Moving Design Education Forward

Design thinking rather than design

Reject the “what?” and ask “why?”

Design is an active process, not a conclusion. Design can provide innovative and enabling alternatives, not just the creation of artifacts. Create a learning environment where thinking-through is celebrated over looking-at. Tackle questions regarding how we should ultimately live, rather than how we can merely alter our present way of living. Highlight the relationship of the designer to the ideal behavioral outcomes of products, rather than the products themselves. Stress the value of synthesizing new ideas on the fly, and support safety in experimentation. Encourage strategic thinking in design, where the designer’s responsibility goes beyond form and function, to value and viability.
–Designer's Accord http://edutoolkit.designersaccord.org