Design and the Educational Experience
Posted on: 11/3/2008
We live in what is in what has been called a design-centric
culture. In fact, the business press assigns design such substance that it
exhorts companies to infuse all aspects of operations with the designer’s
viewpoint. The iPod and the iPhone and, well, Apple Computers in general are
frequently cited as both products and a company that illustrate our
design-based culture at its best. What people seen in Apple, in its products
and in it as a corporation, is a conscious
effort to create something that is both functional and esthetically pleasing. That
is one definition of design.
The goods of the modern industrial era were initially slow
to gain acceptance among a broad range of consumers. Why? Industrial products
were seen inferior in both visual aspect and physical construction. In other
words, their design was poor. This made them undesirable to a populace with an
eye for the visual and functional elements of craftsmanship. The Great
Exhibition of 1851 was an historic turning point in the acceptance of quality in
modern consumer goods. Organized by Prince Albert,
it was enormously successful in showcasing Britain’s modern industrial might
alongside its advancements in industrial design, while heralding a history of exhibitions
celebrating progress and the advancements of modern industry, technology and
design that continue to this day.
Is it better, then, to see our culture as being in a new
phase in the history and appreciation of design? As a verb design: “refers to the process of originating and developing
a plan for a product, structure, system, or component with intention.”[1] In this definition, we
recognize design’s affinity with engineering. The wedding of design and
engineering has long since shaped our modern landscape, born of the “form
follows function” ethos that shaped the modern skyscraper. What seems to make
our design-centric culture unique is its self-conscious pervasiveness in
application.
Yes, there is a
sense that we have rediscovered respect for the visual aesthetics of an object
and for its “craftsmanship” (machine-produced or not). One 2007 survey showed
that when seven in 10 Americans recalled the last time they saw a
product they just had to have, it was because of design. Design as conceptual
thought-process or skill set can also be seen in this anecdote on the redesign
of a hotel chain.
“Just look at Starwood Hotels. When
the company gave its hotels an aesthetic makeover, it kept the same budget but
intensely scrutinized its costs. It ended up getting rid of the most expensive
piece of furniture in their rooms - the armoire that most hotels use to hide
the television. "They thought, 'Hey, if we get rid of that armoire, we'll
have more money to spend on the bed, the chair fabric, or a larger desk,'"
says Postrel. "Better design is not necessarily something that has to be
superexpensive. A lot of times it's just a matter of thinking about it."[2]
What can design contribute to education? Certainly the
visual and functional elements of the educational environment have a role to
play in the daily life of a school. In fact, more than 59 million students,
teachers and education employees spend part of their day in schools. There are
12,000 schools in America,
with many in need of renovation and some $30 billion spent annually on school
construction, repairs and maintenance.[3] The traditional
functions of design in improving aesthetics and functionality are needed in our
schools.
Needed as well is a design philosophy in prevalent use in
our high-tech world: user-centered design, or “design, which focuses on the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user
of the designed artifact.” We need educational spaces that are designed with
needs of the student and teacher in mind. When the furniture in a
classroom can be easily reconfigured to offer teachers and students a setting
that better suits the lesson, that’s good design. When good ergonomics are built
into classroom chairs, resulting in healthier, more comfortable seating and
better student attention spans, that’s good design. Both come from an
understanding of the teaching and learning process that informs how the
educational environment is used. That’s user-centric design.
How do you use your design skills in the layout of your
classroom? What kind of improvements would you like to see in the design of the
educational environment?
Sources: Inc.com, Fast Company, Wikipedia, Business Week, Great Schools by Design
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