Session 4

1:45 - 2:45 PM PDT
Consciousness 2

Strategies for Educating Designers in the Age of Space Travel

Presenter: Dr. Blanka Deroko

Preview Video: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pL7Qvoz_3CxDjHz7IfOKn7wJ45ZbMZDP?usp=sharing

Being an effective designer in today’s world requires a vision and understanding of the rapid cultural and technological changes. As the new frontier of Space exploration is becoming opened to commercial travel, a new industry is being created as we speak. Since the way, in which we are going to proceed into space is presently under development, there is a need to educate a new cohort of designers who are fluent in the physics and daily realities of living in space.

In this presentation, I am discussing educational strategies in the context of higher education in design schools. My project-based approach allows students to explore this new experiential territory and become equipped to tackle serious design issues. Initial grounding in the scientific realities of space travel is paramount to enabling further creativity. While teaching the design process in this context, I believe in placing special emphasis on understanding and application of human factors. The exploration of human ergonomics in space as well as psychological states is key to producing functional and inspiring designs that support human expansion outwardly into space and inwardly into expanded psychological experiences.

Blanka Deroko, Ph.D. is a Los Angeles based designer, multimedia artist, educator and entrepreneur. For over 20 years, she has provided visionary strategies, pioneering new products, services and technologies through hands-on design and management as well as authored information technology and media content. She is a public speaker and researcher in areas spanning digital media, human experience design, human computer interaction, art and technology. As a storyteller and experience architect she creates liminal environments on the intersection of human and technology to transform and empower people. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and conference proceedings while her work has been exhibited and broadcasted internationally.