Design School Confidential Class Projects
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The document discusses the importance of extraordinary class projects in design education, emphasizing the need for projects that challenge, inform, and elevate students. It surveys over fifty design projects from international schools, highlighting the significance of real-world context and social issues in fostering critical thinking and personal growth. Ultimately, it argues that successful projects encourage collaboration and the transformation of theoretical knowledge into practical action, enriching both students' learning experiences and teachers' methodologies.
![“The best briefs lay the foundation for
solid professional behavior. [They] impart
lessons that can be used in future practice.
A project should not be seen as an end in
itself, but as a steppingstone leading to a
larger experiential goal.
It is not enough to solve the problem
simply to receive a passing grade. The
outcome of a project has more value;
communally speaking, it enables everyone
in a class to learn from the successes and
the failures.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/designschoolconfidentialclassprojects-230814052657-4e4839d2/85/Design-School-Confidential-Class-Projects-8-320.jpg)
![“The class projects chosen [here] have
one thing in common: social context.
Many educators agree that teaching
type and image without providing a
real-world context is like driving a car
on a long stretch of straight highway—
it is safe and boring, and the driver
learns very little.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/designschoolconfidentialclassprojects-230814052657-4e4839d2/85/Design-School-Confidential-Class-Projects-13-320.jpg)
![Section 1:
“A dozen design teachers all agreed on three
desired outcomes:
1) Challenge the student: Offer sufficient
variables and serendipity that students can test
their skills and talents [and] surprise both their
teacher and themselves.”
2) Inform the student: Provide enough
unanswered questions that students are learning
something new by doing something new.
3) Elevate the student: A project can propel
students in two opposing directions—either
through success or failure.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/designschoolconfidentialclassprojects-230814052657-4e4839d2/85/Design-School-Confidential-Class-Projects-14-320.jpg)
![Visual Storytelling and Narrative Form:
“When I first saw the play as well as read the poem, they
immediately influenced the way in which I related to, and
valued, the written word as a designer. I knew that at
some point I would be using these narratives for class
assignments, hoping my students would have a similar
response.
My main objective is for each student to develop a deeper
appreciation and set of values for the written word.
Each student, while initially challenged and sometimes
overwhelmed. The assignment has not changed over
time, only my students’ interpretations, approaches, and
ultimate solutions. [Students design] unique and exciting
ways that I had not considered previously.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/designschoolconfidentialclassprojects-230814052657-4e4839d2/85/Design-School-Confidential-Class-Projects-25-320.jpg)
Design School Confidential Class Projects
- 2. DESIGN SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL Extraordinary Class Projects from International Design Schools. By: Steven Heller & Lita Talarico. Rockport, 2009
- 4. “from International Design Schools” ¯_(ツ)_/¯ https://www.mapchart.net/world.html
- 5. Introduction “Extraordinary class projects that, for years after they are done, students discuss and teachers imitate are essential to a successful design education. • truly challenging projects • can be both frightening and tantalizing • known to cause sleepless nights and stressful days • conceived in various ways to suit different needs: some are offered just once, while others are assigned year after year until their educational usefulness comes to an end”
- 6. “The result of any class project is to elicit class critiques that will stimulate and educate.”
- 7. “A few seminal projects stand out, usually associated with preeminent teachers. These “branded” projects evolved over time and belong to their creators much as their individual styles or manners are key to their design personas. Yet the most successful projects are not just ego trips for the teachers. It’s important to listen to great students, respond to their ideas, and build on them. In the end, the teacher always learns the most. A well-conceived project is packed with opportunities for growth.”
- 8. “The best briefs lay the foundation for solid professional behavior. [They] impart lessons that can be used in future practice. A project should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a steppingstone leading to a larger experiential goal. It is not enough to solve the problem simply to receive a passing grade. The outcome of a project has more value; communally speaking, it enables everyone in a class to learn from the successes and the failures.”
- 9. “So understanding how and why design schools and programs develop their projects is critical.”
