Ecology of Practice in Design Education

An Ecology of Practices in Design Education UCDA Design Education Summit Jeff Brice Chair, Design Department Cornish College of the Arts Seattle, WA Introduction Design schools across the country are feeling the need to offer an educational model that reflects the complex interrelations defining today’s media ecosystems. This paper lays out the rationale and implementation for an innovative educational model in design at Cornish College of the Arts. I will show how Cornish has adopted a new educational paradigm towards the education for the artist and designer which I call an ecology of practices. Design education as an ecology of practices recognizes the integrated and holistic environment of design. The new curriculum seeks an integration of learning through research-led practice. This iterative process and the structures of transformation we have adopted are responsive to user feedback allowing for community involvement. Utilizing an agile approach to institutional transformation ensures relevancy in these turbulent times of rapid social and economic changes. Cornish’s rich historical context as an institution dedicated to artistic innovation provides the backdrop for this radical transformation. The school’s location in the Pacific Northwest gives it an environmentally sensitive and technologically involved ethos that informs its design pedagogy. I will present the inspirations that inform this new paradigm of design education, one that I call an ecology of practices. Processes for gathering user feedback in defining a most viable transformation is demonstrated. Finally, the structure of the new curriculum is outlined. Cornish Then and Now Cornish College of the Arts is located in the heart of the tech boom in Seattle, WA. The college was founded in 1914 by Nellie Cornish as a small music school and we have just now celebrated our centennial year. Over the years Cornish has been home to innovative thinkers such as Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham and John Cage. The first time the west coast was connected to the east coast via technology was a Cornish project: the very first national radio transmission from coast to coast was broadcast from Cornish in the 1930s. We are still building and innovating, both in physical structures, like our new residence hall, as well as in our curriculum structure. We continue to be dedicated to the idea of innovative thinking through the integration of art practices. In the last ten years, an explosion of technological change has affected many industries and most ways of working. Here in Seattle, we’re at the center of this innovative energy, and constant advances in technologies, media and online networking create a stream of design questions that beg for solutions. The experience of the user of these tools has become crucial to our service economy, requiring designers to find new ways of solving problems. While still recognizing craft and hand-skills still have a place in design and in the mental and physical development of designers. Seattle’s temperate weather supports a vibrant array of enterprises that spotlight designed and hand-crafted wares – micro-breweries, cafes serving locally roasted coffees, vintners, glass-blowers and musicians all find a lively clientele here. The rugged individualism of the Pacific Northwest can be seen in the proliferation of high tech startup companies. Some of the most famous are now common knowledge for everyone: Boeing, Microsoft, Valve, and Amazon to name a few. The complexity of the networked markets and communications of the digital economy requires flexible approaches to design solutions. An ecology of practices encompasses both the designers’ conceptual and technical toolkits and the larger social ecosystems in which they exist. In other words, our students need to “speak digital,” they need to have technical skills, hand-skills and craft, and they also need to have a clear understanding of the social contexts within which designers work. To fill these needs, Cornish Design has evolved an ecological framework: an ecology that includes education in the social aspects of design. Constant re-visioning of the design process has moved into experiences, and then onto more complex community issues (both local and global) that are addressed through human-centered design investigation and research. This approach recognizes that complexity may demand many kinds of solutions, from viral information campaigns, technologically driven apps, to more hand-crafted approaches. The design department’s expansion of an object-based practice to include a relations-based practice reflects the convergent, integrated and holistic nature of design’s current ecosystems. Unlike most other design programs, Cornish Design is part of a visual and performing arts college, one of the few in the country. Design students mingle with actors, musicians, dancers, performance production majors, and fine artists, and this integration sparks creative collaboration. Our new, integrated arts program, The Creative Corridor, fosters design-and-arts collaborations. When the plastic and performing arts come together, this dynamic collision results in student agency through experimentation. Most students entering the design program have backgrounds in drawing and painting. Some have experience in animation, video or web development. Many students gravitate to our courses that develop hand skills and craft, like screen printing and book arts, illustration, comics and animation. Others prefer to expand their skills in UX, UI, web and programming. During their time at Cornish, many expand into publishing, interactivity, gaming and animation. We encourage our students to experiment. Our integrated-arts approach gives students the resources to experiment in hybrid forms of expression, an opportunity that may be lacking in other design-only programs. Many of our alumni work in larger design firms, and have found their education has taught them to be adaptive and comfortable in the varied digital environments they encounter in their studios. But we also nurture the start-up spirit, and are building a strong entrepreneurial component into upcoming curricula. Cornish design values adaptability and creative vision. They both have central roles in our students’ ecology of practice. Global capitalism creates consistency in design practice through the standardization of tools and media. Designers around the world today use the same software and hardware tools. They design for the same media channels of distribution: the internet, television, radio, tablets, print, products, and experiences. But design culture also takes on the unique qualities and opportunities of the local place where designers personally interact with their communities and