal
Learn to think efficiently under extreme time Hey,

You
Made
That
Up!

pressure
Understand how design permeates our experi- The Goal

ence, and that everything and anything is fair
Invent a product based on a random combina-
game when it comes to generating concepts
tion of syllables and develop a storyboard for a
related motion-graphics piece
When To Use It
Add voiceover and music to the movie
S
tudents who idolize design as a pure, completely
artistic discipline
The True Goal
Whenever the class seems to be progressing at a
Learn how to set goals in open-ended scenarios
nice, safe pace
Think about how to describe products or ideas
Further Thoughts through motion
We can segregate parts of our life from design,

When To Use It
because we dont see how they contribute to our pro-
cess as designers. What does a toothbrush or a blue Designers who have little to no experience with
sock say about my process? your students may ask. It motion design
can say plenty if you let it, and once youve guided
Students who thrive on constraint-based
them through this challenge, theyll see why.
scenarios
Its easy to apply design principles to things that are
designery. But when we can see those principles Further Thoughts
at work around things like hammers, popcorn, and
Theres a strange relationship between the sound of a
headphonesthats when we know we understand
product name and the product itself. Certain letters
those principles. Its not about being a slick salesman
30 Teaching the Challenges: Execution

evoke specific emotions, and there have been Anytime the class needs to stretch their concep-
a number of articles written about the effects of tual thinking skills
sound on our purchasing decisions. In this challenge,
students will have to grapple with how the name of Further Thoughts
a product operates on a sensorial level with a poten-
Annual reports have to convey a vast amount of infor-
tial consumer.
mation to a diverse audience of shareholders. At the
All of those thoughts in the last paragraph about very minimum, a design team working on an annual
sound and feel in the naming of a product? A red report has to blend hard data, corporate political spin,
herring for your students. and idealized artwork. They have to make it work with
a foundation built largely of subjective interpretations.
The real reason why this one is such a challenge
And as an added challenge, all of those elements
and that it has defeated scores of designers to date
have to work together so well that the entire effect is
is because the name of the product has nothing to
subtle, not melodramatic or obvious.
do with it.
What students are actually doing here is designing

with absolute freedom around the content. Were
used to having tightly defined constraints driving
Were used to
our design process, and its difficult to do whatever
we want without any guidance. When solving this
having tightly defined
challenge, the name doesnt have to relate to the
product in any way whatsoever. A savvy designer
constraints driving
could plot a solution for anything and just tack
the name on at the end.
our design process.
But dont tell your students! Its difficult to do
whatever we want
Free
Association
without any guidance.
The Goal
Sometimes, the elements provided just dont form a
Create the cover of an annual report using three
cohesive whole. But we cant change a companys
unrelated elements
logo or their office mascot. We cant change where
Develop an interactive experience from the their headquarters is located or how attractive the
concept development team is. We have to build the best story
that we can.
The True Goal
When kicking off this challenge, be sure to have stu-
B
reak down expectations around logic, order, dents select the elements one at a time. Additionally,
and sensibility its best to do this challenge in class, if only to protect
the separate random generation of the three ele-
Learn to craft a visual narrative with wildly differ-
ments. Students can easily reverse-engineer the pro-
ent components
cess if given the opportunity. If there seems to be too
easy of an agreement between the three elements,
When To Use It
you may try having students pick one element for the
Students
who have difficulty perceiving trends or person on their left and then another for the person
common features across multiple elements on their right. Do whatever it takes to prevent relation-
ships from being drawn too quickly.
Teaching the Challenges: Execution 31

Further Thoughts
Im Feeling Really, There are two main approaches to explore for this
Really
Lucky
challenge, one for the client and one for the designer.
Of course, in the real world, we balance these two
approaches, but it can be helpful for young designers
The Goal to study each approach separately.
Redesign the user interface of a randomly Depending upon the needs of your class, you can
selected webpage look to the client for direction when he brings strongly
established work to an agency for improvement. In
Expand that redesign to the entire site
these situations, designers have to identify what com-
ponents contribute to the direction and image of the
The True Goal
company and eliminate those that detract from it
W
ork with strong, established Web sites or even if those components are highly functional within
within deeply embedded systems to find small the Web site.
but significant ways to better them
On the other side of the challenge is the approach
O
n a practical level, build a vocabulary for that identifies pieces within a web environment strictly
assessing the effectiveness and purpose of a by effectiveness and usability. Here, the designers
Web sites information architecture and user approach drives the project rather than the brand.
interface design While it may seem strange to analyze a Web site from
a purely functional perspective, its helpful to remind
Understand how interfaces can be broken down
your students that well-organized Web sites tell their
into constituent parts and how their qualities
own particular story about a company and its direc-
change when they are attached to or detached
tives. Its less a straightforward narrative and more like
from other elements in the design
how a stage is set for the story in advance.
When To Use It All in all, this is a very basic challenge. Though the
class could spend a lot of time in discussions about
Designers who seem too comfortable with
user-centered design vs. brand-centered design,
a design being donei.e. the ones that display
dont let those topics distract from the task at hand.
anger or anxiety when you suggest moving a
In this challenge, students are deciding in the initial
headline a few pixels
stages of design exactly whos calling the shots. Are
With younger students, as it is easy to divide we respecting the brand or our own experience? Are
a class into those that grew up with computers we able to tell the difference?
and those that didnt
In conjunction with conversations about working

with established brands
Informed choices about our tools help us make

informed choices about our processes. That
helps us develop effective work for our clients.

technology or media comes from being able to
extract from it exactly what makes it special and
It Sounds
Better
on Vinyl
vital to the task at hand. Why do we choose Adobe
Illustrator over a pencil and paper? When is a white-
board better than a handful of sticky notes?
The Goal
Informed choices about our tools help us make
Make an LP album cover that uses a photograph informed choices about our processes, and that helps
and transitions into illustration, or vice versa us develop effective work for our clients.
Design the back cover, sleeve, and label for the

record
Storybook
Ending

The True Goal
C
ombining skill sets and determining the
The Goal
common processes behind each
Develop a storybook for children
Using imagery to convey similar themes in a
different art form: music Ask a toddler to help finish the book
When To Use It The True Goal
Whenever
class is feeling a little too much like Learn to tell stories in their simplest form: as the
work progression of a single idea over time
Students who struggle with transferring and Learn how to establish closure as part of a long-
applying similar systems and vocabularies form narrative
across multiple media
When To Use It
Further Thoughts
Students overly comfortable with generating
The more things change, the more they stay the same. static ideas in single outputs, or the opposite,
The laymans definition of innovation requires that a ideas that open up to lots of potential but that
designer truly believe that something new can be have no final destination attached to them
brought into the world. And while its powerful to imag-
Designers worried about creating
ine the new and exciting things that certain technolo-
meaningful work
gies can bring to us, its helpful to remember that the
lessons we learned about the previous technology still
Further Thoughts
might apply. The systems can be transferred.
Telling stories is integral to what we do as designers,
The ways that we thought about vinyl records didnt
but all too often, we come up with a driving image
simply vanish when the compact disc came to market.
and leave it at that. Developing a campaign for a car
The same can be said about illustration, photography,
that says freedom or a perfume that says beauti-
and the Internet. Humans have developed very specif-
ful is relatively easy. But moving that idea across time
ic ways to talk about the representation of an image,
can be difficult, even though its what makes really
regardless of how that representation occurs. There
fantastic work. What happens when the customer
may be things that can be done in film that cant be
buys freedom, and where does it take them? How
done on stage, but the ideas represented by both art
do we communicate the possible journeys contained
forms remain the same.
in a technology or service?
By deeply exploring the similarities in representative
Students will be building a foundation for things like
systems, we can more clearly understand and exploit
developing personas, targeting demographics, and
those differences. The true power of a particular
creating integrated campaignsstorytelling as a

professional discipline. But you dont have to tell them Further Thoughts
that. The first thing for them to master is how to actu-
This is a practical challenge, because it deals with the
ally write a story, and that means that the work needs
repercussions of research. In order to create a good
a beginning, a middle, and an end. On the surface,
series, students are going to have to decide what
this seems counter to everything that we do; were
would be covered in each book. Philosophy is com-
supposed to be letting the customer decide the story.
plicated. There are hundreds of schools, philosophers,
We give them choices and freedom and all of that.
movements, and concepts to sort through. Beyond
But people dont really work that way. They dont exist the obvious task of making books that look good
in a vacuum. They communicate in stories. They need together, are the challenges of setting boundaries,
inspiration. They compare. They cant forge their own determining categories, and deciding what moves to
path if they dont feel like they know what the other the final product and what gets left behind.
options are.
Invariably, a student will ask Should I include
Storytelling in design is a good way to communicate Philosopher X? Heres our answer:
to your team and your client what youre doing. Its
We screen out information all day long, usually
a good way to focus your research and narrow your
because of efficiency. We dont need to look at the
approach. But when you really push the concept,
sky to know if its raining. We decide that the question
storytelling is about giving your audience tools they
of Is it raining? can be better answered by listening
can apply. The childrens book in Creative Workshop is
for the rain, or by looking for puddles, or other informa-
about patience. Children take the story and apply it to
tion. We prioritize the available options. The activity of
their lives. If its not applicable, it wont resonate. And if
looking at the sky doesnt make it to the final product.
it doesnt resonate, it wont create the most rewarding
Does Philosopher X give you any information that
thing in our careers: meaning.
couldnt be obtained elsewhere? Or is Philosopher X
the preferred way of acquiring that knowledge?
If students need more work in this area, you can

Dead
Philosophers
Rock
dramatically increase the amount of time for the chal-
lenge in order to ask for more detail in the execution
and the overall editorial approach for the books. They
The Goal
can produce a table of contents or a timeline for
Create a set of philosophy books that are each book. Have students compare their organiza-
visually linked tional systems, so everyone receives broad exposure
to the different ways that complex information can
Use those concepts in an interactive timeline
be prioritized by different people. They should be pre-
for a Web site
pared to explain and defend their decisions in front
of the class regarding what might be included in the
The True Goal
individual books.
Learn
to research and prioritize information
Develop boundaries to narrow focus within over-

whelming topics or fields
Opposites
Attract

When To Use It
The Goal
Designers that have only had to create single
itemsan ad here, a poster there Design a book cover
Students that have developed style sheets and Repeat the process using a specific pre-deter-
visual systems, but may need help in applying mined constraint on the output (collage, type-
that knowledge to more complicated approach- only, etc)
es beyond just typefaces, colors, and margins

The True Goal
Explore
objectivity and control in representing
these concepts Book
Report

Determine individual opinions around cultural
norms or restrictions The Goal
Turn a book synopsis into a book cover

