Abstract
This paper examines the current relationship between contemporary design education and design practice within a constant state of multi-faceted change. It discusses changing demands for design education and practice, from a more global society. Within ‘a world of increased interconnectivity and multiplicity in ideas, cultures and practices’ (Warwicker 1999), it observes strategies suggested by theorists, educators and practitioners to accommodate social change within the two contexts. By seeking and describing the opinions of 549 Australian design students on the implementation of suggested strategies to accommodate change, the paper proceeds to describe an example of one online design education initiative that has attempted to address responses and concerns. The Omnium Project has instigated an alternative educational framework through a series of online collaborative design ventures and experiments; arguably providing a more flexible, holistic and responsive learning culture for creative disciplines. It encourages collaborative exploration; intellectually, creatively and practically by using new technologies associated with the Internet.
Citation
Bennett, R., and Dunphy, E. (2004) Meeting Pluralist Demands with a Pluralist Response. The Omnium Project: Offering an Online Collaborative Design Response to an Increasingly Diversified, Interconnected and Pluralist World., in Redmond, J., Durling, D. and de Bono, A (eds.), Futureground - DRS International Conference 2004, 17-21 November, Melbourne, Australia. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2004/researchpapers/137
Meeting Pluralist Demands with a Pluralist Response. The Omnium Project: Offering an Online Collaborative Design Response to an Increasingly Diversified, Interconnected and Pluralist World.
This paper examines the current relationship between contemporary design education and design practice within a constant state of multi-faceted change. It discusses changing demands for design education and practice, from a more global society. Within ‘a world of increased interconnectivity and multiplicity in ideas, cultures and practices’ (Warwicker 1999), it observes strategies suggested by theorists, educators and practitioners to accommodate social change within the two contexts. By seeking and describing the opinions of 549 Australian design students on the implementation of suggested strategies to accommodate change, the paper proceeds to describe an example of one online design education initiative that has attempted to address responses and concerns. The Omnium Project has instigated an alternative educational framework through a series of online collaborative design ventures and experiments; arguably providing a more flexible, holistic and responsive learning culture for creative disciplines. It encourages collaborative exploration; intellectually, creatively and practically by using new technologies associated with the Internet.