As a design tutor, I give my students a brief for an assignment in the beginning of the semester. This would be divided into a number of tasks with the final hand-in at the end of the semester. The first task mostly involves critical thinking. You can say it is based on research on other people’s work, the nature of which would depend on the unit being thought.
As a tutor, I encourage my students not only look at things that they like but also at things which they feel have been unsuccessful. They have to write personal annotation analysing the work and expressing their likes and dislikes. This helps them gain confidence when making their own judgement. In order to help them make these judgements, one asks questions such as: Is the design justified? Does it provoke curiosity? Is the design based on form, function or both? Does it satisfy the design requirements? Is there a need for it? These are the type of questions I encourage my students to ask themselves before they form fretful opinions and before they actually start the design process. This method of teaching encourages students to reflect and provokes them to start thinking creatively.
One of the methods for producing creative results is through synthesis. With this method, two or more existing ideas are combined into a third, new idea. Hence, by looking at other people’s work, some of the ideas they might come up with, can be developed from a combination of different existing designs and ideas. The ideas from where a design is evolved can be completely different in function from the item being designed. Evolution of ideas is also encouraged. This is when new ideas stem from other ideas, new solutions from previous ones, with the new ones slightly improved over the old ones. Creative results can also be developed through reapplication of existing ideas, that is, looking at something old in a new way. In order to do this, one must remove prejudices, expectations and assumptions and discover how something can be reapplied in an innovative way. So while critical thinking is engaged, students are consciously or subconsciously working on their creative thinking skills.
The second and third tasks are usually those where the right side of the brain is going to work harder. This is where the design process starts. One of the tools I found extremely useful and have thought my students to use is mind mapping. After the infiltration of information in the first task, thoughts and ideas need to be organised. I also encourage brainstorming, sometimes as individuals, sometimes in groups and we also do some brain storming sessions as a class. One of the problems I have encountered is the reluctance to be open and share ideas. Students do not realise how much all of them can benefit, from the least intellectual and/or creative to the best students of the class. Group exercises in class and group projects have helped, and this will hopefully also help to be prepared for work in the real world, where most jobs require good communication and good teamwork.
Throughout the design process, students are encouraged and provoked to think outside the box. It is only then that a designer manages to come up with extraordinary, innovative and creative ideas. There are a number of negative attitudes which block creativity. For example: What do people think, or what does my tutor think? Design is a very specific and particular topic, in the sense that very often, there is no good or bad. Most units are thought by more than one tutor and this can sometimes be very confusing for the student. As their tutor I explain to my students that different tutors will have different opinions, which makes it almost impossible to ‘please’ them all. Trying to please the tutors is a wrong attitude. The student should listen to all tutors, analyse what is said, and through a process of evaluation come up with a solution. This might be completely different to what the tutors said but the important thing is that their ideas are backed up with valid arguments as to why they decided to do as they did. Our role as tutors is not to guide the students to be like us, but to help them develop their own personal style and hopefully guide them to become good, creative designers.
Evaluation of the whole project once it is finished usually makes up the last part of the brief. Students are made aware that no matter how good a project is, there is always room for improvement, especially with the time restrictions students have. In this part of the project, they are to write both the positive and the negative of their design project, including the problems and maybe surprises that they encountered. One positive attitude in creativity is ability to see a need for improvement and to propose a method of making that improvement. Seeing the good in the bad is also important. Creative thinkers, when faced with poor solutions, don't cast them away. Instead, they ask, "What's good about it?" However little that good may be, it might be turned to good effect or at least improved. From the teacher’s point of view, it is our duty to challenge the student, help evoke their curiosity applying various teaching methods, use lateral thinking and guide them to develop their creative thinking abilities.
Example of Design Brief for Unit 4 - 3D Techniques & Processes
Activities
Seminars
Although in the past year I have not had the chance to organise seminars myself, I have had the opportunity to take HND2 students for a seminar by Foscarini – a leading design company for light fittings. This proved to be a very valuable experience for the students as it gave them a good insight of a complete design process – starting from the first conceptual ideas right up to the manufacture and production of a light fitting. Besides from exposing students to the reality of the working world and giving them the opportunity to have conversation with top management people, seminars can also provide a means of meeting possible recruiters from the industry.
Site Visits
Throughout my first year of teaching I have organised a number of site visits to both foundation students and HND2 students.
The Foundation students were working on a brief with the title ‘Just an Illusion’ during the same time that a group exhibition was being held in Gozo named ‘Illusion & Reflection’. The timing was perfect and it proved to be a perfect source of inspiration for the students. It helped them expand their boundaries and imagination and also exposed them to other people’s work on the same topic. Proof of the success of this visit was noted in many of the students’ reflective journals.
I was also responsible for organising a number of site visits for HND2 students for the units 3D Techniques & Processes and Interior Design. These included visits to Polidano Brothers, Fino, Hal Mann and Electra. Here students got to see firsthand the processes used in manufacture and various applications. These visits were planned after the respective theoretic lessons for maximum intake. During the visit at Electra, the management explained to the students all about the different lighting systems, intelligent lighting and the professional practices that are necessary for the success of the company. The company promised them support whenever they needed it and also started sending them educational mail shots on lighting.
These site visits proved to be successful as it helped them understand better the practical side of manufacture and I am hoping that I will get the opportunity to plan more site visits in the years to come.
Hal Mann Visit
Hal Mann factory visit
Polidani Bros Testing Lab
Polidano Bros Concrete Plant
ExhibitionsFor this year’s end of year exhibition, I was responsible together with another lecturer, for the set up of the HND2 3D hall. This proved to be a good challenge since the students themselves had to design and made their own stands whilst working in teams. The end result was very successful and students were praised by the general public for the quality of their exhibits and the overall design of the display areas.
