Context: The students should have already completed:
This lesson would be in the first week of class so only icebreakers and a few free-writes about technical and professional communication.
The students should have already read:
Technical Communication Today: Chapter 17 - Designing Documents & Interfaces
In Class: Free Write
What does design mean to you? How does it influence your daily life. Consider product design, document design, textual design, or any other design.
In Class Video:
Dieter Rams is a designer for Braun and other popular products. He is a philosopher of design, and I believe his principle of design are extremely relevant to document design, especially in technical communication because of how closely related the documents are to the products.
Group Work:
Split into pairs.
Have students look over chapter 17 together and decide which Principle of Design sticks out to them most.
How did they relate to the video?
Come together as a class after for discussion.
For Next Class:
Find 2 things in your house or life that you consider to be well designed:
1 Product
1 Document
Post to Discussion Board:
What where the findings of your search? Did your choices have anything in common?