Abstract
Self-awareness and confidence have been identified as necessary attributes for “design thinking” and “creative design action”. In order to communicate within a global “networked knowledge society”, designers need to possess breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and understanding that can be adapted for use in different situations. In design, outcomes are purpose driven and practical, and as the complex field of design bridges art and science, it is argued that “designers create culture”, and as such theory and practice should be integrated. Gaining knowledge of the visual language of art and design, and a critical awareness of “core ideas” in design, should be addressed from foundation level. The significance of the integration of theory and practice needs to be emphasised from the beginning. In this paper it will be argued that tertiary foundation education in design is crucial to development of self-confidence and self-awareness in design students, achieved through curriculum development and the studio group critique. Specific reference will be made to an integrated, multidisciplinary foundation course in the South African context. Emphasis will be placed on “learning to see”. It is argued that the creative process is key to the development of “design thinking” and “design action”. The iterative nature of the creative process through criticism leads to the expertise needed for intuitive thinking, allowing for the “white space” and the manifestation of innovative creative outcomes – the integration of theory and practice.
Keywords
iterative creative process; integrating theory with practice; tertiary foundation education in design; longitudinal interpretive study; studio-based subjects; “core ideas”; “learning to see”; group critique; self-confidence, expertise; intuitive thinking; “white space”
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2013.125
Citation
Lecanides-Arnott, M.(2013) Developing Intuitive Thinking in Designers: Creative Process and Criticism in Tertiary Foundation Studies, in Nimkulrat, N., Niedderer, K., Evans, M. (eds.), EKSIG 2013: Knowing Inside Out – Experiential Knowledge, Expertise and Connoisseurship, 4–5 July 2013, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2013.125
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Developing Intuitive Thinking in Designers: Creative Process and Criticism in Tertiary Foundation Studies
Self-awareness and confidence have been identified as necessary attributes for “design thinking” and “creative design action”. In order to communicate within a global “networked knowledge society”, designers need to possess breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and understanding that can be adapted for use in different situations. In design, outcomes are purpose driven and practical, and as the complex field of design bridges art and science, it is argued that “designers create culture”, and as such theory and practice should be integrated. Gaining knowledge of the visual language of art and design, and a critical awareness of “core ideas” in design, should be addressed from foundation level. The significance of the integration of theory and practice needs to be emphasised from the beginning. In this paper it will be argued that tertiary foundation education in design is crucial to development of self-confidence and self-awareness in design students, achieved through curriculum development and the studio group critique. Specific reference will be made to an integrated, multidisciplinary foundation course in the South African context. Emphasis will be placed on “learning to see”. It is argued that the creative process is key to the development of “design thinking” and “design action”. The iterative nature of the creative process through criticism leads to the expertise needed for intuitive thinking, allowing for the “white space” and the manifestation of innovative creative outcomes – the integration of theory and practice.