Haoqi Zhang (Northwestern University)

Talk will not be filmed at speaker’s request.

Film Screening: A Film on Design, Technology, and Research (DTR)

In this Design@Large seminar, we’ll be screening a documentary following Northwestern University’s Design, Technology, and Research (DTR) program led by associate professor Haoqi Zhang. The film follows graduate and undergraduate students and their faculty mentor in DTR for two quarters, to look at the practices of a community-based research lab. Students self-direct their own research projects focused on design within human computer interaction while also learning about their own work process and metacognitive blockers to completing their work. The film focuses on the process by which mentors instruct multiple students at once and how students work to overcome individual struggles that prevent them from moving forward to make project progress and grow as people. Students work individually but within a community to find ways to seek help from each other, learn from others’ experiences, and support one another. By reflecting on their own practices and work processes, students grow personally throughout their time in this community. The ultimate goal of DTR is for students to discover what it’s like to pursue work that is meaningful to their own values and goals.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A and discussion with the filmmakers.
Film website: http://forward.movie
Trailer: https://furnacefps.wistia.com/medias/dbxrejb6ws#

About the Speakers

Haoqi Zhang is an associate professor in Computer Science and Design at Northwestern University. He founded and directs the Design, Technology, and Research (DTR) program, which provides an original model for research training for 90+ graduate and undergraduate students. With Nell O’Rourke, Liz Gerber, and Matt Easterday, Haoqi co-directs the Delta Lab, an interdisciplinary research lab and design studio across computer science, learning science, and design. He received his PhD in Computer Science from Harvard University and his BA in Computer Science and Economics from Harvard College.

Sergio Salgado is a director and cinematographer with Furnace FPS which he founded in 2011. He has worked on feature documentaries, such as Forced Perspective (2015) and Grit & Grain (2016). He’s worked on commercial film and product spots for brands such as Apple, Hillshire Brands, and Jaguar Land Rover. He has a Masters in Digital Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art and BA in Art and Visual Technologies from George Mason University.

Sarah Hanson is a director and producer with Furnace FPS. For the past 5 years, she has helped grow and manage the commercial side of Furnace FPS. Producing commercial films, product spots, and stories for clients large and small. DTR is her second independent documentary project and first in which she held a directorial role. Prior to her work in video, she has experience in landscape architecture and textiles. She received a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a BFA in Fiber from the Maryland Institute College of Art.