In 2020 I was invited to design and teach a new compulsory course on creative coding for the Visual Communication Design MA programme at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. There had not previously been a coding course in the VCD MA curriculum, so I was tasked to outline the learning outcomes, plan the entire syllabus and create the teaching material.

The aim of the intensive, six-week course is to introduce creative computation as a practical and experimental method for visual communication design. Students learn the basics of programming through visually and creatively engaging coding exercises. Using JavaScript and the p5.js library, students learn to produce generative and interactive illustrations, visualisations and motion graphics, as well as simple applications and games. During the course, students participate in approachable live-coding workshops and tackle creative programming assignments individually and in groups. The course also provides a critical context for discussing the aesthetic and ethical implications of computational practices in visual communication design. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to adopt a curious, hands-on approach, where explorations and mistakes can lead to surprising and successful outcomes.

The course information can be found here.
All the student projects from 2020—2024 can be found on the course showcase website.
The course coding exercises can be found on GitHub or directly on the p5.js web editor.