Class of 2019 Blog

This blog represents the students’ thoughts and observations during the 2019 Design Abroad: Costa Rica course. It also serves as an archive of the project and work accomplished in collaboration with the local community. To learn more, read the following blog posts, starting at the beginning through to the final day’s post.

Design Abroad: Costa Rica 2019 Exhibition

YellowStudents and faculty from the Design Abroad: Costa Rica course invite you to attend the Design Abroad Exhibition. The exhibition will be held November 19th to 29th in the Great Hall with an opening reception on November 19th, from 5PM to 7PM.

This exhibition features the work of students from across the FoD who participated in the Design Abroad course in May. Their individual projects are inspired by their experiences traveling and engaging in a comprehensive participatory design project with the El Cocal community in Costa Rica.

Design Abroad: Costa Rica 2019 Exhibition
Great Hall, 100 McCaul St.
November 19-29, 2019
Opening Reception: November 19, 5-7PM

Class of 2017 Blog

This blog represents the students’ thoughts and observations during the 2017 Design Abroad: India course. It also serves as an archive of the project and work accomplished in collaboration with the local community. To learn more, read the following blog posts, starting at the beginning through to the final day’s post.

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Course Blog Assignments

One of your required tasks in this course is to post to the Design Abroad: India blog. One to two students will be assigned to post each day to the blog, reporting and reflecting on the activities you were involved in on that day. Each student will be responsible for three blog posts during the course. Students will write and upload, at minimum, a 200-word post. Along with thoughtfully written (and edited) text, you will choose and upload three photos that best represent the work and experience that day. For faster uploading, ensure you first re-save the photos as a smaller file size. Posts should be completed and uploaded by 9am the day following your assigned blog day.

Here is the blog assignment schedule over the next three weeks:

Mon 5/15
Alyssa

Tues 5/16

Jake

Wed 5/17
Maddy

Thurs 5/18
T’mikah

Fri 5/19
Megan

Sat 5/20
Genevieve

Sun 5/21
Liza

Mon 5/22
Michael

Tues 5/23
Melih

Wed 5/24
Alyssa

Thurs 5/25
Jake

Fri 5/26
T’mikah

Sat 5/27
Maddy

Sun 5/28
Megan
Liza

Mon 5/29
Genevieve
Melih

Tues 5/30
Michael
T’mikah

Wed 5/31
Alyssa
Megan

Thurs 6/1
Melih
Liza

Fri 6/2
Genevieve
Michael

Sat 6/3
Jake
Maddy

Class of 2014 Blog

This blog represents the students’ thoughts and observations during the 2014 Design Abroad: India course. It also serves as an archive of the project and work accomplished in collaboration with the local community. To learn more, read the following blog posts, starting at the beginning through to the final day’s post.

Class of 2015 Blog

This blog represents the students’ thoughts and observations during the 2015 Design Abroad: India course. It also serves as an archive of the project and work accomplished in collaboration with the local community. To learn more, read the following blog posts, starting at the beginning through to the final day’s post.

Class Blog Assignments

One of your required tasks in this course is to post to the Design Abroad: India blog. One to two students will be assigned to post each day to the blog, reporting and reflecting on the activities you were involved in on that day. Each student will be responsible for two blog posts during the course. Students will write and upload, at minimum, a 200-word post. Along with thoughtfully written (and edited) text, you will choose and upload 2-3 photos that best represent the work and experience that day. For faster uploading, ensure you first re-save the photos as a smaller file size. Posts should be completed and uploaded by 9am the day following your assigned blog day.

Here is the blog assignment schedule over the next three weeks:

Mon 5/11
Yinan

Tues 5/12
Christian

Wed 5/13
Kersti

Thurs 5/14
Rachel

Fri 5/15
Natassja

Sat 5/16
Melis

Sun 5/17
Deanna

Mon 5/18
Frances

Tues 5/19
Ali

Wed 5/20
Naya

Thurs 5/21
Ariel

Fri 5/22
Ambika

Sat 5/23
Bonita

Sun 5/24
Yinan

Mon 5/25
Christian
Frances

Tues 5/26
Kersti
Ali

Wed 5/27
Rachel
Naya

Thurs 5/28
Natassja
Ariel

Fri 5/29
Melis
Ambika

Sat 5/30
Deanna
Bonita

2014 Class – Student Bios

Please post your bios here. Each person should add theirs above the previous posted bio. Use the following format: (Copy and paste and repeat for all ten bios)

STUDENTS

Name:

Upload a photo of yourself

Major:

About Me:

Write 100-150 words about yourself and your design work and upload 1-3 photos of your work

_________________

Name:

Upload a photo of yourself

Major:

About Me:

Write 100-150 words about yourself and your design work and upload 1-3 photos of your work

_________________

Name:

Upload a photo of yourself

Major:

About Me:

Write 100-150 words about yourself and your design work and upload 1-3 photos of your work

_________________

 

The First Design Abroad: India Class

SariGroupPhoto

From left to right: Michael Lewis, Maya Das Gupta, Vanessa Hausman, Sarah Tranum (instructor), Felipe Sarmiento, Monifa Charles-Dedier, Zimeng Yu,
Arielle Bourret-Klein, Anna Kolesnikova, and Kylie Thompson.

In May of 2023, nine OCAD University students traveled to India as part of the Design Abroad: India course. This diverse group of students came from both the Faculty of Design and the Faculty of Art and represented a cross section of disciplines, skill sets, and perspectives. This blog documents the projects these students undertook and the incredible work they did as they co-designed with two organizations over the three-week period of the course.

The students worked in two groups. One group co-designed with KESBO, a boys orphanage, and the other team collaborated with Sadhana, a human rights organization that works with residents living in slum areas. The KESBO team designed and built a new playspace with and for the boys who live and go to school at the orphanage. This playspace not only provides a safe place for the boys to have fun and interact with each other, but also offered the boys the opportunity to express their ideas and work together to see these ideas become real.

The Sadhana group worked with the founder of the organization, her staff, and the residents of the nearby community to develop a visual identity that would represent their goals and collective voice. This identity, used on letterhead, posters, flyers, etc., was also printed on textiles and worn as a means to unify Sadhana and the residents at meetings, rallies, press conferences and other events where they are working to have their rights upheld in order to improve the health, safety and governance of their community.

You can learn more about these projects by reading the following posts, which document the participatory design process, from start to finish. The blog also reflects the students’ thoughts and observations during the course and documents the creation of their final individual projects, which were completed after their return from India. These projects challenged the students to thoughtfully reflect upon their experience and how it has influenced them and their work as designers.