A program of non-prescriptive design in a culture of innovation

In our understanding the Innovation is a space defined by the conceptual innovation and her implementation tools: technical innovation and formal expression. They are together the coordinates of this SPACE of INTEGRAL INNOVATION.

In this perception the dynamic axle, which is major in developing the space, the “z” coordinate is the conceptual innovation. This ability of creating genuine ideas is the most important asset of humanity and the reason of our overwhelming adaptability to change. From this point of view, educating the integral innovation is of high relevance.

This Article provides an initial overview of the professional graphic designers’ negative environmental impact and why their method of design for planned obsolescence must change. It argues thereafter that the American university graphic design curriculum should evolve to include an initial discussion of sustainability through a required studio design course on the topic.

Conventional design education does not prepare a designer fully for the 21st Century context of globalizing societies, dynamic marketplaces, and complex political structures. A young designer now needs an awareness and understanding of a context’s inner relationships to be able to contribute design strategies that are appropriate for the more complex situations we face. This insight must also be supported by skills of observation, research, analysis, mapping, and knowledge management in order for a designer to contribute significantly to multi-disciplinary teams that are increasingly becoming necessary to address the “wicked” (indeterminate) problems needing a leadership through design for policy institutions, business enterprises, and social organizations.

This paper argues that the story of hemp is one of mistaken identity and focuses on the potential of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in a social and economic context and how it can help to develop with modern technology into ‘new’ materials on a national level with reference to examples from abroad.

The artist’s book is an art form that combines material form with content. Because form and content are so intrinsically related, it provides an ideal vehicle for the teaching of design concepts that can then be applied to other fields. All the elements of art-making and meaning-making are there to be considered.

Recent work is re-conceptualizing global poverty as an attractive growth opportunity for firms that can simultaneously alleviate the problem of poverty. The so-called ‘Base of the economic Pyramid (BoP)’, exists of 4 billion people that live on an income of less than $3 a day. Tapping into these overlooked markets will require companies and designers to reconfigure their business and product innovation models.

Professional undergraduate degree programs in built environment disciplines prepare students to become practicing architects, interior and landscape architects, industrial designers, planners and construction managers. However, students are rarely exposed to projects in their coursework or in work experience that challenge them beyond the theoretical, and adequately assist them in developing empathy for the needs of disadvantaged or marginalised groups in our society. Design students generally work on briefs provided by their studio leaders, and within discipline-specific groups of their educations programs.

Southern African countries are blessed with abundance of rich non-wood species including bamboo.

Countries like Botswana, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania have most resource-rich ecosystems in the continent. Previous studies have shown that, in these countries, non-wood products are among the diversity of resources that have contributed to the well being of local communities, particularly at household level where resources are used for subsistence and income generation.

The aim of health communication campaigns is to effect a change in behaviour and attitude.

Full Title: Design opportunity mapping for the small scale sector - bringing real life scenario into classroom education

Although the semi organized sector consisting of a large number of small scale industries and craft clusters in India together comprise a huge section in terms of both human resource and economy, it has been largely neglected. They face typical issues and problems not traditionally dealt with by industrial designers.

Students from various disciplines have been exposed to design thinking and praxis over the last decade at the University of Pretoria. Students from publishing, journalism, marketing, management, communication, multimedia (engineering) and a variety of other disciplines enrolled for design modules at under- and postgraduate levels. Learning is extended to include collaborative projects between design students and students from other disciplines.

Craftspeople still practice crafts as a live tradition and/or as an economic activity. Crafts in India has been continue to contribute to design education in numerous ways. In fact, the very approach to design education in India was laid on the foundations of crafts practices in the country.

More designers expect and are willing to spend time to continue their education. It is not only because of new job requirements that designers need to upgrade and update their knowledge and experience, but also for self-satisfaction. To meet this educational need, a part-time programme has been offered to product designers with different educational backgrounds and working experiences.

Evaluations of the overall arrangement of the programme and of the teaching and learning of some subjects have been conducted for six years. The evaluations have included questionnaires, classroom observations, and in-depth interviews with students and teachers. This paper briefly reviews the social changes and the need of product designers for continuing education.

This paper investigates how prospective fashion design students at a University of Technology are required to reflect an understanding of the process of design and the process of construction in their sketches, which are a component of the portfolio they submit for evaluation. I begin by outlining how the portfolio guidelines initiate the anomaly between two desired requirements of novelty and originality / creativity versus the technical / conformity. I reveal how the portfolio requirements encourage students to conform from the onset and argue that this is because the fashion design program continues to train undergraduates to service a traditional and conservative mass market.

• Design research shift from market driven to people driven approach – from ‘want’ to ‘need’.
• New methodologies.
• New multidisciplinary teams: design for development.
• New opportunities – international collaboration.

The anticipated hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ events has provided significant impetus to opportunities for mainstreaming Universal Design in Cape Town. Other cities have been benchmarked to demonstrate the efficacy of Universal Design, albeit in markedly different contexts and using different approaches to effect change. Cape Town stands to benefit from the experience of such cities that have hosted similar mega-events or wherein similar challenges for promoting greater inclusiveness obtain. The issues highlighted in so doing could potentially inform Cape Town's quest to become a sustainable Universal City- in which accessibility, equity and ubuntu form the inherent characteristics of its engagement with its residents and visitors.

Full Title: ‘One flower alone carries the wisdom of time, bouquets promise hope’ - Capacity-Building for Cultural Enterprises

It is increasingly clear, that authentic expressions of creativity– both traditional and innovative – need more than nurturing talent to exist.

Despite the wealth of talent and rich cultural heritage that exists in Sub-Saharan Africa across the whole range of cultural activities, the majority of African nations remain largely marginal players in the cultural industries sector. Large-scale cultural enterprises are few and far between, and a large number of microenterprises operate alongside SMEs, often occupying the lower ends of the value chain and fail to attain economic viability.

This paper is based on research conducted for a PhD (completed in 2006) that aimed to develop a methodology for the systematic and strategic fostering of creativity in graphic design education at university or college level.

Tool 1: The Big Six technique
Tool 2: The Random technique
Tool 3: The Mind-map technique
Tool 4: The Visual Thinking technique
Tool 5: The Trigger technique
Tool 6: The Metaphor technique
Tool 7: The Five Senses technique
Tool 8: The Cross-connect technique

The methodology incorporated three main strategies for enhancing creativity in an educational context, namely the teaching of

A position paper based on philosophical issues around the design disciplines