How To Improve Design Education In Virginia

Transcription

1 A Snapshot on Tertiary Design Education in Victoria

2 A Snapshot on Tertiary Design Education in Victoria includes highlights from the publication Designing Our Future, a 2009 study commissioned by Design Victoria examining the: quantity, quality and employability of design graduates relevance of tertiary course content opportunities for interdisciplinary design course work course satisfaction levels among design students standard of Victoria s design education compared with the world s best design institutions. This Snapshot outlines the objectives, key information sources and findings of the study. We invite you to access the complete report, Designing Our Future available as a PDF from

3 Foreword Victoria is changing; expanding population and urbanisation, economic growth, revolutions in science and technology and environmental challenges. Navigating change demands new ways of looking at the world. It requires the imagination to see a brighter future and the vision to chart a course there. Our design industry can be a powerful catalyst for change; imagining, creating and facilitating innovative solutions. Whether it is demand for sustainable solutions, a fiercely competitive global market or transforming health, science and technology advances into everyday products and services, there awaits a much larger social and economic context for designers to inhabit. Perhaps in ways we are yet to imagine. Design Victoria s 2008 research report Five Years On presented a snapshot of a thriving, highly competitive design industry enriching both society and the Victorian economy and already at the leading edge of sustainability solutions. Yet how do we maintain that momentum and improve our performance? Designing Our Future was commissioned by Design Victoria in 2009 to examine the training and development of the next generation of designers, of whom increasingly complex and creative demands will be made. It is an opportunity to review teaching practices, refine course planning and examine the increasing importance of engaging with other disciplines. Some key findings of the research are: Despite a high satisfaction rating of courses by students themselves, design education falls short of the criteria that define the leading design schools around the world. There is a need to provide design students with opportunities to engage across disciplines, particularly with business and commerce. A range of deterrents to entering design exist, from course selection in VCE to a lack of understanding of potential careers in the design industry. There is a lack of partnerships between educational institutions and corporations with training and employment potential. A significant proportion of educational institutions are already planning course improvements. The world needs designers. Those that can think and imagine and create new and innovative ways to live and work. Victoria s design education can be an impetus for a culture of creative excellence. These findings should help guide government, the education sector and the design industry in the continual process of tailoring training and education to develop the finest graduates for our future. Indeed, our future might depend on it. Michele Azzopardi Director Design Victoria

4 Definitions Please note the following definitions used for the purpose of this research. Design consultancies Organisations that offer design services to other businesses, usually on a per project basis, although sometimes they are paid on retainer. Design consultancies generally employ trained, professional designers. Consultancies were classified via a scheme developed in the course of previous work on design by dandolopartners and Booz Allen Hamilton (2003) as follows. Design Design is a capability that transforms products or processes to improve their function, efficiency and style. It enables industry sectors to differentiate their products and services and to enter new markets. It influences our buildings and landscape, the way in which we interact with our environment, the style and function of our industrial products and visual media. The design sector includes design consultancies and the in-house design departments within companies, for example in manufacturing, publishing, construction and other services firms. Design spans a broad range of industries, and for the purpose of the research was categorised into sectors including physical design, industrial design, visual communications, artisan, multimedia, education and other. Sectors Physical Industrial Visual Communications (VisCom) Artisan Education Other Sub-sectors Architecture Landscape Design Urban Design Industrial Design/Engineering Design Consultancy Services Communications Design Corporate Brand Design Commercial Artists/ TV, Film and Theatre Set Design Exhibition and Display Textile Design Fashion Design Jewellery Design Furniture Design /Web Design/Computer Software/Computer Games Services provided by Universities /TAFEs/Design Colleges Includes Design Management /Facilitation Services TAFE Technical and Further Education institutions providing a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses in Australia. Interdisciplinary studies Studies that cross over and integrate several academic schools of thought, professions, or technologies in the pursuit of a common task. Interdisciplinary approaches typically focus on problems thought to be too complex or vast for adequate understanding in a single discipline. Acknowledgements Wallis Consulting Group acknowledges and thanks the members of the Steering Group for their assistance at various stages of the project. However, conclusions and opinions expressed in this report are entirely those of Wallis and should not be attributed to members of the Steering Group, unless expressly stated.

5 Design students are relatively highly satisfied with their courses, in particular the content, interest, practicality and teachers experience.