environment. The proximal opportunities and challenges of the local businesses, communities and environments of Seattle create unique design aesthetics and a Pacific Northwest identity. Two years ago Cornish made the brave decision to reorganize the departments to better facilitate an integrated arts education. An ecology of practices speaks simultaneously to the different programs that share in the ecosystem of the institution, the environmental ethos of the Pacific Northwest, and the many different practices that today fall under the category of design practice. The design discipline has expanded through the digital convergence of different media, as well as through the recognition that design thinking is a valuable approach for businesses to adapt to the ever quickening pace of innovation and changing social ecology in which they are embedded. INSPIRATIONS A common definition of ecology can be found in Wikipedia: Ecology “from Greek: οἶκος, "house"; -λογία, "study of") is the scientific analysis and study of interactions among organisms and their environment, such as the interactions organisms have with each other…” The Greeks emphasized Nature as home and the importance of relationships to the larger whole. These same relationships are just as foregrounded in today’s world. In the new curriculum, all design students are given a “home” studio space in which to work and facilitate interactions through collaboration. Studio practice is done in a flexible space that offers work tables, counters as well as lounge-type collaborative areas. The notion of a media ecology has been around since media theorist Marshall Mcluhan first proposed it in 1964(1). But it was Neil Postman who formalized it in 1986(2). Neil Postman argues that “Technological change is not additive; it is ecological.” This schema of our media environment emphasizes its convergent nature requiring new constellations of required skills for designers. It is not enough to just keep adding more courses to accommodate new technologies. As Mcluhan explained, the old media become the content for new media. Embedded technologies and content require new workflows and new conceptual models for designers to navigate by. Another, wider interpretation of ecology is given by semiotician, anthropologist and cyberneticist Gregory Bateson in his seminal book Steps to an Ecology of Mind (1972).(3) “Ecology, in the widest sense, turns out to be the study of the interaction and survival of ideas and programs (i.e., differences, complexes of differences, etc.) in circuits.” - Gregory Bateson, Steps to an Ecology of Mind (1972) - Bateson sees ecology as the interactions and sustainability of ideas and programs. Bateson explores the ways in which we frame our relationship to the environment is predicated on an understanding of ourselves. The idea of an ecology of practices, borrowed from complexity science, was put forward by Isabelle Stengers in 2003.(4) Her concern for the relationship of practices to each other puts a focus on the boundaries and diplomacy of practices as they seek equilibrium within an ecosystem. New practices emerge by establishing relationships and new innovative ways of reimagining identity to better fit ever changing environments. “An ecology of practices does not have any ambition to describe practices ‘as they are’, it resists the master word of a progress that would justify their destruction. It aims at the construction of new ‘practical identities’ for practices, that is, new possibilities for them to be present, or in other words to connect. It thus does not approach practices as they are, but as they may become.” - Isabelle Stengers, An Ecology of Practices (2003) During this time of radical innovative change, the need to negotiate between groups within the institution is paramount and the spirit of “yes, and” must prevail. The challenges of widespread organizational change are very stressful for those involved. Diplomacy, empathy and openness to new ideas is extremely important. Limited resources, institutional memory and conflicting pedagogies are always negotiated. When an equilibrium is achieved it is with the knowledge that new iterations will demand new solutions. Philosopher Felix Guattari proposed three ecologies of mind, society and environment as the important territories of reference as a foundation to his “Ecosophy”.(5) He does not see these as hierarchical, rather he insists on transversal relationships. He sees these territories as operating on the same ontological level. These different registers blend into a common field of attention due to the pervasive equivalence of value within capitalist society. The many levels of complexity addressed by design today is a matter of framing the problem. Larger problems are entangled in the non-linear complexity of global relations, while smaller and simpler projects reflect locally based linear problems. Minimum Viable Transformation In order to accommodate the non-linear nature of complex media environments, the software industry has moved toward a development methodology of rapid development with frequent iterations in order to meet ever quickening innovation cycles. This is called Agile development, and the minimum viable product (MVP) is developed through minimizing the time spent on iterations until there is a viable product/market fit. Like design thinking, agile workflows are being introduced into businesses and organizations that need innovative strategies to compete. The Agile development approach recognizes that user feedback will alter the outcomes of the next iteration. Borrowed from Agile development workflows, the minimum viable transformation is a strategy and process-oriented-transformation that seeks to produce innovation through rapid development in order to adapt to changing environment pressures. MVT evolves through continual iterations. It also recognizes the importance of user feedback and the advantages in making limited organizational transformations in order to pursue innovation over time through many iterations. Process of Change Communication is key when institutional change is happening. Communication between administration and faculty, faculty and students and administration and students all need to offer transparency. Department-to-department communication is paramount as resources are limited and ideologies regarding curriculum need to be understood and negotiated. In order to create transparency, a workshop for faculty was co-developed with consultant Fisher Qua from Backloop using design thinking methodologies. Called ‘Liberating Structures’, these methods are used to facilitate innovative changes within institutions. This workshop provided input as to how the existing faculty view the department. This workshop kept the faculty informed about the changes in a constructive