Study Group 003, “Understanding Media” with Andrew McLuhan, Welcomes Members Outside of the Collective

Starting January 9, 2025, Baukunst welcomes the collective to our next Study Group topic—”Understanding Media,” a deep dive into the work of media theorist Marshall McLuhan and how it applies to our world today. We’ll even be welcoming some applicants outside of the collective to this one. Read more below about that if you’re interested in applying!

But first—what are Study Groups?

Study Groups are topic-specific deep dives into new areas of inquiry at the frontiers of technology and design. Collective members and select outside subject matter experts come together to pose questions, aggregate knowledge, and make future predictions.

For "Understanding Media," We will gather for one hour every Thursday for seven weeks, and each week we will look at one of the first seven chapters of the book. Each session will begin with a talk by facilitator Andrew McLuhan, and then a group discussion to interpret and apply these lessons against changes taking place today. Asynchronous communication will happen via Slack and email. You do not need to attend every session in order to participate.

What’s Understanding Media?

Marshall McLuhan is now synonymous with the controversial claim he made in the 1960s that "the medium is the message." At the height of the television boom, he proclaimed what affects the perceptions and behaviors of people was not the content in which media delivers, but in fact the mode of a medium itself. In the "Understanding Media" Study Group, Andrew McLuhan will break down the principles of the aforementioned book by Marshall, applying it to modern mediums to help creative technologists apply these teachings and bring a more introspective critical lens to their own work.

For the first time, we’re welcoming a select number of participants outside the collective to join in on our Study Group!

Are you a creative technologist with a unique perspective on media and technology, looking to deepen your work through this critical lens? With limited slots available, we encourage you to apply soon. Applications are open until January 6, 2025.

Apply to join the Study Group here

To learn more about what to expect, we sat down with Study Group 003 organizer, Andrew McLuhan:

Baukunst

What is this Study Group about?

Andrew McLuhan

I think the best way to support creative technologists is to help them think creatively about technology. One way to do that is to expand how they think about media, or technology, in the first place -- for example, if you want to get to why the medium is the message, think about a medium without an obvious 'message,' that is, think outside of communications media.

Baukunst

What will people learn?

McLuhan

The curriculum I've chosen for the study group is essentially a distillation of the first seven chapters of Understanding Media (McLuhan, 1964). Each of these seven parts is a different way of exploring the nature of human innovation, and its effects on us individually and collectively.

I'm often asked why people should care about this, why we should study media. We can't afford not to. With the speed of innovation today, we don't have the luxury of time. The distance between cause and effect shrinks to become almost insignificant.

The wonderful thing about these seven things is that they are general principles of technology. In the second part of the book, Marshall McLuhan takes these general principles and applies them to specific media from words to clothes to techniques -- and we will take these same seven principles and apply them to our contemporary evolving world.

Baukunst

Why is it critical for those involved in design, technology, or business to sharpen their critical lens on media?

McLuhan

I'm often asked why people should care about this, why we should study media. We can't afford not to. With the speed of innovation today, we don't have the luxury of time. The distance between cause and effect shrinks to become almost insignificant. Our technologies are complex, and the way they shape and reshape us and our world even more so. We need all the techniques at our disposal to be able to make sense of what's happening, especially if we want to get ahead of the curve. The more we understand, the smarter we can design, the better off we all are.

Baukunst

Our current editorial theme is Magic—something I know you have strong opinions about in the context of the media. What do you feel is most important to share about the connection between media and magic? What are you paying attention to?

McLuhan

There are many kinds of magic. When Arthur C Clarke said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, he may have meant that to the average person it appears that way. Magic is often what we call something when we don't understand what caused an effect. Studying the situation is how we break the spell, and knowing what to look for makes all the difference. The sleight of hand artist, like our media, depend on misdirection for full effect. We watch the swinging pendulum, and are hypnotized, we pay attention only to the content, and are equally distracted.

Baukunst

Who is this Study Group geared toward?

McLuhan

This study group is for anyone who wants to peer behind the curtain and get a deeper understanding of the forces at work and the mechanics of operation. We are going to explore seven general principles of media and how they apply to today's and tomorrow's innovation.

Join the Understanding Media Study Group

Check out the full schedule for Study Group 003

If you’re not part of the Collective but interested in applying to join the Understanding Media Study Group, you can apply here (application deadline is January 6, 2025)