6 Executive Summary The publication of Five Years On in 2008 by Design Victoria revealed the Victorian design sector to be a thriving industry, a net exporter of design services and an essential contributor to the success of many other businesses that engage design services. Five Years On was an update of a previous study in 2003 by dandolopartners and Booz Allen Hamilton which gave a comprehensive picture of the size, scope, capability and growth of design-using and creating industries in Victoria. It was this report that inspired the Design Victoria Strategy, an initiative by the Victorian Government that recognises the significance of the design industry to the State s economy, competitiveness and world-renowned liveability. But what of the future? Will our next generation of designers be adequately equipped to maintain this momentum and operate within a much broader and more competitive context in the future? Will we have enough designers working in the areas they are most needed? What is the perception of the standard and course content our design graduates currently receive? Producing outstanding, highly skilled graduates is imperative to the continued growth, evolution and competitiveness of the Victorian design industry. Commissioned by the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD), through Design Victoria at RMIT University, Designing Our Future is a study of the provision of tertiary design education in Victoria. The report draws on a wide range of data sources: published statistics, discussions with design practitioners and design teachers, surveys of students and consultations with course designers and coordinators in tertiary design, business and engineering schools. It is hoped that the findings of Designing Our Future will provide insight and guidance for government, the education sector and the design industry. What We Wanted to Find Out A series of surveys and interviews with teachers, design departments, students, employers and careers advisors were undertaken to examine the following issues regarding the demand for, and supply of, world-class design graduates in Victoria: 1. Is Victoria s education sector producing enough designqualified graduates to meet the needs of employers, and is the mix appropriate? Are there shortages of design graduates or an over-supply? 2. If there are shortages in some design sectors, what are the reasons for this? Are prospective students deterred from entering design? 3. Are graduates adequately trained and skilled to meet the needs and demands of Victorian employers, both in design consultancies and within industry? Is the education being received in our elite institutions up to world s best practice levels? 4. How could current courses and training be modified to better meet the needs of graduates and employers? 5. Does the education system create an awareness of the value and importance of design among students in other disciplines? Based on feedback and recommendations from previous research in 2003 and 2008* this research primarily focused on the industrial, graphic design and to a lesser extent, multimedia design sectors (although other sectors are included). * dandolopartners and Booz Allen Hamiltion (2003), Developing Victoria s Design Capability and Design Victoria, (2008), Five Years On: Victoria s Design Sector

7 Information Sources Key Findings and Conclusions The study has drawn on multiple sources of information, including previously published studies. 1. Collection of relevant statistical information (student numbers, annual enrolments, first choice preferences etc.) These came from three main sources. 2. A survey of 100 careers teachers in secondary schools across Victoria examining teachers, school students and parents perceptions of design as a career and barriers to embarking on a tertiary design course. 3. One-on-one interviews/discussions with 11 employers of design graduates (practitioners) and 13 design teachers across the university, TAFE and private sectors. 4. Online surveys of tertiary design and non-design (business/engineering) students. 5. A postal survey of the heads and course coordinators of design schools in Victoria. In total, 35 design schools were included in this survey: 13 within universities, 20 within TAFE colleges or schools and two private colleges. A parallel survey to the design school survey was undertaken with 19 business and 19 engineering faculties among 23 universities and 15 TAFE colleges located in Victoria. Supply and Demand of Tertiary Students Sufficient numbers of design students are currently entering and qualifying from Victorian institutions. Architecture is one possible exception to this, with demand for tertiary places well above supply. Design courses in Victoria have a much higher ratio of international to domestic students than other states (with the exception of Western Australia). The number of domestic enrolled design students in Victoria has grown around 20% during the period 2002 to The major growth sectors were multimedia and industrial design, however both came from a small base in each case. Physical design showed above average growth, while both VisCom and the artisan sector showed relatively modest levels of growth in enrolments. Final year university design graduates of 2007/2008 experienced difficulties in finding work in the year following graduation, while also accepting lower starting salaries than graduates of other disciplines. This is despite entry into university design courses being as competitive as in other disciplines. Anecdotal evidence suggests that finding employment has become particularly difficult for graduate designers in Deterrents to Entering Design Feedback from both careers teachers and students suggests that a number of factors deter students from considering design as a career. These include: the demands of preparing a folio that forms part of the application process the impact on ENTER scores of taking design subjects at VCE level leads some parents to discourage their children from taking design subjects in secondary school misconceptions and concerns of parents and significant others about the earning potential and prospects of a career in design the lack of local role models in the design industry can impede regionally based students from being exposed to the breadth, scope and potential of design careers. Preparedness for Tertiary Study When surveyed about the level of preparedness their VCE design subjects had given them for tertiary level study, university design students felt generally well groomed for the skill requirements of their courses, particularly hands-on design work, technical and drawing skills. However, many felt poorly prepared for their tertiary studies in the areas of computer software, working in groups, time management and giving presentations.

