Design Activation: Practical Research Lab

Catalog description

Students conduct original research using design thinking as a practical methodology for investigating real problems and generating new knowledge. Students leverage the Media and Immersive Experience Center (MIX) in Mesa, Arizona, as an integrated research laboratory--utilizing its fabrication space, metal and wood workshop, equipment check-out, virtual production volume, multi-purpose spaces, and interior/exterior displays to design experiments, build prototypes and realize public-facing research activations. Faculty and staff serve as critical research resources, providing technical expertise, methodological guidance and facility knowledge to support rigorous investigation. Students work closely with MIX technical staff to maximize facility capabilities and troubleshoot complex experimental setups. Through iterative experimentation and process-oriented assessment, students develop research questions, design methodologies, build prototypes and present findings in public installations. Emphasizes research decision making, methodological adaptation based on evidence, user/audience input, and the ability to produce defensible knowledge contributions to the field.