Projects

The details and deliverables for each of the assignments can be found on the Assignments page.

Assignment 1: Design of Representation (create a representational system that communicates information)

Examples of student projects for Assignment 1: Design of Representation are viewable through the MIT Center for Arts, Science, and Technology (CAST) blog.

Assignment 2: Design of Fabrication (make something that helps you make something)

Examples of student projects for Assignment 2: Design of Fabrication are viewable through the MIT Center for Arts, Science, and Technology (CAST) blog.

Assignment 3: Design of Play (design a game that abstracts a global issue)

Below are image galleries of student projects for Assignment 3: Design of Play.

Equilibrium

Courtesy of Hunter Guarino, Toshiro Ihara, and MIT student. Used with permission.

Game summary: Players try to balance on the wooden platform.

Cutting the outline for the wooden platform on a CNC router. Cutting details for the wooden platform on a CNC router. Fabricating the beveled underbelly, which makes balancing challenging. Two players engaging in the game.

Marble Master

Courtesy of Vivian Dien and MIT students. Used with permission.

Game summary: Players take turns removing sticks held in a rack in order to guide marbles down to their respective pots for scoring.

Players thinking about the traveling path for the marbles at the games start. Moves made by removing the sticks causing marbles to travel downward. Players continuing game play by removing the wooden sticks. Game ending with all marbles dropped into pots at the bottom.

Monster Makers

Courtesy of Jennifer Saura and MIT students. Used with permission.

Game summary: Four players create monsters from picking sets of monster body parts, and compete to see which monster survives the longest based on the unique combinations.

Instructional screen awaiting monster creation. Players choose their monsters respective heads, and then take turns choosing torso, legs, and feet. Each monster should then have one body part chosen by each of the four players. Player 1 selecting a head from the choices. Each option is accompanied by text describing the creatures advantages and survival traits. For example: * Micro bats are able to navigate at night with echolocation. * Dolphins are incredibly smart and are able to use location to find things in the water. Player 3 completing his monster with frogs feet. Descriptions of alternative options include the following: * Electric eels have the unique ability of being able to electrify their predators. * Geckos have ridges on their feet, making them incredibly sticky so that the gecko can essentially climb on anything. Simulation deciding the winner by longest survival time. Explanations are provided, such as: * You realize your vegetarian tendencies spending a plump and healthy existence grazing among the wild grasses. 127 generations. * Beware the taller grasses, for within them lies the prairie cat. 16 years.

Pigs in a Blanket

Courtesy of Filip Goc, Emerald Ferreira-Yang, and MIT student. Used with permission.

Game summary: A team of two catapults a group of four pigs while the other team of two tries to catch them in a blanket.

Pigs used in the game. Teams taking turns catapulting pigs and catching them in a blanket. Player preparing to catapult a pig. Opposing team preparing to catch a pig. Manufacturing pigs by creating molds and casting. Pouring in material to cast a pig. Trimming edges after cast pig is removed from mold. Building and testing the catapult.

Poesis

Courtesy of Carlos David Gonzalez Uribe, Karen Hao, Philippa Mothersill, and MIT student. Used with permission.

Game summary: Players take turns adding words to form a poem and score points based on use of rhymes and figurative language.

Scoring for Poetic expression and figurative forms described on the game’s instructions. Poesis, derived from an ancient Greek word meaning “to make,” is a literary game. Earlier iterations of game with paper board and word tiles. Fabricating the board using a CNC router. Fabricating the word tiles using a laser cutter. Two players adding words to the poem on the game board. Board game including instructions, word tiles, and rack for tiles. Game ending when a poem is completed.

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Design Across Scales, Disciplines and Problem Contexts