When To Use It
Either continue the design into front matter and
Designers
looking for ways to make their work
chapter headings, or read the book and make
more politically viable
appropriate revisions
Around discussions regarding gender, discrimina-
tion, idealism, and social agreement The True Goal
Efficient storytelling
Further Thoughts
Identifying single images to convey story themes
We carry a lot of cultural baggage. Our cultures
opinions about abstract ideas such as peace, beauty,
When To Use It
good, and bad can be seen in nearly everything,
from the colors we use to identify gender to the prod- Students who come from disparate educational
ucts that television characters have in their homes. and cultural backgrounds
Were faced with all sorts of subtle (and sometimes not
Designers who have worked alone for long
so subtle) messages on a regular basis about how we
periods of time
should or shouldnt interact with the world around us.
This challenge is about learning to identify those influ- Further Thoughts

ences. Its about understanding what words really
Book covers tell the story of a story. They have to bal-
mean, to ourselves and to each other. It is not about
ance representing another persons view while also
being different or about rejecting the opinions of oth-
justifying their presence as an essential contributor.
ers. If two people disagree on what it means to be
Just like a designer
beautiful, one of them is not normal while the other
is subversive. They simply view those concepts from Depending upon how advanced your students are,
different perspectives, both of which are vital to a you can easily restrict this challenge to revolve around
flourishing culture. its most basic lesson: listening to others. How much
information can we glean about a topic from only a
On the other hand, this challenge isnt carte blanche
few minutes of explanation? How quickly can we iden-
to put any old image on the cover because someone,
tify and communicate the main topics and images
somewhere, will find that it speaks to them. This project
from a particular experience? How much does our
can help people establish and explain normal
relationship with a person influence the information
(or demographically applicable) for a particular
that we extract?
project so they can build conceptual systems from
that viewpoint. Once your students are ready to move this assignment
beyond listening, you can start a discussion about
How much does our relationship with a person

influence the information that we extract?

balance in creative work. Its frustrating to watch a then into the world as a 3D object again. This is the
movie trailer that gives away the whole film. Its irritat- first challenge in the book that exploits these com-
ing when a commercial is too obvious. Designs can plexities, because unlike the 10 x 10 challenge, this
careen out of control sooner than we think; suddenly requires three unified outcomes to the problem.
a layout that casually informed now tells us far too
On a side note, though the design examples in the
much. The push and pull of visual storytelling requires
book involve the same product shape with slightly
delicate balance.
different label options, remind your students that the
As designers, we want to be true to the vision and form need not be the same for each version of the
voice of our clients, but we dont want to be parrots. product. Can they develop a consistent visual system
After all, we have our own unique talents to wield. How for a series of products where the container itself
do we turn someone elses experience into something defines its use rather than the label?
universally appealing without it becoming exploitative,
or worse, dishonest? And how do we do all of that in a
way that makes us look good?
Totally
Cereal

He
Shaves,
She Shaves
The Goal
Design a cereal package based on a brief mar-

keting statement
The Goal
Sketch a flattened view of the package that
Design gender-specific and gender-neutral
shows all of the panels
packaging
Place these products in a display and incorpo- The True Goal

rate them into a point-of-purchase environment
Work on that old chestnut: showing, not telling
and when to let this imperative drive the design
The True Goal
process
Learn to transition work from the page to the
Understand why certain products need to be
physical world
seen rather than described
Uncover how we interact with design elements
within 3D space When To Use It
Designers who need more experience with

When To Use It
designing a story around a parity product
Designers
without product design experience
Students who have trouble visualizing dimension-
Around introductions to form and how the shap- al packaging concepts
ing of a substrate can dictate a design direction
Further Thoughts
Further Thoughts
Further on the product design front, this challenge lets
Were trained to think of the page (or the screen) as a designers work with packagings role in visualization
launch pad, a space that allows us to realize our wild- rather than its role as logo holder.
est designs. But the page is a flat surface, and design-
What does that mean? In the previous challenge, we
ers need to be in a different headspace altogether
looked at shaving cream, a product that doesnt
when they use the page to design 3D products.
need to be seen in order to be sold. The labeling
This is not about shading or drawing techniques; its merely has to describe the product from a functional
about the mental complexities involved in moving a perspective. We need to know who makes it and
3D shape from your head to the 2D space of the page, when to use it. No ones going to eat it.

Cereal packaging, like most food packaging, is a the audience guess part of the challenge sounds
challenge specifically because people do eat the fun, its actually the most important part. Like a book
contents. There are very few boxes of the stuff out cover, DVD packaging has to sell the product inside.
there that dont have a picture of at least one or But a DVD is selling visual images rather than the
two flakes on the front (enlarged to show detail). audiences imagining of those images. As a result, a
Consumers want to see what they eat, and a picture designer working with video or film has to communi-
can easily tell them about the crisped rice, raisins, or cate a story with a greater degree of precision.
choco-biscuits. Plus, pictures leave room on the box
Theres an entire cinematic philosophy around how
for the nutritional information, which isnt so easy to
certain angles, motifs, and even wardrobes commu-
convey in a photograph.
nicate critical details to an audience. But a designer
Encourage your students to play with the idea of doesnt necessarily need to understand all of that to
showing as a way of telling about a product. Note that create an effective package. Students will need to
the examples in the book play with how the cereal come up with a good story and then design for that
is shown; some have illustrations, while others have story; generating their own ideas will be enough of a
clear panels to display the actual product. What challenge without having to worry if the design really
determines a designers decision to show the actual says, The butler did it!
product as opposed to a representation of it? There
The Take It Further for this challenge will help students
are many examples of this on the market with different
work with a larger form, which of course means that
products. Why do we need to see the actual pencils
they have to further refine their original output. Use this
we buy but not fish sticks?
poster constraint with students are struggling to sim-
plify their designs.
Imaginary
Film
Creature
Feature

The Goal
Design a DVD cover for an imaginary film The Goal
Design a movie poster for that film Design a Web site about the history of monster
movies
The True Goal
Design an interactive experience around a par-
L earn how to make single images convey com- ticular monster movie
plex stories, successfully
Understand the vocabulary of images and text

within a cinematic context
When To Use It Designs can careen out of

Designers
who are coming from or moving into control sooner than we think;
the realm of video
suddenly a layout that casually
Around conversations of visual complexity
specifically when a design should be simplified
informed now tells us far
and how to do it too much. The push and pull
Further Thoughts
of visual storytelling requires
This challenge works very well with Book Report.
delicate balance.
Its the same concept in reverse. Though the have

The True Goal
L earn how to construct taxonomies for Web site

information architecture Ten-Second
Film
Festival

Explore how to art direct Web sites to include
more immersive video content The Goal
Create the user interface for a short movie festival

When To Use It
Consider the ramifications of shorter movies
Designers
ready to tackle larger Web sites with
five seconds or even two
more intricate information architecture
Students looking to incorporate video into their The True Goal

Web site designs
Think about sequential content and how to orga-
nize it
Further Thoughts
Minimize the amount of effort it takes for a user to
This is another challenge that builds on the lessons
move through a large volume of data to access
learned in a previous challenge; this time, its Dead
content they want
Philosophers Rock. The key difference here is that,
even at its most comprehensive, the history of monster
When To Use It
movies is relatively short and sweet when compared
to the history of philosophy. Whenever your students have become compla-
cent or over-confident in their Web site design
Its easy to put a lot of information on a Web site, but
skills
its difficult to make the content useable, let alone
entertaining. Designers have to plan the journey of a In discussions about effort and ease within inter-
user through a system. Each question in the construc- face design
tion of the monster movie site points to a particular
skill required for effective Web design. Further Thoughts
Deciding on an effective way to let a user search for a We dont mean to bait-and-switch on you, but some-
particular movie, for example, can lead a student in times its best to sneak up on a lesson in order to
any number of directions. Are movies identified by title capture it. This challenge has nothing to do with the
and year? What about theme or actor? Is there a way actual output. The Web site is secondary. This chal-
to find movies that are based on classic horror novels? lenge is about determining how to deal with so many
Designers can apply any organizational system theyd tiny pieces of film.
like to the site; they just have to defend their decisions.
Social media has transformed the way we think

about the effective length of a communicated idea.
And while social networking tools are a nice place
to start for students that are stuck, they dont
address the root of the problem.

Ten seconds isnt very long. If your students think this Because the more stuff ideal can backfire, causing
one is too easy, just ask them to quantify one key com- brand confusion or even indifference among consum-
ponent of the user experienceexactly how many ers. The question here is whether you can design an
clicks is it going to take to watch all of the movies in effective selling environment with a limited number
the festival? What if there are 50 films? Over a hun- of products. Can your students conjure a space
dred? If theyre paying attention, your students will be that entices people to buy, simply by being a well-
cowed by the cacophany of clicks filling their heads. designed space? Can a companys product (and
The ideal user experience is going to take work. their store) become successful, not because it has
blanketed every corner of the market with dozens of
Social media has transformed the way that we think
unique products, but because it does one thing and
about the effective length of a communicated idea.
does it well?
And while social networking tools are a nice place to
start for students that are stuck, they dont address the If there are students struggling with environmental
root of the problem. These short films have to be dis- design, send them back to He Shaves, She Shaves.
played, rated, selected, and sorted with relative ease, Environmental design is a large can of shaving cream;
and that has its own inherent complexity. well-thought out and elegant packaging design fits
within it. We are already conditioned to think of a store
as a place where you buy things, so thinking of the
store itself as a large package shouldnt be too much
Ive
Got
a Golden
Ticket
of a stretch.
The Goal
Design a store experience with only three Flapping

in the Wind
products
Make a physical prototype of those products The Goal
Develop a guerrilla marketing campaign

The True Goal
Write an experience of this event from an as-it-
B
egin to design for an experience rather than for
happens perspective to refine the overall idea
individual content items
Think about overall brand decisions rather than The True Goal
specific pieces of merchandise
Build methods to communicate highly personal
experiences in objective terms
When To Use It
Learn to communicate anticipated outcomes
As
an introduction to environmental and interior
that are not directly sales-related to clients
design
Students who are less experienced in brand or When To Use It

theme-driven designs
Designers needing to work on personal communi-
cation skills
Further Thoughts
Students who have not done design work around
The viability of a space is driven by market forces. If
real-world experiences
you arent buying something there, its a bad store.
And the more product that you have in a store, the
Further Thoughts
more money you can make. Stores have stuff. The
more stuff, the more profit. Its all pretty simple. And Guerrilla marketing events are just that: events.
insidious. And like most events, we relate them to others in

photographs or status updates, because we under- inflexible. We sculpt our content to fit the grid, trim-
stand that every persons experience of that event is ming video windows and scooting menu bars around
unique. From a marketing perspective, however, we like Tetris blocks. Designers are proud when their
have to be focused. It has to raise brand awareness. Herculean efforts to make it fit yield a dizzying for-
People cant just have their own grand time while our tress of perfectly arranged rectangles and squares.
client gets nothing.
None of those strategies will work for this particular
The Take it Further will help students work with their client, whose entire brand goes against that aesthetic.
own vocabulary around subjective events. Students Designers have to maintain the grid on Web sites
probably wont have a lot of experience in objectify- for obvious reasons, but it is possible to fold a sense
ing personal experience. Its not a skill many of us of openness into the interface. Challenge your stu-
have to begin with. When we communicate with dents to find other ways to keep their content straight.
clients, however, we have to turn uniquely personal If your students have ever studied the Fibonacci
experiences with singular events into relatable stories sequence, they can tell you that its easy to see it
for our clients to invest in. Our target audiences have clearly in the nautilus shell. But do they know its also
to be unique, but not so unique that they wont fit into in the center of a sunflower, a structure few think of
a particular archetype or demographic. If we give as being orderly?
a client too many individuals to design for, the event
looks less like marketing genius and more like an
entertaining distraction.
Sell
Me a Bridge

