FAQs
IDEAS Minor
The Integrated Design Engineering Arts & Society (IDEAS) Minor at Wesleyan University is an interdisciplinary study of the way in which design interacts with society.
Through this course of study, I learned about the intersection of engineering and the arts in project-based classes where I worked both in teams and independently to solve problems, cultivate innovative technical designs, and constantly consider the people design can impact.
Courses Taken
Electrical Design & Engineering
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This course was a project based course where I learned about electricity, circuits, and electronics.
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In addition to smaller skill building projects this course focused around 2 larger projects:
Line following robot that utilized sensors to navigate a course and follow a path
Plant tracker and alert system designed to monitor soil, weather, and light to provide alerts for an individual taking care of a plant
Digital Foundations
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This course centered around developing technical skills in Adobe programs including Photoshop, AfterEffects, Illustrator, and Premiere.
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2 video projects created utilizing built skills in Adobe suite:
Midterm video about how our mind is a moldable object shaped by every experience we encounter
Final video about how magic changes form as we grow from children to adults
Product Design II
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Advanced project based course focused on developing technical product skills and then applying these skills to create an innovative solution for a real world problem.
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2 projects:
Group midterm project: designing, drawing, and creating 36 unique objects from 4 flat curves
Individual final project: design prototype for PocketPaint, an innovative tool designed to simplify the painting process
Drawing I
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Foundations of drawing utilizing charcoal and graphite.
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Portfolio includes figure drawings, landscape drawings, and still lifes.
Architecture I
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This was a project based course where I built foundational skills in architectural drawings and models.
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The first half of the semester was focused on drawing and replicating a precedent study while in the second half of the semester I designed my own domestic living space for 12 strangers to live in.
Course Breakdown
Minor - Integrated Design Engineering Arts & Society
Core Courses:
Design Studies
Digital Foundations
Electrical Design & Engineering
Concentration - 3D Design
Electives:
Product Design II
Drawing I
Architecture I
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright: Myth & Fact
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This was a course that viewed Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural works in conjunction with political climates and societal shifts.
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I wrote a research paper during this course titled “Advancing Democracy Through Architecture: A Study of Italian Exhibitions Through Frank Lloyd Wright’s Relationship with 20th Century Italy”.
Design Studies
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This course covered history and theory of design and its relationship to the society it has developed and been developed by.
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2 written projects:
Object biography about the relationship between myself as a runner and the watch that I use to time my runs
Research paper and accompanying zine about Walt Disney’s vision for Disney World and EPCOT as a utopian model for cities