- 10. “Design School Confidential surveys over fifty astute and eclectic projects emanating from as many international schools.” USA Maryland Institute College of Art Art Center College of Design Boston University Illinois Institute of Technology Massachusetts College of Art and Design Missouri State University North Carolina State University The University of the Arts Portfolio Center Rhode Island School of Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago State University of New York School of Visual Arts School of Visual Arts Temple University University of Hawai‘i at Manoa The University of the Arts University of Washington School of Visual Arts Australia RMIT University Swinburne University of Technology Swinburne University of Technology University of New South Wales University of Technology University of Wollongong UK London College of Communication The Arts Institute at Bournemouth Royal College of Art University of Ulster Italy Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna Fabrica University IUAV of Venice Germany Berlin University of the Arts Folkwang University Essen South Korea Hongik University Kookmin University South Africa Red and Yellow School of Logic and Magic Stellenbosch University Turkey Istanbul Bilgi University Yildiz Technical University And one school from 15 countries: Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Iceland, Mexico, Poland, Qatar, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates.
- 11. “Different countries may have their own cultural or commercial reasons for how design is used, but the fundamentals are the same the world over. However distinctive the project, it has the potential to bridge cultural differences.”
- 12. “No matter where in the world a school is located, most type classes teach the same fundamental skills and knowledge -it would be foolish to do otherwise.”
- 13. “The class projects chosen [here] have one thing in common: social context. Many educators agree that teaching type and image without providing a real-world context is like driving a car on a long stretch of straight highway— it is safe and boring, and the driver learns very little.”
- 14. Section 1: “A dozen design teachers all agreed on three desired outcomes: 1) Challenge the student: Offer sufficient variables and serendipity that students can test their skills and talents [and] surprise both their teacher and themselves.” 2) Inform the student: Provide enough unanswered questions that students are learning something new by doing something new. 3) Elevate the student: A project can propel students in two opposing directions—either through success or failure.”
- 15. “Only through failure can a student get the best critique and truly absorb the right lessons. Although failure will not produce a great portfolio piece, it can have a longer-term influence.”
- 16. “Challenge, inform, and elevate are the building blocks of a solid education”
- 17. “From a teacher’s perspective, there is a further outcome: a uniquely absorbing project that is talked about and anticipated over time, becoming legendary among students and teachers alike, and a veritable signature for that teacher. Legendary class projects are perennial (they never seem to become dated) because the process and results are so enlightening.”
- 18. “Even the most routine assignments can indelibly affect a student’s understanding or appreciation of design. What ultimately determines whether a project is highly effective is how it best shapes the collective design experience. Ideally, it should follow the equation: skill or talent + conceptual acuity = increased level of performance If well planned, a project will encourage interaction and collaboration so that students learn from each other.”
- 19. “A teacher must provide the parameters and then critique the result” A good class project is combustible, it is the fuel that powers the creative engine. It is the beginning, not the end, of an experience. It must lead to other results beyond the scope of a particular class; it must lead to the next educative level.
- 20. Designing a great class project “One of the most difficult jobs a teacher faces—in addition to imparting knowledge, which is no small feat—is to design an inspiring class project. It is akin to writing a scenario with a beginning, middle, and end. The teacher must anticipate the response while allowing license so that students can interpret or reinterpret the brief. If the project is nuanced enough, surprise is built into the end product.”
- 21. So how is a project conceived? “The most important questions are How will the project encourage learning? and What lessons are essential to learn? The project must allow the students to tap into the theoretical knowledge they have acquired and transform that into practical action. The intended outcome dictates the demands of the project.
- 23. The Pooper Scooper Project: “A great project to assign as an icebreaker at the start of the semester. It’s silly and irreverent, and appears to be easily solvable. It’s a dumb little problem with huge possibilities. This project is a real Trojan horse: a relatively unsolvable problem —it’s very hard to beat a plastic bag. I am forever stunned at the solutions that come out of this problem. It’s important never to pigeonhole a student’s work, even if it’s something you’ve seen before. My expectations are consistently surpassed by students. That’s one of the best things about teaching.”