Going
to Seed
The Goal
Make a compelling online banner for a low-

excitement place
The Goal
Develop a rich media ad to romance the actual
Make an online magazine with a unique grid
location
Transition this online experience into a print
solution The True Goal
Learn how to finish assignments that you really

The True Goal
dont want to do
L earn the difference between use of grid systems
See above, this is a very difficult thing!
for the Internet and grid systems for the printed
pagethey each have their own quirks
When To Use It
F ind out how to make a grid feel invisible
Students who have not worked in the real world
When To Use It Designers overly attached to their politics, their

typefaces, or their hipster license
Designers
transitioning to the Internet from print
Students whose designs are overly strict or rigid Further Thoughts

in appearance
It would great if our careers contained an endless
stream of cool projects. We could be art directing
Further Thoughts
photo shoots on exotic tropical islands, designing
Its two dozen exercises later, and the grid is still posters for blockbuster movies, or spending long
important. dreamy days putting the finishing touches on our
3,977th album cover design for artists like U2. But a
Organizationally speaking, the grid systems used
career in design doesnt always work that way.
on the Internet are solid. They are consistent and

We sometimes have to take on projects we dont Further Thoughts
want, working for clients we dont like. We might not
Weve all got talent. And we all know where to find tal-
even realize how terrible a project is until were several
ent if we dont have it: the people we know. But after
weeks into it.
a while, we can sink into familiar relationships with our
Figuring out how to stay motivated during these dark- talents and our friends. We become known for that
est of hours is the number-one challenge for any one cell phone ad we did a few years back. We have
creative professional. And the fickle nature of creative the dog portrait lady on speed-dial. At first, its style.
motivation means that were continually reassess- Then, we move on to stuck.
ing what helps to motivate our best work. Barrelling
Style is really about preferences and the decisions
through one project might require Pink Floyds The
we make that appeal to us. As designers, we tend to
Wall on continuous loop, while the next late night
have a greater technical mastery within the media
might demand pounds of dark chocolate.
we prefer. From the wonders of ravioli to the effort-
Students develop a sense of their strengths and weak- lessness of Helvetica, we simply have a more robust
nesses with particular skills and programs pretty fast. vocabulary for what we like. In this challenge, stu-
But beyond those tools and skills, we always have a dents will first have to identify their preferences, then
client who needs us to deliver a convincing final prod- decide on what would comprise its opposite. Are
uctno matter whether were disconnected from the hand-drawn scribbles really the opposite of sans-serif
subject matter at hand or just plain hung over. typefaces? Have them explain their choices, as subtle
design preferences can permeate work when no
Sometimes our most powerfuland overlookedtool
ones looking.
is willpower.
Sleeping is a good metaphor for discussions around
style. When we step away from the daily grind to sleep,
we encounter the weird and wonderful inside of us.
Lets
Take
a Nap
The Goal
Create a poster using techniques that are in Figuring out how

opposition to your usual style
Print the poster and observe peoples reactions

to stay motivated
to it
during these darkest
The True Goal
of hours is the number-
W
ork to define your personal style and find ways
to expand your repertoire one challenge for any
In Take it Further, begin to work with observing
reactions to design in the general public
creative professional
When To Use It
Sometimes our
Students
who have yet to develop a style, or those most powerful
in denial about the obviousness of their style
On the subject of the challenge: conversations

and overlooked
about work-life balance
tool is willpower.

Materiality
the readability of the quotation could easily devolve in
Type
Face order for the portrait itself to become more apparent.
Controlling this balance between typographic leg-

ibility and illustration fidelity is completely up to you.
The Goal
If you want the portrait to be perfectly clear, or vice
Construct a typographic portrait out of versa, be sure to specify. Of course, the ultimate chal-
quotations lenge would be to ask your students to deliver both on
equal terms.
Construct a portrait of multiple people
The True Goal
T hink of type as an illustrative facet of design Lick

it Good

Understand how legibility truly functions within a
design The Goal
Make a set of six stamps

When To Use It
Design a commemorative booklet for the stamps
Designers who are weak illustratorsthey prob-
ably know who they are
The True Goal
Students needing extra help in pairing images
Develop a series within a limited style
with copy elements
Understand how size influences fidelity
Further Thoughts
When To Use It
This challenge revisits the work begun in Easy as
ABC from earlier in the book. Students learned in Around conversations about size and visibility
that challenge to view and construct letterforms
Students needing to learn how to be flexible
from materials drawn from the outside world. Here,
about when its appropriate to detail their work
they are being asked to mould those letters into
illustrative components, which seems easy. However,
Further Thoughts
were frequently taught that the most important thing
about a typeface is its legibility and transparency for Designers face a steep learning curve when extreme
content. If you cant read it, you should change it size enters their world. Working on the fringes, large
make it simpler! and small, demands a more iconic style. Billboard
ads dont have the capacity to convey the volume
For this challenge, that dictum is turned on its head.
of content that a magazine ad can. This may seem
Depending upon the chosen illustrative style and
odd, at first, considering that one is substantially larger
typeface selection (or creation) made by the student,
42 Teaching the Challenges: Materiality

than the other. The fact is, once we reduce or explode while powerful, is only as strong as the designer at
something past a certain size, we lose fidelity. the keyboard. And while interacting with the real
world is an important part of being a designer, it
The intricacy of the illustration styles can be tricky
can be a tough sell for those born and bred using
for students. Theyll watch as their seventeen-layer
computer tools. Some people dont want to deal
collage stamp loses all detail and dimension when
with clients or be outside taking pictures of bridges.
reduced to something less than an inch wide. This
Theyll never have to ask a photographer to adjust
lesson easily transfers to treatments involving things
the depth of field to make the copy more legible or
like company logos and photographs. There are
to tone down the contrast so the logo really pops.
times when every pixel has to be perfect, and there
These masters of post-production can do it all with
are times when no ones going to be able to see the
Adobe Creative Suite.
brown gecko perched on the second leaf from the
top of the first palm tree in that commemorative post- There is something to be said for staying inside and
age stamp from Bali. working away. However, there comes a point in every
designers career where she has to render a realistic
But realistically, the distances involved when viewing a
object. And good rendering requires a complete
billboard have the same effect. Whether big or small,
understanding of the form in order to represent it
this design problem will show up eventually.
realistically on screen. It could be an apple or a car;
So if they teach the same lesson, why did we pick it really doesnt matter. If she hasnt manipulated and
postage stamps over billboards? observed three-dimensional objects in the real world,
her attempts at reproducing them on a computer
Postage stamps are a lot easier to fit in a classroom.
dont stand a chance. Shes a mouse-click away
from the drop shadow of death.
Never
Tear Us Apart

Trompe
LOh
Wow

The Goal
Make a poster out of torn objects The Goal
Decide how the designs elements from the poster Make a logo that incorporates an optical illusion
could be used in a live setting
Create a corresponding branding kit that
includes a magic trick
The True Goal
Work
in three dimensions, without a computer The True Goal
Gain a vocabulary for discussing representations Fail as a group (probably)

of real objectsespecially via the medium of
Celebrate individual genius (hopefully)
photography
When To Use It
When To Use It
Around discussions of easy projects
D
esigners lacking photography skills or the abil-
ity to talk about photography (especially texture, Whenever your class needs to fail, or whenever
lighting, and dimensionality) they need a class hero
Students who are too attached to their computers

Further Thoughts
Further Thoughts This challenge can be deceiving. We know a lot of

individual optical illusions, but its difficult to finesse
Its another anti-computer challenge! By now, your
those into workable designs.
students should have discovered that the computer,
Teaching the Challenges: Materiality 43

So as the instructor, your job is a simple one: let your between eye-catching and plain old ugly?
students fail. This will probably be the first challenge
The second path is a little more time-consuming,
that few can complete in the time limit to a level of
but it can be a great way to introduce people to the
satisfaction. Plus, depending on the experience of
concept of responsibility in design without requiring
your students, this may be the first project that any of
a sermon.
them have ever failed. Most designers dont get the
opportunity to think about how to process failure and We design things with sustainability in mind, use
talk to clients under those circumstances. soy-based inks, and try to keep unethical companies
out of our portfolios. Many a designer has vowed to
Then again, you might have a student who really
never work for an oil company. Appropriation can be
delivers. In that case, its a great opportunity for
a dirty word.
your class to learn how to celebrate inspired design.
Recognizing the efforts of others, especially when What about plaid, though? Historically, the tartan is
theyre doing better work than you are, is an essential representative of a particular culture, and the color
skill for any designer. We learn a lot when we combinations are unique to each clan. Will your stu-
make mistakes, but we can learn just as much dents research this to find an arrangement that hasnt
when others dont. been used? Are alcohol companies off-limits while
their selected plaid is fine? This is a great opportunity
for students to understand what cultural meanings
may be hidden within the patterns they select, and
I Heart
Plaid
Candles
their limits around what they include in their work.
The Goal
Design a high-end candle whose package incor- Outdoor

Wedding

porates a plaid pattern
Expand to paisley, or design an advertisement for The Goal

release of the candles
Make a set of wedding invitations out of natural
materials
The True Goal
Make decisions regarding mass production of the
Challenge notions of attractiveness
cards
Begin to explore ethics and responsibility in
design The True Goal
Work within a tight series, without taking copy ele-

When To Use It
ments for granted in terms of consistency
S
tudents who frequently borrow motifs from other
Begin to plan assembly timetables and learn how
sources as inspiration
to adjust them
Designers who need to explore more linear
Understand the complexities around how we
designs or that need more work with color theory
describe and label art
Further Thoughts
When To Use It
There are two main paths for this challenge; feel free
Students lacking significant prototyping or assem-
to choose according to the needs of your class.
bly experience
The first path is more obvious. Plaid can be garish and
Students requiring work in designing a tightly con-
hard to coordinate with. Of course, a lot of people
trolled series
find plaid brands, such as Burberry, not only attractive
but also collectible. Can your students toe this line

Further Thoughts
There are many different things happening in this

challenge. Well briefly touch on just three. Crane
Promotion

First, some students may have had experience design-
ing a series, but this challenge is a little tighter in The Goal
scope. Each invitation they create has to convey the
Design a brochure that incorporates origami
same information, and its only the decorative details
that differ. Because of this, your students may take Design brochures that interlock
consistency for granted.
The True Goal
Think of paper-crafting and prototyping in a new,

different light
A brochure that doubles Uncover multiple uses for a single design, incor-
porating layered thinking
as origami can imply
When To Use It
complexity and precision Students who have had little experience in work-
in the same way as ing with the medium of paper
Students who think they know print design

the architecture of inside out, and need to learn what they dont
know about the complexities of dimensional
an elegant building. paper design
Further Thoughts
Were halfway through the book; its time for some-

