TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
ARCH 5302 Product Design Workshop
College of Architecture Homepage 

Urs Peter "Upe" Flueckiger, Professor

Syllabus Spring 2020

Writing Assignment

Given: Thursday April 16, 2020 
Due: Friday May 8, 2020

Writing Description Option 1:
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work, the book, by Matthew Crawford makes an argument for the craft and that craft still has a place in our society in the digital age. On the other side Mario Carpo's essay: Non Standard Morality: Digital Technology and Its Discontents makes the argument that digital manufacturing technologies will change our entire manufacturing industry.

Both writings are about a dozen years old. DDF Certificate students are especially encouraged to look at Carpo's writing and make the case if his predictions became reality/will become reality?  On the other hand. Crawford's perspective of "hands on" does the craft still has a future in our day and age?

Length: 1,500 - 2,000 words.

Writing Description Option 2:
It's Hard to Find a Good Lamp by Donald Judd. In this essay Judd reflects on his approach to furniture design. It's written in 1993. Judd is one of the most influential artists in the second half of the 20th century. Make an argument why his furniture designs became so significant and why was he able to succeed in the world of furniture design as an artist who had no formal education as a product/furniture designer?

Length: 1,500 - 2,000 words.

Grading Criteria:
Overall Writing Quality.
Argumentation - For/Against.
Grammar/Spelling.