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Week One

In Class Activities

Introduction & Overview
• Overview of the syllabus, assignments, and course structure
• Establishing group agreements: How do we engage with each other in discussions?

Discussion: What Does Power *Look* Like To You?
• Share an image and a few sentences that give insight to your selection.

Activity: Medium Quick Start
• An in-class activity to kick-start your Medium Journal

Before Next Class

Finish Activity: Setting Up Your Medium
• Upload your completed reflection and visual
• Ensure your visual serves as the Medium post header
• Link your post on the shared class spreadsheet

Pre-Work: Political 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

Medium Post: Design, Politics, and Protest
• See description below

Design, Politics,
and Protest

Power is everywhere—sometimes visible, sometimes hidden. This week, you will begin looking to map power and design through visual and written reflection on Medium.

Step 1: Look & Find
Identify two examples:

One example where design has been used as a tool for power (e.g. propaganda, policy design, media control, etc...).
One example where design has been used as a tool for resistance (e.g. activist design, counter-surveillance, protest graphics, etc...).

Step 2: Anaylaze Visuals
Describe the social and cultural meanings behind your image. You may need to do a little digging to find this out. Are certain symbols, colors, or design elements being used? How does it inform your understandings of power and design?

Step 3: Reflect in Writing
Write about your chosen examples and describe their design strategies. How do they connect to your own experiences with visual orientations of power? Avoid sweeping and general statements. Be specific—this is a space to explore, question, and connect.

Final Steps:
This activity/reflection should take the form of a short visual essay; 1-3 paragraphs and 5–7 captioned images. 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.