Next, from a timetable perspectivethis may be one thing really cool!
of the first projects where a student is having to com-
Origami has a rich history, and it has recently expe-
plete multiple pieces for a project with a production
rienced a renaissance of sorts. Paper-manipulation
mindset. As you finesse the assignment, theyll have
and folding isnt just for kids anymore; scientists use it
to decide how to best develop a flow for assembling
for atomic modeling. Its a unique way to talk about
each finished piece. Help them make any adjust-
multiplicity in design. Can a piece work on multiple
ments necessary for them to focus on shoring up
levels, not only from a functionality perspective but
weaknesses in their production skills.
also on a representation level?
And finally, while we make a lot of unique works as
Students may struggle with the origami mechanism
designers, very little could ever be considered art. This
itself, and thats okay. We dont have to master every
challenge, including the Take it Further, can open
challenge thrown at us. The important thing for the
significant discussions around how we label art. Each
students who fumble their folds is that they internalize
invitation is unique, but its being mass-produced for
how form can provide another level of meaning to our
commercial purposes. Is it design? Is it art? What if
work. A brochure that doubles as origami can imply
one person assembles them all? What about three?
complexity and precision in the same way as the
How are their answers influenced by the classic studio
architecture of an elegant building, or the unfolding
art system, in which a single artist employs multiple
of a delightful user interface design.
workers to execute proprietary designs?

quickly if they expended the time and energy to fully
execute every interface concept that came to mind.
Just
My Prototype

The Goal
Reduce, Reuse,
Generate a web site redesign through paper Redecorate

prototyping
Move a user interface design in a more functional The Goal

direction by incorporating tool tips, menus, or
Design a piece of furniture out of bulk recyclable
other navigation
materials
The True Goal Show how the piece would be sold online
B
egin thinking about usability and functionality,
The True Goal
and how those ideas might be compromised
without exploring physical representations of a Start discussions about waste and sustainability in
system design with clients
D
iscuss the differences between screen testing Educate ourselves about reusability strategies, as
and physical testing methods most of us are already familiar with strategies for
reducing resource impact at the start of a project
When To Use It
When To Use It
A
round instruction about prototyping
Students with little practical experience in
When discussing the importance of usability
sustainability
Further Thoughts Designers accustomed to producing interfaces,

where concerns about disposability and reuse
Much like Im Feeling Really, Really Lucky, this chal-
may be minimized
lenge will force designers to play with the information
architecture and overall organization of content for a
Further Thoughts
user interface. The use of physical prototyping allows
the students to go through an easy-to-understand The actual output of this challenge is less important
process before they jump onto the computer to apply than your students understanding that there is a real
spit and polish. physical cost to producing material for clients. A sim-
ple red-and-white swirling holiday design on a paper
This also provides a venue for students to begin think-
cup for a powerful client can introduce thousands of
ing about how to test their organizational ideas before
pounds of waste in a very short time, depending upon
they fully execute any interface design. Encourage
the scope of the project. How do you measure the
your students to take their raw, interim paper pro-
impact of the cups manufacture, usage, and dispos-
totypes and put them in front of people. Does the
al, and more importantly, can you take some measure
arrangement of content make sense? What would
of responsibility for it?
those people expect if they were to click on one of the
items on the page? Do the words on each sticky note While we may not be able to convince our clients to
make sense to them? hold off on sending a million pieces of direct market-
ing through the mail, as opposed to only announc-
The lower the fidelity in a user interface design, the
ing their big annual sale on their Web site, we can
more a designer can focus on meeting your users
encourage them to use recycled or reclaimed materi-
expectations regarding content arrangement. This
als in production. We can educate them about reus-
is information students may not be able to glean as
ability strategies for their particular product. We can

Some clients will never consider (or even be
aware of) alternatives until we suggest them.
Sustainability efforts are most effective when
they are part of the overall design strategy,
rather than treated as an afterthought.
start the conversation and be informed about the might call craft-only tools, which do not lend them-
available options. Some clients will never consider (or selves to the individual artist looking to quickly mass-
even be aware of) alternatives until we suggest them. produce a design idea in a cost-effective manner.
Sustainability efforts are most effective when they are Can you imagine making 10,000 business cards out of
part of the overall design strategy, rather than treated needle, thread, and cloth?
as an afterthought.
This challenge will help designers understand the time
cost that comes from wanting to place individual flour-
ishes onto items that are mass producedeither for
Printed
and Sewn
efficiency of production, to minimize overall cost, or to
achieve effects that cant be made easily in the home,
like embossing and debossing.
The Goal
Such treatments often help a design idea transcend
Craft an identity system that incorporates sewn the ordinary and truly stand out for a client, but every
elements designer must be aware of the cost of each flourish,
both in person-hours, hard costs, and corners that
Extend that motif into a Web-based system
cant be cut without degrading the original idea
into a ghost of its former glory. After all, who wants
The True Goal
a sublime design idea to unravel before their very
D
etermine how to incorporate individual flourishes eyes because of a detail that the client didnt want
into an identity system to pay for?
Think about the small ways that our style perme-

ates our work
Record Store
When To Use It
Puppet
Theatre

Students who would like craftier projects
Designers feeling as though most of their projects

The Goal
cant be influenced by their personal style
Develop a 30-second commercial shot in one
Further Thoughts take with no effectswith puppets!
There are standard tools we reach for that are part of Design an in-store event with the puppets
our artists arsenal: pencil, eraser, pen, whiteboard,
paintbrush, and so forth. Then, there are what we

The True Goal
S
tart building a framework for video prototyping
Work within the frame, and learn about how to

actualize what you are pre-visualizing in your
mind
When To Use It
S
tudents without extensive film production
experience
Designers lacking the eye to develop high quality

executions the first time out
Further Thoughts
Many a photography instructor laments the digital

age. Computer programs give us the ability to do
nearly anything with our images, but we lose a lot
of discipline in the initial stages of creation when we
can fix it in post. We sacrifice quality for the bells and
whistles of the finishing touches.
We can also lose the ability to see whats in front of us,

because were always looking to the future. Imagine
how powerful our photographs, layouts, and logos
would be if we stopped thinking about fixing our mis-
takes after the fact. How much more effective would
our ideas be if they were already there in what we
captured, if they wereusing trendy slangreal
and authentic?
In raw video, especially how its handled in this

challenge, students cant hide a flawed concept.
Impromptu video exchanges like this reveal the holes
in any raw ideas, because without the shine of post-
production, students are forced to process exactly
what they see during filming. They may think theyre
making the puppets talk while on camera, but the
truth is the opposite once they start to watch whats
been recorded.

Instruction
On the other hand, when anyone and everyone is
Robot Army telling us what to do, we can lose sight of exactly what
goes into effective teaching and instruction. We also
Mail-Order
Kit might not have time to explain our work in the same
way that we did at college.
The Goal In this challenge, students have to figure out exactly

how to tell someone what to do within a very short
Design a robot that can be assembled in
time period. Instructions must be precise and effec-
10 minutes with instructions
tive; dont allow them to provide any extra screws in
Extend that design into a robot that can be this project. There should be no waste in the process
personalized that each student defines.
The True Goal
W
ork within time constraints and learn to appre-
Poster
by Numbers

ciate skilled and unskilled approaches to those
constraints
The Goal
Determine
instructions for what you create for
others to followand how to write them Design a set of instructions to make a poster
Provide feedback to your designer based on the

When To Use It
product
Designers who have just left school or are new to
an agency setting The True Goal
Older and more experienced students ready to Learn to balance control and direction in design
improve mentoring skills when dealing with other people
Teaching students how to consider the creation

Further Thoughts
of a creative brief
Designers dont often get to order people around,
at least not at the beginning of their careers. Were When To Use It
always someones lackey.
Students who have never supervised another
On the one hand, this is a good thing. In those first designer
few years, were unlearning a lot of bad habits from
Students who have supervised other designers,
school. Almost every situation is a process or fea-
but that are uncomfortable with the process
ture of an application that is new to us. Were being
instructed all the time.
Teaching the Challenges: Instruction 49

Further Thoughts than making pasta. As soon as you give in to students
complaining about how pasta is too simple, youll
This challenge is less about creating more robots (a l
invite all sorts of trouble into this challenge. A student
the previous challenge) and more about control and
who cant manage to construct a visual narrative
art direction. In effect, this challenge is about con-
around a simple task has no business asking for
structing a creative brief.
something more difficult. This is about observation, not
Within a short period of time, students will need to execution, and we dont know how anyone can be
determine not only the instructions for assembling a too good at observing behavior.
poster, but also how to negotiate the aspects of those
As designers, we cant try to change a process unless
instructions that they cant (or dont want to) control.
we understand it. We need to know it inside and out,
Are they really going to specify where each line of
and there are relatively few that we can simply imag-
copy will go by using measurements in millimeters? Or
ine in our heads. We have to see it and watch how
is their approach more freeform, which can also be
things play out. Simple tasks like pasta preparation
a minefield if their instructions involve too many ele-
are straightforward, but they still incorporate the indi-
ments and not enough direction?
vidual style and flair of the user. If we miss these details,
If you have a little more time, you can have each assuming that its just a simple task, we miss most of
student create their poster and then write the instruc- the opportunities for improving an experience.
tions from it. Have them withhold their own poster until
Further on that last pointthis is also a good experi-
another student has finished following their directions.
ence for students to talk about cultural fixations on
Then, have them analyze the differences to see where
improvement. If were constantly looking to improve
they are comfortable in giving up control, and where
something, how will we ever appreciate what we have
their instructions may need to be finessed.
when it really is perfect? This isnt about allowing mis-
takes; its about understanding the essential nature
of certain ways that we work as humans. There are
Seeing
What
Sticks
things about who we are and how we function that
dont need to be fixed.
The Goal
Execute a one-page visual that explains how you

Check
Me Out
make pasta
Use that visual to improve one or more steps in

The Goal
your process
Improve the checkout experience at a local gro-
The True Goal cery store by developing a user flow
Learning
to observe before adjusting behavior Ask test subjects to interact with your ideas
through prototyping
Understanding process before attempting to
improve it
The True Goal
When To Use It Learn to incorporate and explain significant vari-

ables within a user flow
Students who are quick to critique work
Wield observational methods in a bustling live
Designers who need more observation-based
setting
experience
When To Use It
Further Thoughts
Students beginning work in user experience and
Whatever you do, dont make this more complicated
ready to move into the field of design research
50 Teaching the Challenges: Instruction

Around discussions about outliers and unpredict-
ability in designhow many people do we have
to compensate for in what we create?
The
Sustainability
Game

