DISCTINCT APPROACHES TO DESIGN EDUCATION: PREPARING FUTURE DESIGNERS FOR AN AMPLIFIED PRACTICE OF DESIGN

Abstract

As a century of ‘Fluid Landscapes’ in Alain Touraine’s words, our time shows a scenario of growing complexity, rapid climate changes, wars, global financial crisis, and disruptive demographic changes. It could be said that society responds to this scenario by developing a growing social responsibility, environmental awareness and empathy, thus impacting design practices and education. Literature shows signs of an amplified design practice that demands to be evidenced. Responding to emergent practices, a distinct approach to postgraduate design education intends to help prepare the future workforce to embrace ambiguity in processes, and welcome complex and paradoxical realities in order to produce innovative and sustainable solutions. This study intends to build a rich in-depth investigation into emergent design practices and into design education for those practices. Of particular relevance for design educators, this study aims to identify distinct approaches to postgraduate Design Education, contributing towards preparing future designers for an amplified practice.