EXPERIMENTS IN INFORMATION DESIGN WS25

Introduction to Design with Data and Information
Every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Room 3.07

How can reality be translated into form? For over 13,000 years, humans have been transforming their perception of the world into abstract representations in the form of maps, diagrams, or tables in order to better understand and organize it. This course takes this practice as its starting point for a creative and theoretical exploration of information design.

The course is both an introduction and a space for experimentation. In weekly assignments, we explore central forms of information representation such as diagrams, maps, temporal arrangements, hierarchies, and networks, as well as their transfer into different media states—from photographs to sonifications (data as sound) and physicalizations (data as objects) to cinematic and interactive formats. We combine practical experiments with conceptual questions from the fields of design, epistemology, history of science, computer science, cartography, digital humanities, philosophy, and magical realism.

In the last third of the semester, you can set your own priorities and develop an individual or collaborative project. The course is complemented by a joint excursion to the ZKM Karlsruhe, one of the world's most important institutions for media art and data-supported cultural practice.