Teaching Design
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The form of design evolves as technology continues to emerge and evolve. The new technologies greatly affect what we design, and how we make design, but not why we make design. In the midst of constant technological shifts, what keeps me grounded in teaching design is to approach design projects as inquiry-based designs rather than specific platforms. In Teaching as a Subversive Activity, Postman and Weingartner write “The inquiry environment stresses that learning is a happening in itself.” My aim is to create a space for students to cultivate problem-solving mindsets through exploration and open discussion, and inevitably a diverse set of design processes and outputs become interdisciplinary in nature.
As a design educator, I’ve led a new Interaction Design curriculum development for both BFA and MFA programs at Texas State University. My class projects challenge students to critically consider the artifacts, systems and experiences they design, as well as how their social identities shape their worldview and design decisions. In my classrooms, I break down projects into essential steps that build upon one another to achieve final outcomes. I incorporate lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and readings that highlight diverse perspectives, cultures and identities while students are encouraged to reflect on their own work through designing, group research, process documentation, and looking inwards statements. This structure empowers students to experiment with innovative methods, embrace fresh ways of thinking, and stretch their creative and intellectual boundaries.
To teach design is to embrace uncertainty. This means that the traditional Eurocentric design curriculum is no longer sufficient, and the conventional notions of ‘good’ design no longer suffice in our rapidly changing profession. The speed of change in the graphic design profession requires me to continuously develop, teach and test new projects while learning them myself. It is an iteration process that demands tremendous efforts of close attention, feedback, and revisions. My main goal as a design educator is to evoke students’ curiosity and help them find their ‘voice’ and ‘role’ as designers in society. How would they sustain their interests through a lens of design? Through teaching critical thinking, racialized design approach, and fostering individual practice, students learn to utilize design as a lifelong practice and set up for a long career in a field that will continue to evolve.
Design education today must reflect the diversity and interconnectedness of our global society. My commitment to diversity and inclusion is deeply rooted in my experiences as a minority, immigrant, person of color, and woman. These facets of my identity inspire me to create equitable and inclusive learning environments where all students feel empowered to contribute and critically identify visible and invisible forms of oppression in design and the world around us.
As the field of design expands to engage and include diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary collaboration, its potential for societal and global impact grows. Ultimately, what interests me lies in our shared humanity. I believe in the power of connection, belonging, dialogue, and expansion of understanding. As we continue to embrace technological shifts in our society and our field, this ever-expanding field offers an opportunity to rethink and reframe how we learn, teach and design. I am grateful to witness and participate in these technological and cultural shifts and these principles are what motivate and inspire me as a designer and an educator.
As a design educator, I’ve led a new Interaction Design curriculum development for both BFA and MFA programs at Texas State University. My class projects challenge students to critically consider the artifacts, systems and experiences they design, as well as how their social identities shape their worldview and design decisions. In my classrooms, I break down projects into essential steps that build upon one another to achieve final outcomes. I incorporate lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and readings that highlight diverse perspectives, cultures and identities while students are encouraged to reflect on their own work through designing, group research, process documentation, and looking inwards statements. This structure empowers students to experiment with innovative methods, embrace fresh ways of thinking, and stretch their creative and intellectual boundaries.
To teach design is to embrace uncertainty. This means that the traditional Eurocentric design curriculum is no longer sufficient, and the conventional notions of ‘good’ design no longer suffice in our rapidly changing profession. The speed of change in the graphic design profession requires me to continuously develop, teach and test new projects while learning them myself. It is an iteration process that demands tremendous efforts of close attention, feedback, and revisions. My main goal as a design educator is to evoke students’ curiosity and help them find their ‘voice’ and ‘role’ as designers in society. How would they sustain their interests through a lens of design? Through teaching critical thinking, racialized design approach, and fostering individual practice, students learn to utilize design as a lifelong practice and set up for a long career in a field that will continue to evolve.
Design education today must reflect the diversity and interconnectedness of our global society. My commitment to diversity and inclusion is deeply rooted in my experiences as a minority, immigrant, person of color, and woman. These facets of my identity inspire me to create equitable and inclusive learning environments where all students feel empowered to contribute and critically identify visible and invisible forms of oppression in design and the world around us.
As the field of design expands to engage and include diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary collaboration, its potential for societal and global impact grows. Ultimately, what interests me lies in our shared humanity. I believe in the power of connection, belonging, dialogue, and expansion of understanding. As we continue to embrace technological shifts in our society and our field, this ever-expanding field offers an opportunity to rethink and reframe how we learn, teach and design. I am grateful to witness and participate in these technological and cultural shifts and these principles are what motivate and inspire me as a designer and an educator.