Abstract
Design has the capacity to improve public health through device design, service design, and visual communication. A robust partnership between Virginia Tech and the Malawi University of Science and Technology has brought multiple disciplines together to address women’s health in the Malawi. This paper documents a case study of supporting students in professional practice through a community engagement project in Malawi. Developing coursework to generate public art pieces addressing mother and baby care at the Thyolo District Hospital demonstrated best practices for partnerships and the importance of contextual research. Students worked to improve their technical skills, they developed a project proposal for approval by their community partner, the faculty was challenged to support the students in off-campus work, the medical facility welcomed the students to do work on the visual communication of important health facts, and group is now prepared for further projects and they have been invited to design original large scale public murals. The significance of this project is the establishment of how to cultivate working relations between universities and medical care facilities, as well as supporting students and their communities, demonstrating a sustainable model of professional practice in design education.
Presenters
Martha SullivanAssociate Professor of Practice and Chair of Industrial Design, Industrial Design, Virginia Tech, Virginia, United States Edgar Mbalame
Alexander Helden
Student, Art, Malawi University of science and technology , Nkhata Bay, Malawi Victor Kamwendo
Anastasia Mwamadi
Female class representative , Department of Bingu Culture and Heritage, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Blantyre, Malawi Clemence Ngwale
Lecturer, Department of Indigenous knowledge and Systems and Practice, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Thyolo, Malawi
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE, PUBLIC HEALTH, AFRICA, COMMUNITY SERVICE