Further Thoughts
The Goal
This challenge is a direct application of the lessons
learned from Seeing What Sticks, the previous chal- Create a simple game for children about
lenge. This is a complex interactive system, and it will sustainability
have to be observed in the wild. While the student
Think about distribution strategies that are also
is still the subject, shell have a lot more exposure to
sustainable
random elements, including other customers, varied
goods, and multiple technologies.
The True Goal
This is a great opportunity for students to compare
Think about game design as system design
user flows to begin to grasp just how different people
are when it comes to how they fulfill complicated Understanding the exponential relationship of
tasks. Everyones user flow will have some similarities adding variables to a complex system
though, and thats how students should approach the
problem. By casting a wide net over the system, they When To Use It
will have to let some eccentric users escape, but their
Designers with a propensity for overdeveloped
improvements will have a greater impact. Talk to stu-
systems or designs
dents about how they can take all of their user flows
and synthesize them into a single flow that accommo- In discussions around simplicity and efficacy
dates all of the major observed behaviors.
Further Thoughts
And dont let your students move on to this challenge
unless theyve made significant progress with their You could easily make this challenge all about the
pasta. Its never smart to go shopping on an empty content. How do you explain sustainability to a child?
stomach. How do you get an audience excited about a topic
over which they have little to no control? How do you
make something simple yet effective?
Its this last question thats really the focus of this

Designing a game is challenge. Designing a game is very systematic.
There are a number of paths a player can take and
systematic. There are a certain number of obstacles that they will encounter
a number of paths a player along the way. What we often forget is that each
additional variable or feature that we include has
can take and a certain number major repercussions.
of obstacles that they will For each element we add to our game, we add
encounter along the way. another layer of exponential complexity to the system.
Each token or card needs an explanation and each
What we often forget is that one can move the game in a different direction, even
each additional variable or when the end goal doesnt change. The challenge
for students will be to design a system that represents
feature that we include has a multi-faceted idea. The system will have to balance
major repercussions. between glossing over content when appropriate and
not confusing the user with too much detail.
Teaching the Challenges: Instruction 51

Observation
So, in a sense, this challenge will help make your
Patience,
Grasshopper
students more sensitive and empathetic. Theyll be
primed to suspend judgment and make associative
leaps from data wherever they are, even when they
The Goal arent designing.
Design a greeting card
Create a series of cards or other printed

sentiments Tour
de Home

The True Goal
The Goal
T each in-depth observation skills
Create signage for your neighborhood
Focus on how observed moments can become
Design walking tour materials
insights
The True Goal

When To Use It
Improve in-depth observation skills
If students arent paying close attention to impor-
tant details Construct effective wayfinding systems that repre-
sent more subtle landscapes
As an introduction to design research techniques
When To Use It
Further Thoughts
Students interested in map design and
Designers like to make things. They walk around with
informatics
sketchbooks, mechanical pencils, mobile phones,
and other tools that help them capture the details that In a class where important details are consistently
surround them. These tools become extensions of how overlooked by the students
we make sense of the world: through words, sketches,
photos, and other artifacts. Further Thoughts
By tearing these tools out of the designers hands, How many trees are across the street from your front
and forcing them to make sense of the world without door?
recording their thoughts in a tangible form, they must
You see them every day, so you should know, right?
become aware of what they are thinking and feel-
You probably dont because you might be on autopi-
ing. We hope that this challenge will help them find
lot, desensitized to the surroundings that you see most
a greater capacity to consider potentially conflicting
frequently. Yes, you are paying attention; its more
and divergent observations.
likely that youve got more important things on your
52 Teaching the Challenges: Observation

mind. If youre focusing on tuning in a Pandora sta- In a few short minutes, your students could produce
tion or chatting with your friend about tonights dinner absurd sketches of all sorts of off-the-wall vending
plans, you dont really need to count the trees. They machine ideas.
just arent a priority.
Or, with some initial research and planning, they
This challenge forces students to observe things could generate truly innovative concepts that facili-
theyre already familiar with in their neighborhood, tate anything from providing food to homeless people
with a fresh perspective. It makes them learn how to offering them customized automatic MP3 down-
to other themselves, seeing how the people in their loads to their iPads. You could even have students
community value the things around them. That coffee tackle the mechanical and industrial engineering
shop may have better coffee, but that other shop is necessary to build their ideas out.
closer to the dog park. Students will have to observe
Either way, the overall premise is wacky enough that
not only the surroundings they see every day, but also
students wont take it too seriouslywhich makes it a
how their neighbors prioritize those spaces.
great way to introduce the core skills necessary for the
Encourage students to flex their poetic muscles larger interaction and industrial design challenges
with their signage. Every neighborhood has a great theyll be working on later in the book.
restaurant and a quirky jeweler. But not every street
hides a beautiful bench overwhelmed with ivythe
best place in the city to watch fire-engine red leaves
wavering in the autumn wind. Its these hidden gems Excuse
Me, Im Lost
that make a place worth visiting.
The Goal
Redesign local hospital signage

Wacky
Vendo
Create a complete wayfinding system
The Goal The True Goal
Make a vending machine Begin to empathize with a target audience
Show it in the context of a photograph Translate observed customer problems into

design improvements
The True Goal
When To Use It
Learn
to design for interaction and how self-con-
tained products may influence flow in a public Any time there is a question about whether
space design problems can be solved in the mind
without direct observation; by now, your students
Explore basic principles of industrial design in
should know this is a trick question
action
Designers interested in wayfinding and informa-
When To Use It tion design
Students
wanting to explore the interplay
Further Thoughts
between industrial and interaction design
An improvement in finding the emergency room can
As a lighter moment between more difficult
save lives. For students concerned about making a
challenges
difference with their work, this challenge is a great
start. But alongside manipulating motivation, make
Further Thoughts
sure that your students stay grounded in the prac-
This challenge can be as deep or as shallow as you ticalities of this assignment. Efficient flow through a
need it to be. public space is the result of many factors; signage
Teaching the Challenges: Observation 53

immediately springs to mind, but what about the When To Use It
language of those signs, or things like lighting, arrows,
Designers who are beginning to work with diary
furniture, and paint?
studies or more personal research methods
If you have extra time, consider splitting your class into
Students transitioning from school or from free-
two teams. Give half of your class photos of specific
lance to agency commitments
problem areas at a local hospital and ask them to
redesign it with no other information. Send the other
Further Thoughts
team directly to the hospital to observe the same area
for an hour or two before attempting a redesign. Then, This challenge can work on two different levels. If
have each half of the class present. Let them discuss if youve got a group of designers fresh out of school
there are any perceived differences in the output. or moving into an agency from the freelance world,
have them work on this as a time management lesson.
When were in school or working for ourselves, we can

Thinking Outside stay up until 3:00 am to finish a project. We can gener-
ate sketches on weekends and walk the dog during
the
Wrist
client meetings. In these situations, our work time
spreads throughout the days and we lose the ability
to track when were actually working. It takes a lot of
The Goal
discipline to prevent this freedom from turning into
Design a wristwatch anarchy. Worst-case scenario? We dont bill properly,
we lose money, and we lose sleep. This challenge will
Make a prototype and see how it changes
help designers understand how theyre whittling away
behavior
the hours.
The True Goal If your students have been out of the classroom for a
while, the time management portion of this assign-
F ind unique design opportunities within a well-
ment may not be as applicable. If this is the case,
served market
have them focus more on the personal research por-
Reinforce the concept of effective time tion of the challenge.
management
We often think about design research as the observa-
tion and analysis of other peoples behavior, revealing
how those behaviors are influenced by their attitudes,
beliefs, needs, and desires. When we have to observe
our own behaviors, we tend to lose the ability to pin-
When were in school or point those same factors. A week-long diary study will
help designers gain empathy for their future subjects.
working for ourselves, we can
stay up until 3:00 am to finish
a project It takes a lot of
discipline to prevent this
freedom from turning
into anarchy.
54 Teaching the Challenges: Observation

Innovation
have a set of artifacts that explain what their solution
CD,
LP,
EP, DP would tangibly look like to a music buyer.
You can leave it open-ended, and see where your

students take it, or you can force them down one of
The Goal
the above paths.
Create a new product for the music industry
Either way, dont let them just press it on 40-gram fus-
Make a business plan for it chia vinyl and call it a day. Its not really a solution if it
just sits there looking cool.
The True Goal
Introduce the themes of systems thinking
Learn to identify and explain design opportunities iPhone

Americana

to clients
The Goal
When To Use It
Create an iPhone app
S
tudents who require too much instruction to get
them moving Extend it to another platform
As an excuse to lecture about design thinking

The True Goal
rather than just design doing
Learn information architecture methods for appli-
Further Thoughts cation design
This is a tiny big problem. Provide an emotional heft to an otherwise func-

tional experience within a strong cultural motif
Its tiny because if you just take the problem state-
ment at face value, you could design any number of
When To Use It
beautiful, functional executions that consumers would
probably buy. Designers who havent learned to objectively rep-
resent aspects of different cultures or with groups
Its big because theres a complex set of interrelation-
that are from wildly different backgrounds
ships between the actual actors in the system youre
working within: the music companies, music publish- Students transitioning into mobile design from
ers, distributors and wholesalers, artists, existing music other platforms
ecosystems, and on and on.
Further Thoughts
Any student wishing to provide a tiny solution must
have a big rationale to explain its viability. If the class Interactive products can have a personality. They can
gravitates toward bigger solution, each student must dance, breathe, laugh, stretch their arms, and yawn.
Teaching the Challenges: Innovation 55

They can have a tone of voice, a way of holding your Further Thoughts
hand as you cross the street, and sometimes even
Which came first: the compost or the composter?
giggle when you tickle them.
While this challenge may seem like a 100% net posi-
When designing products that have both a body
tive for any designer solving itmaking things that
and a soul, we can dive so deeply into the functional
unmake themselves, contributing to a healthier planet,
details that we lose sight of what people want to
and all that falderala better approach to solving this
accomplish with our applicationmake it easier to
challenge may emerge from a more holistic analysis.
read a novel, or play their favorite songs like a jukebox
in an old honky-tonk. We have to balance functional- Have your students look at the entire lifecycle of a
ity with delight. product. They should examine its manufacture, pur-
chase, utilization, obsolecence, and potential reuse
Prod your students to describe, when explaining their
before it is composted or degrades. What are the
application ideas, not only what it can do for its user,
tradeoffs for a selected approach? Pros or cons? Is the
but also how it will establish an emotional connec-
product using more energy before it hits the shelf than
tion. Those explanations should also include a strong
it gains by biodegrading after its use?
analysis of the cultural component of this challenge.
We are all products of our upbringing, and mobile If your students cant answer these questions, then
applications are moving quickly to become exten- send them back for deeper digging on these issues.
sions of those relationships. If we cant define cultural Otherwise, their designs may be feasible, but poten-
quirks and eccentricities, we certainly cant capture tially have a net-negative impact.
themor eliminate them.
Biodegradable
Backyard
Interactive products can
have a personality They can
The Goal
have a tone of voice, a way of
Make backyard products intended to biodegrade
holding your hand as you cross
Build a prototype or design a marketing strategy
for the product
the street, and sometimes even
giggle when you tickle them.
The True Goal
A
nalyze the environmental impacts of substrate
selection
Reimagine how a product serves a specific set of

