More and more, we have found it necessary to teach graduates how to sustain their convictions by finding sympathizers and allies that can allow their ideas and work to grow and flourish. One of the most notable examples of this is in the growth of the Arabic type community spearheaded by intrepid individuals and by organizations such as the Khatt Foundation Learning from these community-building initiatives and bringing these techniques into design education can allow our graduates to form lifelong communities that become forums for debate and creation.
Teaching students to work in this way is challenging. It requires graduates to create with clarity and firmness of purpose. They can’t idle in the fantasy of the master-apprentice model. Instead, they have to recognize and hone their own authorship and agency, reflecting on the motivations that drive their creative impulses. As design educators, we watch them search for tools and prod them to create methods that amplify their talents. We trust that they will recognize how much there is to discover in their own body of work: for themselves and for others.
For designers, seeing is believing. While the narratives from design history can offer them inspiration that fuels their imaginations—about how their interests and predilections can be successfully channeled toward certain creative ends—creative communities can serve as cross-cultural conduits for understanding how design lives in the here and now. In a field as rapidly evolving as design, these communities can respond to and advance changes, often in a more agile manner than that of larger institutions. If the role that designers play is to imagine possibilities, then at the very least we should provide our students the means to imagine such possible futures
So far, we’ve touched upon the skills all design students in today’s globalized world need, but the growth of our international student population has forced us to renegotiate how these skills can be maintained post-graduation. We’ve taught so many international students who want to take what they have learned back to their own communities. While some of the visual forms they learn to produce in school may not be relevant, they find resonance with the ideas and methods underlying the production of such forms. But what they really yearn for is a community.
In my view, because of globalization, the working space for designers isn't limited to particular countries anymore. As a result, numerous designers choose to study abroad to enhance their design perspectives. As an international student, I can personally identify with this situation. While the United States offers a more diverse and open atmosphere compared to many cultural backgrounds, some students face challenges when applying their acquired knowledge after returning to their home countries. Thus, it's crucial to equip designers with the skills necessary to make designs workable in different cultural contexts.
Fortunately, the influence of communities can gradually alter society's perceptions and atmosphere. Therefore, I firmly believe that design education should not solely concentrate on visual expression but should also place a greater emphasis on nurturing students' design thinking and leadership skills through a variety of project types. When designers can employ design thinking to influence others and businesses, they can contribute to establishing an environment that is more receptive to design innovations. Thus, I totally agree that design education should equip students with the tools to imagine possible futures in the ever-evolving field of design, rather than simply pursuing visual presentation.