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Syllabus⇝

Measuring the world introduces students to the concept of a world in data by designing artifacts to measure their daily analogue and digital activity. The fundamental aspect is to understand nowadays data-driven world from the sourcing, that could range from a temperature sensor to an Instagram like, post-processing, storage and consumption. It aims to work both as an introduction to some key concepts behind physical computing to support the Machines that Make but more importantly as an introduction to the idea of information which is critical to the Extended intelligence module.

Deliverables⇝

Presentation and submission of a typified data journal according to the requirements presented in class.

Students are requested to submit all the material requested by the faculty + their reflections about the seminar on the MDEF repository on GitLab https://mdef.iaac.net/ within a maximum of 1 week after the students’ submission deadline.

Additional Resources⇝

Books

  • Infocracy: Digitization and the Crisis of Democracy, Byung-Chul Han.
  • The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, Shoshana Zuboff.
  • The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding From You, Eli Pariser.
  • Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy, Cathy O'Neil.

Publications

Online Reads

Faculty⇝

Oscar Gonzalez

Oscar Gonzalez

Sense Making Expert

Óscar González is an Industrial Engineer based in Barcelona with expertise in data analysis, testing and calibration through his experience in automotive and sensor development. Óscar is the Sense Making lead at Fab Lab Barcelona team doing research and development within the Smart Citizen project and is an instructor at the Fabacademy program.

Víctor Barberán Soler

Víctor Barberán Soler

Hardware and Software Expert

Víctor Barberán is an Industrial Designer with more than 20 years of experience developing custom technology for multidisciplinary art and science projects. Throughout his career, Victor Barberán has worked in electronics design, software development, data analysis, modelling and animation, and digital postproduction. Currently, Victor works as part of the Fab Lab Barcelona as a software and hardware developer in multiple research projects, such as the Smart Citizen project. He is also the Electronics lead for the Fabricademy, Fab Academy and the Masters of Design for Emergent Futures program.