- 24. The Urban Studio: “It has actually turned into a class about bravery. We push the students into situations where graphic design alone won’t serve them —they have to interact with the public, and it changes the intention. Since part of the class is out of the classroom, very unexpected things happen. My expectations are really high. Maybe I need to wait and see what kind of professionals these students become.”
- 25. Visual Storytelling and Narrative Form: “When I first saw the play as well as read the poem, they immediately influenced the way in which I related to, and valued, the written word as a designer. I knew that at some point I would be using these narratives for class assignments, hoping my students would have a similar response. My main objective is for each student to develop a deeper appreciation and set of values for the written word. Each student, while initially challenged and sometimes overwhelmed. The assignment has not changed over time, only my students’ interpretations, approaches, and ultimate solutions. [Students design] unique and exciting ways that I had not considered previously.
- 26. “Think again! Often a project will not be approached the way the teacher wants to see it done.”
- 27. “Another challenge for the teacher is to make certain that the student commits to the project. How this is accomplished may be as difficult as the riddle of the Sphinx or as easy as throwing a dog a bone. It comes down to presentation.”
- 28. “It is the teacher’s job to promote the project with fervency and passion. If the presentation of the project is vigorous, it doesn’t matter how routine (or even mundane) the problem is.
- 29. The student’s perspective: “The first attribute of a great design project is that it promotes critical thinking. Students learn to come up with solutions to problems that most people believe are too big to tackle. First and foremost, students value projects that demonstrate how to be a design problem solver; they also rank high assignments that address social issues. The second attribute of a successful project lies in the faculty critiques.”
- 30. “Students consider the “crit” an essential part of the process. Some students actually see being “ripped apart” in a crit as integral to their growth.”
- 31. “The third attribute of a great project is that it engenders personal growth. Students overwhelmingly agree that the best class projects are those that force them to develop in the most personal of ways. “A valuable class project is one which takes you through every possible emotion”
- 32. “Projects that force you to think strategically, creatively, and rapidly are the ones that help you prepare for the future. Great class projects keep students on course and provide structure. Class projects are often cut and dry, but the best demand a modicum of individual interpretation. While being open ended has its drawbacks, problems that encourage divergence from the standard are most valuable. “I learned that the way you interpret the project brief,” a student explained, “has a dramatic affect on how you do real-world work.”
- 33. “Students also learn from their fellow classmates, especially how diverse everyone is. Classmates can help set standards for pace and quality.”
- 34. “Doing a project requires a lot of listening, to the brief, the teacher, and other students.”
- 35. “Students routinely consider the worst class projects to be those that do not provide enough time. Yet time constraints are part of the design process. Students often equate a failed project with a lack of passion for the assignment in question. Good projects give them the confidence to come up with solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems or to leave their comfort zones.”
- 36. “For some students, the word nightmare precedes success: “It was a total nightmare, which is why I loved it.”
- 37. “The answer to what makes for an interesting class project will always vary because every teacher and every student addresses a different set of agendas and priorities. Interesting and boring are two sides of the spectrum, but even in a single class they may overlap, depending on the students’ needs.”
- 38. “The creative process is often more important than the final product itself. Often, you learn far more through informal conversations with classmates than in the final critique.” “This project had a personal connection with something that meant a lot to me. I want a class project to make me scared. I need it to go beyond my safety zone and force me to suspend my feeling of security and disbelief. I want the class project to make a difference. It has to be personal.” “What is the most significant aspect of a class project? All you can learn from the various stages—not necessarily the final result itself, but the whole process that leads to it.” “We had to carry around a six-inch piece of lumber throughout the day, and as we went through our routine we analyzed the situations. The personal success of the project was the result of this new method of research providing me the opportunity to think in a new way”
- 39. “Ultimately, students may enter a project with a healthy amount of skepticism, and if it piques their interest, they leave with desired results. Success and failure are not necessarily mutually exclusive.”
- 42. “What can we learn from these projects? Aside from seeking fluency and expertise, the teachers are attempting to instill a sense of wonder in their students, and the students are trying to use their design talents to convey narratives as well as to explore forms that they will use later in their careers.”