Fall 2007 - UNST 161A, Design and Society, Readings Page

Some of the readings below come from the required texts. Some are pdf documents you can download and print. One way to download and print a pdf document is to right click on the link, and then save the files in a place you can access them. You can open them using Adobe pdf reader which is a free tool which you can get from many places.

Most reading assignments require you to fillout a 3x5 card with your name, the title of the reading, the author, and an excerpt you found interesting. On the back of the card you should list a few notes: what you thought were the main points, questions you had, etc.

  1. Assigned: Monday Sept 24, 2007. Due Monday Oct 1, 2007
    Selections from the Industrial Design Reader
    1. Donald Norman's Time for a Change
    2. Dieter Rams' Omit the Unimportant
    3. Earnest Elmo Calkin's What Consumer Engineering Really Is

    Turn in a 3x5 card for each reading.

  2. Assigned: Monday Oct 1, 2007. Due Monday Oct 8, 2007
    Read the article "Thirty-Something (Million): Should They Be Exceptions?" by G.C. Vanderheiden. You can find it by following the link: http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/30_some/30_some.htm

    Read it carefully, there will be writing assignment based upon this reading. sometime this quarter.

    Be sure and fill out a 3x5 card to hand on Monday October 8th.

  3. Assigned: Monday Oct 8, 2007. Due Monday Oct 15, 2007
    Read chapters 1-5 of Brunelleschi's Dome. Pages 1-48. Be sure and fill out a 3x5 card to hand on Monday October 15th. Be prepared to discuss the chapters in class.
  4. Assigned: Monday Oct 15, 2007. Due Monday Oct 22, 2007
    Read chapters 6-12 of Brunelleschi's Dome. Pages 49-107. Be sure and fill out a 3x5 card to hand on Monday October 22th. Be prepared to discuss the chapters in class.
  5. Assigned: Monday Oct 22, 2007. Due Monday Oct 29, 2007
    Read chapters 13-19 of Brunelleschi's Dome. Pages 108-169. Be sure and fill out a 3x5 card to hand on Monday October 22th. Be prepared to discuss the chapters in class.
  6. Assigned: Monday Nov 5, 2007. Due Monday Nov 12, 2007
    Read Bridge Building Activity 2. Each group needs to come to class with bridge pieces already assembled so that they can be tested. This requires special preparation. Read activity 2 so you know what to bring.
    Assigned: Monday Nov 14, 2007. Due Monday Nov 19, 2007
    Read Bridge Building Activity 4. Read activity 4 Designing a Truss Bridge with a Computer. You might want to download and install the Westpoint Bridge Designer Program on your computer. This program is already installed on all the mentor lab computers.
Back to the class web-page.
Back to the Daily Record.