Creativity, Innovation, and “The New”

Undergraduate

This seminar explores the role of “The New” in the design of our world. Through exploring the history of newness as an idea, its current understanding within philosophy, and examining its understanding in multiple creative fields today including art, architecture, product design, social microcultures, cars, food, fashion, and toys, students gain both knowledge about the role of “The New” in human society and are exposed to cutting-edge ideas in multiple disciplines. Through the study of emerging creative trends, detailed historic case studies, both philosophical and popular readings, and engaged group discussion we examine the very concept of “The New” from all possible angles—what it is, its history, why it is desired, the motivations of those that produce and promote it, who profits from it, and the morality of its continued rehearsal in a world with evolving ethics regarding the use of human labor and natural resources in the production of things. This course encourages students to consider these positions through not only research, presentations and discussion, but also speculative ‘making’ that challenges students to address the subject of “The New” themselves—through the very process of design. No particular skills or previous exposure to the design world is required. HU Th 1:30pm-3:25pm