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Week Four

“Technological Power”

This week, we explore power in a technological sense, focusing on how technology, intelligence, and design interact to shape control, agency, and automation systems. How does technology alter traditional hierarchies of power? Where do human intelligence and machine intelligence converge or conflict? Through discussion, observation, and visual storytelling, we will critically examine how technology is embedded in—and often obscured within—our daily lives and design processes.

In Class Activities

Warm-up: Group Reflection
• Group discussion on Design “Home” Mapping

Activity: Diagraming Power
To activate insights from this week’s materials, we’ll collaboratively unpack key themes at the intersection of power, design, technology, and intelligence. Building on our prior visual strategies (like power webs, x/y axis maps, and motif sketches), we’ll use these tools again today to examine how intelligence, automation, and design shape (or obscure) power relationships in contemporary systems.

Medium: Looking, Seeing, and Thinking (↗ link to Google Slides)
• Where do we “see” technology and intelligence?

Before Next Class

Medium Post: Looking, Seeing, and Thinking
• See description below

Pre-Work: Metaphoric Power (↗ link to Google Drive)
• Read/Watch/Skim for 1-2 hours
• Come prepared to discuss one key takeaway and 2–3 questions you’d like to explore

Looking, Seeing,
and Thinking

This week, your group explored a key theme of technological power through visual diagramming. Use this post to share your collective insights and reflect on your personal learning. This reflection should synthesize insights from the pre-work materials and take the form of a short visual essay: 1–3 paragraphs accompanied by 5–7 captioned images, published on your Medium.

1. Group Diagram (screenshot or photo)
Include your group’s final diagram (Affinity Map, X/Y Axis, Power Web, or Motif Sketches). Add a short caption that names your theme and visual strategy.

2. Brief Group Summary
Summarize what your team discovered through this process. How did you get started? What patterns, tensions, or insights emerged? How did the materials inform your thinking? What challenges did you face?

3. Individual Reflection
Reflect on your personal learning. Respond to one or more of the following prompts:

What part of the diagramming helped you see technological power differently?
What tensions or surprises came up in your group?
How did the readings/viewings/listenings shape your understanding of your theme?
Where do you see this form of power in your own design practice?

Final Steps:
Upload your Medium post and add your link to the class spreadsheet by Friday at Midnight EST for A4 or Sunday at Midnight EST for B4.