8 Tertiary Design Course Content A minority of Victorian design courses require students to spend time working in industry, although just over half offer this option as an elective. The majority of students gain their knowledge of industry via their lecturers/tutors (many of whom are, or have been, working designers), guest lecturers, assignments or briefs that are generated by business corporations, and on occasions when exhibitions of their work are critiqued by working designers. Generally, design students receive little formal teaching of business or commerce subjects. Rather they receive instruction on professional studio practice and on running a design studio. Where business subjects or business skills are taught to design students, it is usually by on-staff lecturers, rather than through the resources of other faculties within the university or TAFE college. A majority of courses (around twothirds) include some interdisciplinary activity involving design students and other groups. Of these, around threequarters said that design students worked on joint assignments or projects with other students in over half of these cases these joint projects were with engineering students. Students own accounts of their courses generally confirm these findings. However only 27% said they had had the opportunity of working in interdisciplinary groups. Of these, slightly under half had worked in groups with business or commerce students. How do Design Students View their Courses? In an online survey, design students were asked what they would change about their courses the parts of their course they would like to be expanded, what might be contracted and what was just right. Students indicated a desire for more formal teaching: greater emphasis on the history and theory of design, (further attention to learning to) formulate ideas or conceptualise, and more teaching of business and commerce. The latter is the biggest perceived lack in current course content. In addition, design students would like more opportunity to work in groups with students from other disciplines. The only area in which students felt, on balance, that they had too much content in their course was hands-on design work. Despite this, design students are relatively highly satisfied with their courses overall and in particular the content, interest, practicality and teachers experience. Design students are more satisfied with their courses than are business or engineering students. Design Education Standards Previously, surveys of employers highlighted some concerns about design student education in relation to industrial design, and to a lesser extent, graphic design students. These concerns were reflected in the discussions with industry practitioners in this study. In the case of industrial design, the shared common complaint was that students lacked industry experience, and hence basic business knowledge or acumen. In addition, there was some complaint about basic design skills, and a tendency by young designers to rely too much on CAD. VisCom employers also felt that general standards have fallen, but despite this most said that they themselves had managed to recruit graduates that met their standards and requirements. This was achieved either through careful selection or accepting graduates shortcomings and building on their basic skills. Complaints about VisCom courses related to the shortened studio time and face-to-face contact with students compared to tertiary training in the past, and increased numbers of international students who may not have requisite English skills for a studio environment. The conversion of TAFE courses from finished artist courses to graphic design was seen as having led some students to believe they were trained for positions for which they were not suitable. However, some employers prefer to recruit TAFE graduates, saying they have had more basic skill training, more contact hours, and are more likely to have industry experience than many university graduates. Whilst some design teachers did not accept the criticisms indicated above, others were in agreement with them. University academics made the point that universities have a number of roles and requirements rather than just producing industry ready graduates. These include the running of the university as a business in its own right, the necessity for research, and the need to create careers for university staff. The inclusion of more business and commerce teaching into current courses was seen to be a near impossibility unless three-year courses are stretched to four years. Although Victorian schools may teach design skills very capably, they do not, at present, meet the full range of criteria that determine the world s best. Recognising this, some design schools are moving towards extended courses or broader provision of Master s degrees. Intended Improvements to Design Education Design schools surveyed indicated that they have become aware of some criticisms, and intend significant changes. Of the 35 polled: 15 intend to offer more opportunity for students to gain work experience in a professional environment 14 intend to increase opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations 11 intend to increase access to computer facilities 8 hope to increase the teaching of business knowledge and skills. Bringing Design to Non-Designers A high proportion of business/ commerce and engineering schools believe they teach design topics in their courses. However, in the case of business/commerce courses this tends to be design exercises, brainstorming or idea creation. Negligible numbers of business/ commerce students are taught about the structure of the design industry or how to brief a designer. Opportunities for business/commerce and engineering students to work in interdisciplinary groups with design students were limited. Likewise there is little teaching by business/commerce departments to design schools. Only 6% of the business/commerce and engineering schools surveyed intend to increase the teaching of design in the future. This contrasts strongly with results of a similar survey in the UK.

