Critical Coding
Over the course of three weeks, students developed a series of creative coding experiments before working in groups on a final JavaScript project for a 2.3 × 1.6 metre LED wall.
Using p5.js, they explored the screen’s low resolution and technical limitations as productive design constraints. Rather than treating restriction as an obstacle, the projects used it as a framework for experimentation, helping to generate distinct visual languages, systems and forms of interaction.
The module brought analogue and digital design practices into dialogue: principles of composition, typography, rhythm, repetition and rule-based design were translated into code, tested on screen and continuously adjusted through making. Coding became less a purely technical exercise than an extension of the design process—iterative, material and open to unexpected results.
The module also included a guest lecture and mentoring sessions by designer and creative coder Vera van de Seyp, who shared insights into her practice and supported the students in developing their projects.