Empathize
Students will investigate how peers experience and interpret cultural narratives in art, conduct real interviews, and create evidence-based empathy maps that will ground their later sculpture designs inspired by Charles McGee and African-American history.
Day 1
🎨 Design Delve & User Lens Challenge
Launch 15m
🗣️ Interview Protocol for Cultural Stories
Knowledge/Skill Building 10m
🎤 Peer Interviews on Art & Identity
Community Experience 15m
🧠 Empathy Map: Viewer Experience
Deliverable 5m
Define
Students will synthesize peer interview data from their paper sculpture user research into clear, evidence-based problem statements that guide their upcoming design decisions. They will identify patterns across interviews, draft and critique “How Might We” statements grounded in real quotes, and produce a written rationale that becomes the design constraint for their sculpture prototypes and team video.
Day 2
🧠 From Interview Quotes to Insights
Knowledge/Skill Building 10m
📌 Affinity Mapping Sculpture Feedback
Deliverable 15m
✍🏾 Crafting How Might We Statements
Deliverable 12m
🔍 HMW Peer Critique Protocol
Knowledge/Skill Building 8m
Ideate
Students will generate a wide range of sculpture design concepts grounded in user research, then narrow to high-potential ideas that clearly communicate African-American historical narratives through abstraction, pattern, and form.
Day 3
⚡ 20-Idea Sculpture Sprint
Project Work 15m
🧠 Crazy-8s Abstraction Sketches
Project Work 10m
🔄 SCAMPER on Pattern & Form
Knowledge/Skill Building 10m
📊 User-Needs Decision Matrix
Deliverable 5m
🖊️ Concept Storyboard & Interaction Plan
Deliverable 5m
Prototype
Students will build and refine testable paper sculpture prototypes inspired by Charles McGee, document user feedback, and revise their designs to more effectively communicate African-American historical narratives through abstraction, pattern, and form.
Day 4
60 min over capacity (45 min available across 1 day)
🏗️ Refined Sculpture Prototype V2
Project Work 30m
🛠️ Rapid Paper Prototype Build
Project Work 25m
🗣️ User Testing Rounds & Interview Notes
Deliverable 20m
🔁 Iteration Log & Revision Plan
Deliverable 15m
🤝 Team Feedback & Design Alignment
Project Work 15m
Test/Present
Students will validate their refined paper sculptures with a new user, document final feedback-driven adjustments, and present their full design journey—from empathy interviews to prototype iterations—through a public exhibition and multimedia presentation.
Day 5
🛠️ Final Sculpture Adjustments
Project Work 10m
🗣️ New User Test & Feedback Capture
Project Work 15m
🎥 Design Story Run-Through
Deliverable 10m
🎨 Culture in Motion Parade
Community Experience 5m
🏛️ Abstract Expressions Presentation
Assessment 5m