use cases over time
More
Is Less

When To Use It
S
tudents who believe sustainability is easy, or The Goal
those that need more experience understanding
Redesign the packaging for a durable consum-
the environmental impact of product construc-
able product
tion and use
Develop a prototype and observe others using it
Designers who have worked with a limited palette
of materials
The True Goal
Change peoples behavior through product

presentation
56 Teaching the Challenges: Innovation

Analyze the environmental impacts of design When To Use It
choices
As a fun in-class break between more difficult
challenges
When To Use It
Students struggling with price/aesthetic desirabil-
S
tudents having trouble believing they can per-
ity dynamics within product design
sonally contribute significant change to the world
through their work
Further Thoughts
D
esigners exploring different methods of behav-
Really, you can look too good.
ioral change, especially if they are transitioning
from a background in sales or marketing When designing an annual report for a nonprofit, you
dont want it to look like they have no need for money.
Further Thoughts And while a celebrity can wear a thousand dollar skirt
with a no-name tank top, if youre selling a $200 bottle
This isnt a challenge about designing snack packs.
of wine to the masses, it had better not look like you
Building off the lessons from Biodegradable dragged it from the back aisle of a convenience store.
Backyard, students should be able to analyze the
Students solving this challenge will need to determine
supply chain for their product. Now theyll have to
how the nuances of their design, from typeface to
apply those same analytic skills to understand how
illustration style to materials used, speak to its value.
and why people consume their product. This chal-
Describing these key decision points will help them
lenge starts with the supply chain and throws in
to make a case for why their concept will work on
consumer motivation. The students can control the
the shelf.
components in a product, but can they influence how
people use that product?
If the class isnt taking a systems-thinking approach to

their solutions, their ideas will still have an impactbut E.V.O.O.
to Go
it wont be the right kind of impact. People will just buy
more of less, rather than consume less of less.
The Goal
This is harder than it sounds. But if students do a great
Make a container for olive oil
job, its likely they will have strong concepts that they
could potentially produce. Design an ad for selling the product
The True Goal
Veni,
Vidi, Vino Grapple with unusual materials-based constraints
Place function squarely before form
The Goal
When To Use It
Create a wine package
Designers without experience in industrial or
Show what it would look like when sold in bulk packaging design, especially if they are uncom-
fortable with incorporating science into their work
The True Goal
Those more used to focusing on aesthetics than
L earn how aesthetic and material choices convey utility
affordability and luxury
Further Thoughts
Understand when to apply wit as part of a design
solution Olive oil is a viscous substance prone to spoil more
quickly than many other oils on the market. It can
go rancid quickly, especially if left out at high

temperature. It cant be heated over medium-high As a further complication, it requires the designer to
heat without beginning to smoke. Its flavor profiles can have a functioning knowledge about the practice
vary wildly, based on how and where it is produced. of yoga: the taxonomy of yoga poses that any such
Unlike salt, which is stable at a range of temperatures application would draw from; the different types of
away from water, oil is a nightmare to contain. yoga, and the teaching styles that accompany them;
as well as the physical props and rituals that accom-
Dont let your students know that. Even if they read
pany each practitioners efforts. Otherwise, a design
the words above, theyll need to do the appropriate
solution would be completely off the mark. Figuring
background research to make sure that any proposed
out how to pool collective knowledge is useful for
solution will reduce post-pour oozing and not taint
any designer.
the flavor of the oil over time. This is the true bar theyll
need to hit for their product to be successful in market. We also recommend limiting your student teams to
30 to 45 minutes to create a rough physical prototype,
If youre feeling feisty, ask your students to make a
then have them demonstrate it to the class by acting
presentation about the science behind the challenge
out how the application would interact with a practi-
before the class starts sketching. The best framing
tioner over a series of poses. The students would have
of the challenge can then be used to evaluate
to draw out the necessary screens or interfaces that
each solution.
would describe each interaction.
The real power in this challenge comes from having

designers physically move through the space to real-
TechnoYoga
ize the success (or failure) of their solution. From this
point forward in the book, a large portion of the chal-
lenges will require this type of active visualization. If
The Goal
students start here, theyll definitely be limber enough
Create an interactive application that tracks for the later work.
yoga
Design the mat
I Think,
Therefore
I Shop

The True Goal
Begin
to grapple with gestural and touch
The Goal
affordances
Create a store that doesnt sell products
As a way to think about the future of connectivity
Build a prototype of the store experience
Provide practical experience in physically proto-
typing interactions
The True Goal
When To Use It Wrestle with the concept of what a store really is
W
hen introducing the notion of interaction mod- Consider how people consume ideas as part of a
els or frameworks real world experience
Students or designers who are accustomed to or

When To Use It
are more comfortable with solitary work
As a back-door introduction to social innovation
Further Thoughts
When explaining the notion of customer
This challenge embodies the complexity inherent in touchpoints in the context of retail or environ-
creating an application that tracks gestural input mental design
which is one of the primary futures for any designer
interested in pursuing a career in user experience.

Students and designers transitioning from open. That will probably the hardest data point for
sales-based disciplines, such as advertising them to generate. But if they cant provide such data
or marketing to potential investors, than why would they consider
any such idea viable?
To directly address any lingering personality
issues
Further Thoughts
Ready
When
You Are
This challenge is philosophical in nature, but practical
in the desired output from students. It should be con-
The Goal
ducted in groups, as opposed to individual output
the final product will be richer as a result. Create an application for your coffee needs
As one approach: Simply arrange your students into Decide how youd promote the new functionality
groups, feed them this challenge, then stand back in product marketing
and let them reach an endpoint before providing any
critique. This is a good opportunity for you to assign The True Goal
specific people to teams, especially if there are any
Convey the fundamentals of mobile application
continuing issues among students. When designers
design
on a team have to focus on ideas instead of being
distracted by a shiny prototype, theyll need to deal Learn about systems thinkingwith a drug most
with each other as people rather than as a means to designers are already invested in
produce an end. Theyre exploring how people think,
and that includes their teammates. When To Use It
Or, alternatively, if everyone is playing well with others, Students deeply rooted in visual design that
you can push the work to explore the same themes have little experience in defining a controlled
of cooperation. As the students are moving from their set of use cases
big ideas to executing their tangible store designs,
Designers needing work with building user flows
help guide them towards exploring what technolo-
for application design
gies or unique moments are constructed within the
infrastructure of the store experience, rather than just
Further Thoughts
adapting existing technologies that people will bring
into the store (i.e. mobile devices or computers). When starting to teach application design, it can
be tempting to throw the kitchen sink at design-
Your students should also be able to justify the cost of
ers. User flows! Use cases! Functional requirements!
investment in the store, and how it will afford staying
When designing an annual report for a nonprofit,

you dont want it to look like they have no need for
money if youre selling a $200 bottle of wine to
the masses, it had better not look like you dragged it
from the back aisle of a convenience store.

Specifications! Wireframes! The list could go on Learn how to summarize the most important
and on. effects of an interactive, service-oriented
experience
This challenge was intended as a way for students to
approach the discipline from an alternative direction:
When To Use It
via considering the fulfillment of a critical everyday
task that usually has little connection to a mobile Students with little to no experience with industrial
device. By starting with a contained set of use cases design
and limited functionality, its easier for students to
Designers with a solid background in fine art who
understand the basic components necessary to also
are feeling neglected
generate much larger systems.
When introducing the conceptual notion of archi-
When David has taught this challenge in class, hes
tectural form
asked the students to role-play utilizing the applica-
tion, with one person being the voice of the app, With a class needing a fresh perspective on what
while another person pretends to interact with the constitutes usability and function
actual phone, speaking out loud what theyre doing.
The rest of the class takes notes, capturing what the Further Thoughts
screens may look like as they move step-by-step
We design things for a reason. We make a car to drive
towards their perfect cappucino.
in. We make forks to eat with. On very rare occasions,
we design products for a reason that runs counter to
their usual purpose. We might craft a chair that no
one can sit in, perhaps to make a political statement
On very rare occasions, or as a memorial. But the marketability of a chair that
we design products for a reason no one can sit in is questionable.
that runs counter to their usual This challenge is about particularity. Students are
designing a single object for a very specific task, and
purpose. We might craft a chair its an object that is expected to have multiple uses.
that no one can sit in But the Realistically, we dont really think about usability with
dishes. Its a dish. Thats just what it does. Getting
marketability of a chair that the class to explore how function informs design in
no one can sit in is questionable. this context will require them to look at how they feel
about individuality, ritual, even sustainability.
If students can grasp how to think purposefully about

the specific uses of a product, theres nothing stop-
Lets
Dish
ping them from applying those principles to the larger
world. Single purpose inventions like the Hippo Water
Roller and the Embrace Infant Warmer are only a few
The Goal steps away from Tithi Kutchamuchs cups in the book.
Design a dish
Determine how to brand the dish for release to

market Listen
Up, Write It Off
The True Goal
The Goal
E
xperience how to sketch and prototype atypi-
Design a bus shelter ad
cal shape languagesi.e. families of physical
objects that work together and feel like a family Create a radio spot

The True Goal
T hink through the requirements for an interactive

product
Learn how to summarize the most important

effects of an interactive, service-oriented
experience
When To Use It
To push students focused on communica-

tion design into thinking about what elements
truly comprise the products and services they
describe in marketing vehicles
Designers still struggling with the making a differ-

ence part of their jobs
Further Thoughts
Students may consider it critical to fully explore how

their volunteer bank would work before they can
design the bus shelter. Others may immediately
brainstorm concepts for the bank via the medium of
advertising.
While both are valid approaches, we advocate that

students work through the logistics and user experi-
ence of the actual online experience before crafting
their adspending 60 minutes of the 90-minute time
period on that task alone. This will provide them with
a greater depth of understanding for not only the ad,
but also the holistic reason why people would want to
take part in utilizing such a service.
And isnt that what a designer would want to under-

stand before crafting a solution?

Interpretation
theyve undergone alongside the development of
Id
Buy
That
for a Dollar
their design ideas. Of course, they have to make those
principles work with their strategy for how the business
will make money, even if students desire to twist or
The Goal subvert notions of consumption. When presenting to
the class, these rationales can be explicitly called out
Create a new dollar store chain
and debated.
Design packaging for what it sells
The True Goal

Whats
in Store?