environment. Though the new curriculum was explained in broad terms, it was enough for the faculty to get a grasp of the structure and how it might effect them. A similarly structured student workshop was organized the following Fall. Giving students a voice in the process allowed us to gather student experience, concerns, and ideas about the current design program. We used this information when we considered the new program. A main result of this workshop is the development of regularly scheduled meetings with students where we discuss issues as they come up. These meetings are important for the students to help understand and shape the program. The new curriculum provides an environment for experimentation and exploration for the students. Student agency is the result of having the technical skills and the invitation to explore opportunities both in the institution and with partners outside the institution. Students today are living and working in mental, social and environmental ecologies that converge into a common experience through social media. The flow of information and messages pop in and out of our experiential fields. Design education realizes the many ways students communicate in large and small ways. In our transformation of the curriculum, we are moving quickly (in institutional terms) to change the structure of the learning process as well as changing the facilities to support the new curriculum. We started with the art department last year and we are now integrating the design and film + media departments. These partial delivery dates allow us to respond to the way in which the users (students, faculty, staff and administration) interact with the program. The feedback and analysis informs the next iteration of transformation. The data is collected from the users through design thinking workshops and meetings with student reps. An advisory board of industry professionals provides insights as to how external partnerships and the larger community of practice relate to the new curriculum strategies. Elements of the Curriculum The new curriculum transforms the learning environment of the students. The students are now given a “home” to inhabit. Their studio is an ecosystem for them to work independently as well as collaborate together. Teaching happens in a variety of spaces and approaches. Students in the junior and senior years are taught as a cohort. The learning is a holistic approach through the integration of Humanities and Sciences (H&S), Critical and Contextual Studies and Studio Practice within theme-based projects. A semester of three 5-week modules provides synchronization across the department and between other departments. Because the H&S content is integrated into the projects, research is foregrounded even at the foundation program. This is continued through the 2nd year, a year of directed study. The junior and senior years are self-directed. The semester is divided into three 5-week modules (projects) that are theme-based. The themes are developed by three core faculty members representing the department’s three ecosystems of practice; Type and Image, Narrative Systems and User Experience Design. Students are encouraged to collaborate with other disciplines through the structures of the Practica (specific skill-based electives) and the Creative Corridor, which offers interdisciplinary projects. In addition, all labs – including photography, printmaking, book arts, 3D fabrication, drawing and painting studios, and computer labs – are open to all students. Technicians manage the labs and provide technical demos. Curriculum Structure There are currently six departments at Cornish between the visual and performing art practices; Theater, Dance, Music, Performance Production, Art, and Design. We have two programs that are emerging into departments, Interior Architecture and Film + Media. The six different departments are connected through the Creative Corridor. The Creative Corridor are courses that are interdisciplinary in nature. The visual arts are connected through the Practica, which are specific skill-based electives. Students are able to experience a practicum in breadth (individual 5-week modules) or in depth (scaffolding 15-week learning). The 5-week modules allow students to explore other disciplines in partial semester experiences. All visual arts students take foundation year together. The foundation and sophomore years are directed studies. In the sophomore year, the design students are structured into 3 groups which rotate through 5-week modules of the department’s 3 pathways; User Experience Design, Type and Image and Narrative Systems. The modules are themebased projects. They are integrated with H&S modules of science, social science and humanities. The junior and senior years are self directed and are co-taught by three core faculty representing User Experience Design, Type and Image and Narrative Systems. The juniors’ modules are theme-based. The senior year is mentored by the same core faculty who help facilitate the senior BFA exhibition project. This project is a year-long, self-authored project culminating in a BFA exhibition. Professional practices and curation are also explored. Because students are working in a cohort environment, they learn from each other in solving problems for each module. The studio spaces that are home to the students support a collaborative environment where relationships between different approaches to design become evident. Students gain agency through these collaborative learning environments. Assessment is both formative and summative. Students record progress through process books that document their design workflows. These are assessed at the end of the semester. Formative reviews happen during the semester by the core faculty. Conclusion Design principles are recognized as valuable methods for tapping into the creative spirit necessary for innovative action. That is why designers are in such high demand by businesses, organizations and institutions of all sizes and kinds. The new curriculum at based on an ecology of practices which I outline in this paper, reflects the nature of today’s creative workplaces. It strives to provide the skills, knowledge and abstract thinking to allow students to develop agency and prosper in this intensely interconnected world, and to allow the institution to grow and flourish well into its next 100 years. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: the Extensions of Man. Sphere Books, 1967. 2. Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. Heinemann, 1986. 3. Bateson, Gregory. Steps to an Ecology of Mind. Ballantine Books, 1983. 4. Stengers, Isabelle. Introductory Notes on an Ecology of Practices, ANU Humanities Research Centre Symposium, 2003 5. Guattari Félix, et al. The Three Ecologies. Continuum, 2011.