ACTIVITY MATERIALS

BEFORE WE START

Review the Brainstorming Guide

؜The goal of brainstorming is to create a generative list of ideas - that means ideas that have lots of room to grow - for potential projects that you can continue to explore. Think of these ideas as seeds that will grow and transform into your project.

1 - ENCOURAGE WILD IDEAS

2 - SUSPEND JUDGMENT

4 - BUILD ON IDEAS

5 - BE VISUAL

3 - GO FOR QUANTITY

Wild ideas can often give rise to creative leaps.

Don’t shoot down someone else’s idea.

Aim for as many ideas as possible.

Build and expand on the ideas of others.

Sketch your ideas.

ENCOURAGE

WILD IDEAS

Wild ideas can often give rise to creative leaps.

Shout out bizarre and unworkable ideas to see what they spark off. No idea is too ridiculous. State out any outlandish ideas. Exaggerate ideas to the extreme.

SUSPEND

JUDGMENT

Don’t shoot down someone else’s idea.

The evaluation of ideas takes up valuable brain power which should be devoted to the creation if ideas. Therefore do not judge the ideas until after the brainstorming process. Note down all ideas.

GO FOR

QUANTITY

Aim for as many ideas as possible.

If the number of ideas at the end of the session is very large, there is a greater chance of finding a really good idea. Keep each idea short, do not describe it in detail - just capture its essence.

BUILD

ON IDEAS

Build and expand on the ideas of others.

Try and add extra thoughts to each idea. Use other people’s ideas as inspiration for your own. Creative people are also good listeners. Combine several of the suggested ideas to explore new possibilities.

BE

VISUAL

Sketch your ideas.

Nothing gets an idea across faster than drawing it. It doesn’t matter how terrible of a sketcher you are! It’s all about the idea behind your sketch.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

writing down, drawing, and sharing as many cyborg ideas as possible on the whiteboard & finalizing our project statement

to select the cyborg concept that you and a partner will develop through prototyping

Natural Human Ability

Disability

Super-Human Ability

Sight

Hearing

Touch

Taste

Smell

Movement

Communication

Understanding

Emotion

RETURN TO THE CYBORG POSSIBILITY CHART

Focus on the super-human abilities of the cyborg future

BRAINSTORMING STEPS

Individual Idea Generation: Think back to your future world scenario.

Now pick one sense (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, or even balance) to focus on. Write down as many ideas as you can for superhuman abilities related to that sense. Don’t worry about feasibility—focus on quantity and creativity.

Example

Imagine a flooded city in 2075. Your cyborg could have gills to breathe underwater.

1st

Ideas can come from your future fictional worlds, from natural inspiration or some of your favorite activities. 

TIME TO BRAINSTORM!

BRAINSTORMING STEPS

؜As a class: Pin your ideas on the board and discuss:

1. Which abilities are most interesting, surprising, or useful?
2. How could ideas be combined or improved?
3. Capture new ideas that emerge from discussion to expand your project concepts further.
4. Pair up and select one idea to work on it!

2nd

SKETCHING STEPS

؜Check the Sketching presentation before moving to the next step.

3th

؜Draw your ideas: Sketch how the superhuman ability or device would look and how it’s worn on the body (if applicable).

؜– Add labels to show what each part is.

– Point out the key parts or actions (what moves, lights up, rotates, etc.).

– Include important elements like materials, tools, or the user’s position so it’s clear how people will interact with it.

SKETCHING STEPS

CONCEPT THESIS STEPS

Write 1–2 sentences describing what it does and how it helps in your future world.

1. What is this project about?
2. What does it let people do, see, hear, or feel?
3. Explain your reasoning and inspiration.
4. Include why you picked one technique or combined multiple ones.
5. How will they interact with it?
6. Include materials

4th

When writing an essay, a Project Thesis is a sentence that states the topic and purpose of your writing. A good thesis statement will direct the structure of your essay and will allow your reader to understand the ideas you will discuss within your paper.

A thesis statement for a Project Thesis serves a similar purpose. This statement will guide your research and prototyping throughout the creative process.

CYBORG THESIS QUESTIONS

What is it?

How does it work?

What inspired the design?

Why is it needed?

Answer the most important of these questions for your specific project. 

Speak in the "third person". Do not use the words "I" or "you" in your thesis statement. 

As the first time working with your new partner, you will need to compromise and negotiate. 

Defining the thesis of your project is an important step. It may take multiple drafts to get it right. This thesis can evolve over the course of the design process. Ask others to critique your words. 

The Climbclaw is an attachment that helps users in climbing things like spiderman. It is made out of cardboard and has spikes. 

exohand

what

things?

what would the final materials be?

Create a slide showing your project statement along with you sketches. Take 2 mins to share out your idea to the class!

5th

SHARE OUT STEPS

EXAMPLE PROJECT THESIS

The Ascendoskeleton is an exohand that assists users in the climbing of vertical surfaces such as cliffs and trees through the use of velco-like metal claws. The Ascendoskeleton is inspired by the climbing abilities of spider legs.  

Ascendoskeleton

EXAMPLE PROJECT THESIS

WaterWear is a rain collection and storage device that is designed for a future of extreme water scarcity due to climate change. The device is worn on the body at all times so water can always be collected when available and used when needed. 

WaterWear