U
nderstand the implications for having holistic
control over a whole retail experience
The Goal
Consider sustainability impacts for an entire
business Create a window display for a store
Plan the space for the whole store, including your

When To Use It
display
A
s a major class project, bridging product and
service design disciplines The True Goal
With more cause-oriented students, to help them Understand what gives great store displays their
explode notions of how design impacts capital- stopping power
ism and consumption
Provide designers a taste of the visual mer-
chandising, interior design, and architecture
Further Thoughts
disciplines
This challenge has plenty of space for interpretation,
both on the part of the student and the teacher. When To Use It
Depending on how the students approach the chal- To convey the elements of planning a store space
lenge, they could design the outside of the store, the in a fun manner
interior floor plan, the suite of products theyd want to
With designers who have not had a lot of experi-
offer, the online experience for the storepractically
ence with product or window displays, or that are
any combination of details to comprise a final output.
looking to move from point-of-purchase displays
Be sure to ask students to define at the end of their to something larger
ideation phase what materials would be required to
As a breather between harder challenges
create a well-rounded solution. Students should be
very clear about what depth of sustainability thinking
62 Teaching the Challenges: Interpretation

Further Thoughts of a final solution. Otherwise, the student work may be
well-designed, but not catering to (or creating) desire
Like some design work in the domain of fashion, this
on the part of their audience.
challenge is intentionally shallow and fleeting.
As a shout-out: the design professor Jill Vartenigian
But if anyone challenges you on whether or not win-
suggested the basis of this challenge when she co-
dow displays qualify as design, we highly recommend
taught a Creative Workshop class with us.
Simon Doonans Confessions of a Window Dresser to
tip the scales in your favor.
Out
of Gamut

Urban
Diapers

The Goal
The Goal Design an identity for a nonprofit association
Create diaper packaging Create a color study
Think about how to tie marketability to the

The True Goal
packaging
Consider color interaction beyond just making
The True Goal things look nice
Understand
what it means to craft a brand that Learn about colors that may provide trouble for
zags against an established product category the colorblind
L earn the essential components of product and Incorporate accessibility into common design
packaging design work
When To Use It When To Use It
To
help students learn how to approach the pro- To help students learn how to approach the pro-
cess of crafting an identity system cess of crafting an identity system
D
esigners who need more work in developing Designers who are lacking experience in acces-
archetypes or understanding demographics sibility design
As an introduction to researching color interac-

Further Thoughts
tion as a part of accessibility considerations
Whenever a client says, I want an idea that rises
above all that other crap in the market, they may not Further Thoughts
be asking for the output of this challenge.
While this may seem on the surface like an improb-
However, the whole premise of Urban Diapers is that able design scenario, the reality is that a percentage
if youre going to be cleaning up after all sorts of crap, of the people who look at or use every one of your
you might as well do it with a punk-rock smile on your designs will be colorblind. This audience is every-
face. Capturing the lifestyle and attitude of a defined where and nowhere, rarely vocal unless they observe
audience is the major focus for any designer tackling a major faux pas that could cause great harm. (We
this challenge. cant imagine what would happen if we did a switch-
eroo on color position inside traffic lights.) In short,
Dont be afraid to task your students with additional
accessibility considerations in design are as pressing
deliverables, such as mood boards, documented
as they are prevalent, even when they arent immedi-
conversations with new parents, an audit of existing
ately apparent.
packaging and advertising from competitors, and
any other data that may help to steer the approach
Teaching the Challenges: Interpretation 63

Your students will need to do two types of research. As you ease your students into the beginning of a new
They will need to understand the various types of col- decade, be prepared for them to explode with ideas.
orblindness, and they will need to validate their work
What will need to ground their ideas, however, is a
via third-party online tools, gauging its effectiveness.
clear rationale around their execution that explains
Push your students to justify their decisions when why their exhibit relates to a five-year vision of the
they present in class. Make them render versions futurenot two or three or seven or more. There must
of their work as those who are colorblind would see be some unique attribute in the exhibit, whether
them. Group the whole classes work on the board technological or social in nature, that clearly maps to
by colorblindness type before judging which solutions where our society will be in that possible future.
work best. Or, if you have the ability, bring in a
The specificity of the timeframe is precisely the kind of
special guesta colorblind personto have him
detail that makes a beautiful solution to this challenge
or her comment on the classs work. Such input
easy enough to produce, but hard to conceptually
would be invaluable.
defend in a rigorous critique.
Future-Casting

Don Norman says, Designers
The Goal fall prey to the two ailments of
Create an art exhibit not knowing what they dont know
Determine what it would cost to produce and, worse, thinking they know
the exhibit
things they dont.
The True Goal
Discern
the fine line between art and design
in client assignments
Take a trend and project its future effects via

This
Is For Your Health

design artifacts
When done in teams, brush up on and solidify

The Goal
brainstorming techniques
Draw three illustrations in a specific style
When To Use It
Develop spreads to connect layout to the illustra-
When students are struggling to dream big tion style
Around conversations about durability in design

The True Goal
Further Thoughts Create hand-crafted illustrations within a speci-

fied art direction
Every designer spends time thinking about the future.
For some students, the future is big, bright, shiny, retro: Think editorially about how illustration connects to
kind of like the Jetsons. For others, its steampunk. written content
And lets not forget the coming apocalypse of 2012,
followed by a new Ice Age. Somewhere along the When To Use It
way, we might encounter Tron.
Designers who are fresh out of school or who
Every project we fulfill is about the futurethe time have been freelancing for a long period of time,
horizon is the only variable that consistently changes. as this challenge will help them learn how to

interface with creative directors, art directors, edi- continent is a protected eco-zone, with little precipita-
tors, and writers tion year over year.
Students with a very narrow illustrative style For your students to understand the trade-offs inherent
in bottling water from this continent, they will need to
Further Thoughts dig into a wide range of research sources. As a result,
they will become more educated about both the
Learning to work under editorial direction takes
protected resources and the systems that have been
practice. Its not something youre born withit takes
created worldwide to try and deliver potable water
assignment after assignment to learn to read the mind
to an ever-increasing population. You may need to
of your editor, as its unlikely theyll give you more input
clarify that they will need to research both subjects to
than what is included in this challenge description.
provide a well-reasoned solution to this challenge.
Though this isnt a real assignment for a publication,
While few students have argued in my classes for bot-
pretend youre an editor when you deliver it to your
tling water from Antarctica, some companies do exist
students. When they start asking you for input and
that are working to extract water near Antarctica. This
direction, let them know youre too busy to respond,
is an ethical grey area that may make for heated
and that youre looking forward to their work.
class discussion (no pun intended).
If youre teaching this as an in-class assignment, con-
sider providing them new inputs or constraints halfway
through the time period.
Free
Tibet
Blog

Paper, Plastic, The Goal
Glass,
Vapor
Create an official blog for a celebrity
Adjust your design for localization worldwide
The Goal
The True Goal
Create a brand position for bottled water
Create hand-crafted illustrations within a speci-
Craft a vision document for venture funding fied art direction
Understand how deeply an interactive experience

The True Goal
can reflect the spirit of a person through history
Learn
to force consideration of sustainabil-
ity issues in advance of agreeing to a design When To Use It
problem
Demonstrating that designing seemingly small
Develop an opinion and take a stand when a things can require great attention to detail and a
project opens itself to personal vision sophisticated underlying rationale
As a good introduction to localization concerns

When To Use It
With
a group that is ecologically minded Further Thoughts
When students are struggling to deliver articulate This challenge can seem like a lark. Students may be
rationales around their design concepts tempted to treat it as merely a fun aesthetic problem
to solve. But what would those same students do if
Further Thoughts they were seated before the Dalai Lama, and such
a personage of renown were outlining for them the
Outside of March of the Penguins, few people expend
overall ethos and import of the venture they were
much energy thinking about life on Antarctica. This
about to undertake?

For students to generate deep and meaningful solu- Essentially, no matter which path your students
tions, they will have to take this challenge seriously. choose, within two hours its unlikely theyll feel good
Consider having another teacher play a representa- about what they create.
tive of the Dalai Lama when the class presents
This is one of the hardest lessons that any product
their solutions, to ensure that they will not describe
designer can learn: without the appropriate research
what they designed, but why they designed it in
and validation, any well-intended solution can
that fashion and how it relates to the heritage
be a poor fit for the needs of a poorly understood
of Tibetan Buddhism.
audience.
Blinded
by the Light
Touch Screen of
Deaf
Rock

The Goal
Help visually impaired people track sun exposure

The Goal
See if your solution would work for people with
Create an exhibit for deaf children
other disabilities
Create a physical prototype of the exhibit at size
The True Goal
The True Goal
Learn what types of research are appropriate to
frame an approach for a design solution Learn how to envision an interactive experience
without the use of all five senses
Discern how to design for populations with radi-
cally different limitations on how they might use a Explore a range of approaches for creating arti-
particular product or service facts that describe touch and gestural interaction
As an entry point into designing for those with When teaching students about touch and ges-
disabilities tural interfaces
If a class has trouble grappling with abstract To teach the use of role-playing in quickly proto-
problems typing interactive experiences
Further Thoughts Further Thoughts
Don Norman says, Designers fall prey to the two This is one of our favorite challenges in the book. Its a
ailments of not knowing what they dont know and, ton of fun for designers to attempt in close collabora-
worse, thinking they know things they dont. Students tionand a fast way for students to learn the follies of
struggle with this challenge for this very reason. designing touch and gestural user interfaces.
If you dont let them talk with visually impaired people An interesting spin on this challenge is to design the
as part of their research, they have trouble justifying exhibit for a deaf child and a potentially hearing
their solutions. parent (or friends). The walkthrough would require
two or more people interacting with the exhibit
If you do let them talk with visually impaired people,
simultaneously.
they have very little time to formulate the right kinds of
questions to ask them or to observe what their needs We recommend that, as the teacher, you create time-
might be. This may not help them deliver the most boxes for the students to brainstorm big-picture con-
effective solution. cepts, a set time period for creating a solution at size,
and then serve as a third-party who walks through a

draft of the space and asks simple, open-ended ques- Students needing additional work with collabora-
tions about what details may not make sense. This will tive design practices
help students bounce quickly between making the
design and reflecting on what elements of the design Further Thoughts
may not be effective for a deaf child.
Trying to manage perfume within a public space, with
As a side note, keep a close eye on how the walk- potentially thousands of visitors seeking to sample
throughs are enacted by the teams. If you dont serve those scents, could be a nightmare scenario. From
as the third-party reviewer, encourage students to act managing olfactory fatigue on the part of exhibit
normally when they go through the exhibit, speaking visitors to constructing airtight spaces (or other novel
out loud. Deaf people arent stupid; they can read, solutions that weve seen to this challenge), your stu-
intuit interactions, and learn from exhibits just like dents will have lots of thinking to do.
everyone else. When you design with empathy, you
But before you provide the challenge to them, youll
must also design with respect.
need to decide: Can a solution be magic, not con-
strained by the laws of chemistry and physics? Or must
your students do the appropriate research to back up
their solutions with a rationale around the feasibility
and costs of implementation?
Its always easier to fit a
Depending on which path you choose, the type of
really big idea into a smaller box effort your students will put into the challenge may
than to take a tiny idea and vary. We recommend having them do some big-
picture brainstorming, then researching which of their
try to inflate it. In the case of range of ideas may be most feasible, then moving
the latter, itll usually go pop! from there.
Its always easier to fit a really big idea into a smaller

box than to take a tiny idea and try to inflate it. In the
case of the latter, itll usually go pop!
Sniff
Test
Can
You
Hear
Me Now?

