Improving the Relevance of Taught Postgraduate Design Education at a UK University by Correlation with the Global Professional Context.

MacLarty, Liz and Aftab, Mersha (2015) Improving the Relevance of Taught Postgraduate Design Education at a UK University by Correlation with the Global Professional Context. In: INSIGHT 2015: Design Research Symposium, 23rd - 24th January 2015, Bangalore, India.

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Abstract

The complexity of design competencies within the design function at Philips Design, is catagorised by Gardien et al as Design as Capabilities, Design as an Approach and Design as Outcome and provides a maturity grid to help other firms make better use of design thinking. The authors use this catagorisation of design and business abilities to map and analyse a suite of PGT programmes to explore the relationship of the curricula to professional competence in the context of corporate design in a multi national organisation.

This paper proves that there is a valuable relationship between design teaching and learning within a UK University at the Taught Postgraduate (PGT) level and the trajectory for mature design activity in Philips as described by Gardien et al. The paper argues that by mapping this explanation of design ‘maturity’ within a professional global context against the transition points of learning and experience at the PGT level increases the maturity and contemporary relevance of PGT curricula.
Mapping illustrates both areas of fit and exposes gaps and opportunities for design educators in providing provision for design thinkers/leaders and practitioners of the future. The business innovation model and the concept of design maturity from an industry context are transposed to inform a design management education model.

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