*HOW DOES THIS EFFECT AFFECT?*

So studio and class begin this week. Here's a recap of the overnight retreat/orientation that took place last week.

There are about 20 of us or so...I didn't get an exact count; and there's a really excellent mix of people from all different backgrounds. There are of course the design backgrounds, but also present are students from:
Anthropology,
Philosophy,
Geopgraphy,
Graphic Design,
Social Theory,
Environmental Design,
Environmental Studies,
Biopsychology,
English Lit,
Advertising...

The three projects for this year are:

-Design of Products for Stroke Survivors for Improved Work and Home Life

-Design of Ideal Chicago Community School Prototype

-Design of a "Tools for School" Store

I am in the "Tools for School" Store project. I specifically chose this project for the reason that it isn't an obvious architecture issue...I felt I would be apt to fall into comfortable routines in going for the other projects. I've been in an arch/inarch bubble for the last four years and this is great chance to burst it.

Our group took a night to agree to disagree (what do expect from a group of 6 people with 6 entirely different backgrounds? I have no claim to knowledge of Instructional Technology...but someone in my group does...) and then started the next day really cracking down and realizing: while our project doesn't have an obvious structural answer, we are now designers and there was a design question to answer...which I feel we have a good start on.

-first studio is tomorrow night, and first class is tuesday so alot more will come in after this first week.

I am a designer - You are a teacher - What can I do for you? - What can we do for them?

*I also have a very guilty desire to hand out "architecture sucks"
t-shirts to all of the non-arch background students. Just to get off on the right foot before the year starts...is that so wrong?

**I also submitted a proposal to ISEA 2006 competition over the summer and should know something as far as yes or no by the end of this month.