Making Meaning : An Introduction to Designing Objects is an on line design course written and presented by Tim Parsons and produced by The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Kadenze.com.

The course consists of a series of filmed lectures, which can be watched for free by creating a login, and features interviews with established designers such as Ronan Bouroullec, Inga Sempé and Matali Crasset. Split into two parts, part one starts by illustrating the breadth of the field, and goes on to explore the power relations and semiotic structures which lie behind object making. It covers how we use objects to express our identity and position ourselves within subcultures, and it analyzes the process of design as it unfolds in the designer’s mind, on paper, through model making, and via other generative “thinking tools.”

Aimed both at students and working designers, the course provides an overview of the theories and practices object designers are engaged in today. Part Two was released in January 2019.