9 Design Schools in Victoria Institution Type Areas of Study Offered Website Australian Academy of Design Private Fashion Design Photo Media Australian Catholic University University Visual Arts and Design Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE TAFE Box Hill Institute of TAFE TAFE Design Building Design (Architectural) Furniture Making Games Development Interior Decoration and Design Jewellery Fashion Technology Screen and Media Textile Arts Chisholm Institute of TAFE TAFE Design, & Arts Illustration Printing and Graphic Arts Building Design (Architectural) Deakin University University Architecture Animation Film Photography Webmedia Games Design and Development Technology East Gippsland Institute of TAFE TAFE Furniture Design Footscray City College Film Private Film and Television School GippsTAFE (Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE) TAFE Fashion Desktop Publishing Visual Merchandising Interior Decoration and Design Gordon Institute of TAFE TAFE Art Design & ICT Institution Type Areas of Study Offered Website Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE TAFE Design Digital Media Jewellery Grenadi School of Design Private Web Design Animation and Interactivity Holmesglen Institute of TAFE TAFE Animation or Live Action Screen and Media Fashion Design and Technology Interior Decoration and Design Printing and Graphic Arts (Digital Production) Furniture Applied Design Building Design (Architectural) Institute for Design, Private Entertainment and the Arts (IDEA) JMC Academy Private Digital Media and 3D Animation Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE TAFE Fashion Design and Technology Printing and Graphic Arts Furniture Visual Merchandising La Trobe University University visualarts Monash University University Architecture Printmedia Photomedia Metals & Jewellery & Digital Arts Interior Architecture Industrial Design Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE TAFE Interior Decoration and Design Building Design Architectural Design Illustration Jewellery

10 Institution Type Areas of Study Offered Website Northland Design Studies Private designstudies/index.htm Oceania Polytechnic Institute of Education Private Architecture Interior Decoration Building Drafting Building Design Interior Decoration and Design Photography Studies College Private Photography Media Arts PIC Photographic Imaging College Private Photography Qantm College Private Animation Games Design Games Programming Digital Video Production Interactive Media/ RMIT University University Animation, and Games Film and Television Photography Architecture Fashion Industrial Design Landscape Architecture Communication Design Fashion Design and Technology Fashion and Textile Footwear Textile Design RMIT University TAFE TAFE Building Design (Architectural) Architecture, building and planning and Decoration Fashion Design Textile Design Footwear Product Design Furniture Screen and Media South West Institute of TAFE TAFE Fashion Design Animation Institution Type Areas of Study Offered Website Sunraysia Institute of TAFE TAFE Swinburne TAFE TAFE 3D Design Film and Video design Industrial Design New Media Design Photography Set Design Web Design Automotive Manufacturing (Design and Development) Building Design (Architectural) Swinburne University University Communication Design Industrial Design design Product Design Engineering Film and Television Games and Interactivity University of Ballarat University artsacademy University of Ballarat TAFE TAFE University of Melbourne University Architecture Urban Design Victoria University University Interactive Media Architectural Engineering Victoria University TAFE TAFE Applied Design Building Design (Architectural) Whitehouse Institute of Design Private Fashion Design edu.au Wodonga Institute of TAFE TAFE Building Design (Architectural) Furniture Design Fundamentals Interior Decoration and Design

11 Design Victoria represents the State Government s commitment to the continued improvement and development of a worldclass design industry in Victoria. About Design Victoria Established in 2003 under the auspices of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Regional Development (DIIRD), Design Victoria has four main programs with individual but related aims. 1. Design Ready: Increase the proportion of Victorian enterprises that know how to use design confidently to enhance competitiveness, innovation and export performance. 2. Business Ready: Improve the competitiveness of the Victorian Design Sector and its export performance. 3. Design Knowledge: Create a world-class body of knowledge of how design is used by private enterprises to deliver economic and other benefits. 4. State of Design and Premier s Design Awards: Build Victoria s design capability and national and international reputation as a centre of design leadership.

12 Acknowledgements and Credits Acknowledgements Credits This research is a valuable contribution to the design industry, the education sector and the Victorian Government. Design Victoria would like to thank the Steering Group and the many Victorian tertiary education institutions, academics, teachers, students and others who generously gave their time and energy to this project. Research Wallis Consulting Group Dr John Fidler Director and General Manager Armand Panji Senior Consultant Josie Vocale Consultant Marian Steele Think Marketing Project Steering Committee Peter Handsaker, DIIRD Melinda Marty, DIIRD Michele Azzopardi, Design Victoria Andrew Rimmington, VECCI Aston Smith, Industry Capability Network (Vic) Ltd Jan Henry-Jones, AGDA, Victoria Chapter Professor Lyndon Anderson, Swinburne University of Technology Russell Kennedy, Monash University and International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA) Deborah Warrender, RMIT University Madeleine McManus, Engineers Australia (Vic) David Campbell, Office of Knowledge Capital, City of Melbourne Publication Design Cornwell Steven Cornwell Creative Director Lynne Franke Design Manager Nuttorn Vongsurawat Designer Andy White Finished Artist Editor Elise Johnston For more information about the full version of the report visit designvic.com or contact: Design Victoria RMIT University, Building 97 Level 2, Victoria St Carlton Victoria 3052 GPO Box 2476 Melbourne Victoria 3001 T F designvic@designvic.com designvic.com State of Victoria 2009 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act Authorised by the Victorian Government 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000

13