The Goal The Goal
Create an exhibit that contains scents Storyboard a TV spot
Design the materials required to market the Translate your idea into other media
exhibit
The True Goal
The True Goal
Explore in TV and video how sound is closely inter-
Design for the sense of smellwhich is rarely con- twined with image
sidered by designers
Gain empathy regarding communication design
Learn to work within unusual physical constraints for the disabled
Around lessons that demonstrate various meth- Students with a firm grasp of advertising design
ods of designing for environments that need to be pushed outside of their comfort
zone

When teaching how to design for the disabled Manage a high volume of detail in an illustration
Further Thoughts When To Use It
We take sound for granted. We dont realize how inte- When teaching best practices for wayfinding and
gral it is to most experiences of the world. That is, until map-making
it isnt there.
Students who a bit too obsessed with Edward
An effective execution for this challenge will essentially Tufte
be a moving print ad. You might want to consider
having your students act out their ads, sans voiceover. Further Thoughts
Otherwise, theyre just going to describe out loud
Mapmaker, mapmaker, make me a map. Not just any
what happens in each panel of their storyboard,
Google Map with the appropriate pins and turn-by-
and that might get in the way of fully expressing
turn directions. Moving from Point A to Point B is just
what theyre trying to communicate conceptually
one use of the map, and weve become addicted to
with their spot.
our phones, GPS devices, and other tools that we use
Consider filming each performance, so the students for traveling to all sorts of places. But there are situa-
can compare their ideas after class. Then, show the tions where using those mapping systems become a
films to people who are not aware of the challenge or bit ineffective: inside buildings, within out-of-the-way
the constraints. Do the ads communicate the ideas districts, and when attempting to understand the vari-
that the students intended? ous neighborhoods and suburbs of a downtown core.
Students may feel like theyre beholden to cram as

much as they can into their mapsand they should
Bending
Geography
resist this impulse. Less detail allows more finesse in
how a viewer of such a map understands the high-lev-
el relationships between roads, rivers, bodies of water,
The Goal and critical landmarks.
Create a simplified map If youre feeling spry, cover the city and task each of
your students with a neighborhood to render. Then,
Abstract your map until it becomes decorative art
piece all of the maps together like a patchwork quilt,
demonstrating to your students how many different
The True Goal
approaches there may be to rendering a simplified
U
nderstand how good information design can view of a complex world.
require finessing factual detail
You want me to create something for myself,

that Ill benefit from? Yes, thats right:
design can be a self-affirming, rewarding act
thats solely for your benefit.

time limit. This is intentional. Your students will need
to agree upon what problem they need to solve
What
Do
I Know?
before they can provide a solution at the end of
their time limit.
If they dont, there is no way to win.

The Goal
Make Twitter and Wikipedia have a baby
Create the user interface for what experience you

think should be made
Well,
In My Book

The True Goal
W
ork collaboratively to frame a highly complex The Goal
problem in a group
Design a book of personal wisdom
Learn to identify when a provided problem is wick-
Reconsider what form the book should take
edly complex
The True Goal

When To Use It
Learn how to be your own client
A
s a final in-class unsolvable problem
Understand how to create space for reflection
For students who consistently overestimate
their skills
When To Use It
Further Thoughts As a final take-home exercise for a Creative

Workshop class
In Star Trek lore, there is a definitive test that Starfleet
Academy students need to take in order to graduate. For students who need a break from client work
In this test, each person is role-playing as the captain
of a Starfleet vessel, attempting to rescue a stalled-out Further Thoughts
ship called the Kobiyashi Maru.
This challenge is a reward for every students hard
While each student initially thinks they can carry out effort. It will force them to allocate time and space
a rescue mission to save the people on the stranded for reflecting upon who they are and what theyve
vessel, they quickly discover that its a no-win scenario, accomplishedwith a tangible output that they can
as the vessel is in the Klingon Neutral Zone. No matter return to again and again.
what they do during the scenario, either their vessel or
This challenge should feel like an antidote to the
the Kobiyashi Maru is destroyed.
self-sacrifice and service orientation that is imprinted
The test, as Captain Kirk so impishly avoided by hack- strongly upon designers of every skill level. You want
ing the test computers code, is not about winning. me to create something for myself, that Ill benefit
Its about how students think about the problem and from? Yes, thats right: design can be a self-affirming,
about grace in the face of powerlessness. Its about rewarding act thats solely for your benefit.
what it really means to be a leader. What Kirk did was
If you fear that the subject matter may be too broad
engineer the problem in such a way as to allow suc-
for your class, consider this variant: have your class
cess, which served as a testament to his understand-
generate books that highlight what theyd learned
ing of leadership. Thats what your students should
over the course of the class. They can be illustrated
apply to this challenge.
with a select number of the challenge executions.
Place your students in groups and have them attempt Regardless of your approach, this should feel less like
this challenge. On its surface, the problem statement a portfolio, and more like a manifesto.
for this challenge is too broad to solve within the

70 Exercise #
About the authors
David Sherwin is an interaction designer and
art director with a depth of expertise in developing
compelling creative solutions for challenging business
problems. He is currently a Senior Interaction Designer
at frog design, a global innovation firm, where he
helps to guide the research, strategy, and design
of novel products and services for some of todays
leading companies.
David is author of the books Creative Workshop:

80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills and
the forthcoming Design Business from A to Z (2012).
Both are published by HOW Design Press.
David is an active speaker and teacher, and his

writing has appeared in A List Apart, Design Mind,
PSFK.com, Imprint, and other periodicals. In his free
time, he maintains the blog ChangeOrder: Business +
Process of Design at http://changeorderblog.com.
Mary Paynter Sherwin is a poet, writer, editor, and

teacher of public speaking. Her poetry has been
published by Richard Hugo House, Midway Journal,
and Drash: Northwest Mosaic. She was recently includ-
ed in an online anthology on Rattapallax.org, where
she was named one of the Pacific Northwests Most
Innovative Poets.
Mary holds a degree in Commercial Photography

from Art Institute of Seattle, a certificate in Editing
from University of Washington, and is about to
complete a Liberal Arts degree in writing at
Evergreen State College.
About the Authors 71

For University Bookstore sales, contact F&W Media at 1-800-289-0963.
My Design Shop: http://www.mydesignshop.com/product/creative-workshop/
Amazon: http://bit.ly/CWTheBook
The first 24 pages are available free on Scribd:

72 http://www.scribd.com/doc/42672850/Creative-Workshop Exercise #

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e

DAVID SHERWIN &

MARY PAYNTER SHERWIN

Using creative workshop

Teaching the challenges:

about the authors .................... 71

GET THE BOOK ............................. 72

layout based on a design by Grace Ring, HOW Design Press

Noncommercial: You may not use this

Build Upon this Work! 3

Introduction: What Do Design Students Need? 5

Technology and Scott Berkun, author of The Myths of

tools should not get in 3. Sketching Ideas

The ability to sketch an idea before executing

6 Introduction: What Do Design Students Need?

Recent thinking by design educators in America is

the impossible and curricula characterized by flux rather than

your talents. forms that are modular and extensible; and

Holly Willis, Embracing Flux, New Contexts/

Introduction: What Do Design Students Need? 7

With a little research, we discovered that Peters class

Without flexibility, you The Corcoran encouraged students to work

8 Introduction: What Do Design Students Need?

Introduction: What Do Design Students Need? 9

Pretending you know what youre doing is almost

10 Introduction: What Do Design Students Need?

In having taught the 80 Works class twice, and in

But in all cases, we noticed that as the class (and

Flipping our fear of doing something wrong into a

This requires us to surprise ourselves, and by extension

Introduction: What Do Design Students Need? 11

Tangible Creative Output This is no small featespecially in 90 minutes.

Each challenge requires tangible output, from a

Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting 13

14 Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting

STRUCTURE 2: the Round-robin

Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting 15

16 Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting

SAMPLE Grading Methodology

At the end of a course with 80 creative challenges, a

Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting 17

Category Challenge Name Category Challenge Name

Foundation Hello, My Name Is Execution

Homework Foundation _ _______________________

Instruction _ _______________________ brief time frames Innovation _ _______________________

Homework Observation _ _______________________

18 Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting

Category Challenge Name

Week 1 In Class ____________ _ _______________________ Week 6 In Class ____________ _ _______________________

Week 2 In Class ____________ _ _______________________ Week 7 In Class ____________ _ _______________________

Week 3 In Class ____________ _ _______________________ Week 8 In Class ____________ _ _______________________

Week 4 In Class ____________ _ _______________________ Week 9 In Class ____________ _ _______________________

Week 5 In Class ____________ _ _______________________ Week 10 In Class ____________ _ _______________________

Using Creative Workshop in a Classroom Setting 19

Separate the designer from the work, and

Create a typeface out of found objects

Designers transitioning into freelance after work- The True Goal

Document the creative process

Teaching the Challenges: Foundation 21

Bring an old ad into the future after research

Or take a modern ad and push it back in time

The True Goal

22 Teaching the Challenges: Foundation

Technology and Scott Berkun, author of The Myths of

Holly Willis, Embracing Flux, New Contexts/

Week 1 In Class ____________ _ ___________ Week 6 In Class _ _______________________

Week 2 In Class ____________ _ ___________ Week 7 In Class _ _______________________

Week 3 In Class ____________ _ ___________ Week 8 In Class _ _______________________

Week 4 In Class ____________ _ ___________ Week 9 In Class _ _______________________

Week 5 In Class ____________ _ ___________ Week 10 In Class _ _______________________

Separate the designer from the work, and

Designers transitioning into freelance after work- The True Goal

Bring an old ad into the future after research

Or take a modern ad and push it back in time

When To Use It Discover new uses for small but powerful

Design a magazine using the color blue as the

Learn to view designs as a whole, and then learn

As a reward for designers who feel discipline is

Create a brochure cover using five or more

To settle battles between typeface snobs

Further Thoughts Distress the Helvetica typeface in a manner

Design a futuristic logo using a hand-drawn solution The Goal

Design an online experience that animates these

Design a container by drawing 100 sketches

Design a Web site for the container using the

Confront truly terrible ideas and learn that they

Designers who dont like making mistakes and

Around discussions concerning hand sketching

Learn to think efficiently under extreme time Hey,

Understand how design permeates our experi- The Goal

In conjunction with conversations about working

Design the back cover, sleeve, and label for the

Develop boundaries to narrow focus within over-

Turn a book synopsis into a book cover

Design a cereal package based on a brief mar-

Place these products in a display and incorpo- The True Goal

Designers who need more experience with

Understand the vocabulary of images and text

L earn how to construct taxonomies for Web site

Create the user interface for a short movie festival

Students looking to incorporate video into their The True Goal

Design a store experience with only three Flapping

Make a physical prototype of those products The Goal

Develop a guerrilla marketing campaign

Students who are less experienced in brand or When To Use It

Make a compelling online banner for a low-

Learn how to finish assignments that you really

When To Use It Designers overly attached to their politics, their

Students whose designs are overly strict or rigid Further Thoughts