REVIEW

Design Education Across Disciplines - Transformative Learning Experiences for the 21st Century

The book focuses on the role of design education as a catalyst for change or transformation. In the context of post pandemic editors Miikka J. Lehtonen, Tomi Kauppinen and Laura Sivula meticulously combined invaluable chapters from well established design educators around the globe. In its very first chapter the crucial role of design education has been critically analyzed; the author is critical about the current preferences involving global rankings and draining administrative duties. According to the author transformation is achievable through a bottom-up approach. In core design education is future creating; it needs an environment that facilitates disruptive practices. It is important to identify and acknowledge hindrances and opportunities in design academia. The first and the 12th chapter outlines transformative solutions through design and design methodologies. Other disciplines can learn from design and critical thinking.

In an ever-changing world design education should address unlimited complexities and opportunities. Design education has the potential to help other disciplines to respond to contemporary issues and can blur the boundaries between disciplines. This can be achieved through facilitating collaboration and interdisciplinarity. The fourth and thirteenth chapter also focus on collaboration in design learning with private and public sectors. The third, nineth and sixteenth chapters focus on environmental and societal concerns. The urgency to address climate related issues is real. Similarly, the design institutions can address care through blurring boundaries between classrooms and societies.

The COVID-19 remains a critical time that nudged educators to explore more possibilities in remote learning. A sense of proactivity is also emerging with this change. The rapid exploration of tactile experiences in an online environment was possible due to the COVID-19. Otherwise, this transformation could've been slower in normal circumstances.

The future orientation of design education can help better understand future challenges discussed in 14th chapter. According to Jesvin Puay, utilizing design has a competitive advantage in both the private and public sector. The next chapter recommends meditative and mindfulness practices equips us going beyond human-centric design to planet-centric solutions.

I’ve gone through the book multiple times, and wished the editors and authors highlighted other humanitarian issues like Ukraine. Design as voice for human suffering needs much more attention. I am curious why didn’t other humanitarian crisis captured Europeans attention in recent past?