Syllabus

IARC 480 - Furniture Design (3 Credit Hours)

Human factors data applied to design of body support, task support, storage and systems, construction drawings, and scale models. Advanced millwork design and materials and manufacturing processes. 

Contact Hour Distribution: 1-hour lecture and 2-hour lab.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): 371, Architecture 372, or Industrial Design 371.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • application of principles and elements of visual design to the creation of furniture 
  • exploration, ideation, and innovations of creative processes related to the design of furniture 
  • observation, research, and application of theories and principles of human experience and behavior
  • research, application and testing of elements and principles of ergonomics 
  • application and development of prototyping of furniture (learning from trial and error)
  • innovation and application of emerging materials, methods, technology, and use of furniture 
  • development of craft as pursued with practice of skill and attention to detail 
  • exploration of the design of culturally relevant and significant material artifacts 

Demonstrate the ability to stretch your skill and creative resources:

  • time - design projects must be completed in time allotted and within the available scheduled shop hours at the A+A wood shop and Fablab   
  • materials - resources must be affordable (purchased by you), available, and sustainable
  • tools and methods - techniques and tools must be available and well executed, with practice and refinement of technique 

FabLab resources and procedures can be found here:

https://archdesign.utk.edu/study/studios-learning-labs/fab-lab/digital-fab-services/

Saftey

A majority of class time will be held in the wood shop. Every day you are to be prepared with proper clothing for wood working, closed toed shoes, safety glasses, and long hair pulled back. All shop polices must be followed. 

Eating and Breaks 

Please refrain from eating in the wood shop. You may have quick snacks during designated class breaks outside of the wood shop area. 

SUPPLIES

Sketching supplies and a laptop computer and software (Rhino), is required for the completion of projects. Please have your computer and sketch book available at every class session. 

  • Sketch Book - 10X10 spiral bound or similar
  • Trace paper pad or roll 
  • Graphite Pencils 2H, HB, 2B, 4B 
  • Verithin Color Pencils (non-photo blue, yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, and green) 
  • Pencil Sharpener
  • Post-it-notes 
  • Copic Multi-liners or similar 

As a project based course and students will be required to purchase supplies to complete design investigations and prototyping beyond the list above. Costs vary based on student determined direction.

Please be prepared at the beginning of class with supplies and materials necessary to complete projects. 

Free subscription to Slack, turn notifications on and subscribe to the class group. You will post assignments to the Slack account. 

ATTENDANCE

Class attendance and working during class time is required. Course grades are subject to attendance and participation. More than one absence will lower the final grade a student receives for the course by one half letter grade per day missed. All policies regarding allowable excused attendance as outlined in Hilltopics are in effect in this course. 

An important reason for requiring you be in class is the benefit of student interaction. With all students in attendance, impromptu meetings, discussions, and design activities can be held. Note that, unless you are excused from class, you are expected to be in the class during scheduled meeting times. 

Unless approved by the instructor, texting and similar communications not related to class are not permitted during class sessions. 

Final review attendance and participation is required to pass the class.  

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

You are strongly advised to review the University's policies on dishonest scholastic work as outlined Hill Topics. These policies place full responsibility on the student for the content and integrity of all work submitted. The issue of integrity is a priority in the College of Architecture and Design and is a matter that is the basis of the ethical standards of the design professions. University of Tennessee policies and procedures for academic integrity are in full implementation within this course.

An essential feature of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a commitment to maintaining an atmosphere of intellectual integrity and academic honesty. The UTK policy on academic integrity, from Hilltopics Student Handbook, 2012-2013:

Study, preparation and presentation should involve at all times the student’s own work, unless it has been clearly specified that work is to be a team effort. Academic honesty requires that the student present his or her own work in all academic projects, including tests, papers, homework, and class presentation. When incorporating the work of other scholars and writers into a project, the student must accurately cite the source of that work. (See Standards of Conduct Honor Statement. Additional resources are available at http://www.lib.utk.edu/instruction/plagiarism/)

Please note that the need for accurate citation is not limited to written work, but includes design work as well. Students are required to know their sources. Each student must be able to document, within reason, the principle sources for their work. This includes the the use of visual creative work, product development, and traditional source of information (web site, monograph, journal, etc.).

Academic integrity is not limited to citations and copying, but includes vandalism, theft, intimidation, etc.

GRADING SCALE

Grades are given under the following guidelines based on assignment criteria and expected outcomes:

(A) Excellent and superior academic work. A clear and thorough demonstration to the knowledge of the topics studied in the course as presented by the instructor. The student must also clearly demonstrate the ability to critically apply knowledge, skills, processes and ideas studied in the course with independent thought, insight, integrity, and thoughtful creative expression. Students must clearly demonstrate that they have the ability to go beyond requirements in the course or class activities as outlined by the instructor in meaningful and thoughtful methods.

(B) Above average, approaching excellence in academic work. A clear and thorough demonstration to the knowledge of the topics studied in the course. The student clearly demonstrates the ability to critically apply knowledge, skills, processes, and ideas studied in the course with limited implementation of independent thought and creative expression. The student may go beyond course requirements as outlined by the instructor, but may not have realized or demonstrated the full potential independent thinking, integrity, insight, and creative expression within the course.

(C) Average academic work. A clear understanding and knowledge of central topics, skills, processes and ideas studied in the course or class activity. The student sufficiently demonstrates the ability to critically apply knowledge, skills, processes, and ideas studied in the course Limited or misdirected independent thinking or effort to go beyond course requirements.

(D) Below average academic work. Minimal acceptable understanding and knowledge of central topics, skills, processes, and ideas studied in the course or class activity.

(F) Unacceptable academic work. Inability to demonstrate minimal understanding of central topics, skills, processes, and ideas studied in the course or class activity.

(I) Incomplete - Under extraordinary circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor, the grade of Incomplete may be awarded to a student who has satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of the course but cannot complete the course for reasons beyond his or her control.

GRADING 

  • Project One Final Design 15% of Grade
  • Project One Design Process 20% of the Grade 
  • Project Two 30 % of the Grade 
  • Project Two Design Process 35% of the Grade 

GRADING AND EVALUATIONS

Due to the non-linear nature of the design process, grades will only be given at end of project one and end of the semester. If the instructor perceives that a student is making a C- or less in the class they will be notified. 

dEvaluations and feedback will be provided continually during the semester in the form of verbal critique and analysis of design work. 

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

The following schedule is an estimated timeline of events. Adjustments will be made in class to maximize learning. 

  • Week One - Project One 
  • Week Two - Project One 
  • Week Three - Project Two 
  • Week Four - Project Two 
  • Week Five - Project Two and Final Review