NAEA Position Statement on Design Education
NAEA Position Statement on Design Education
NAEA acknowledges design as a vital component of visual arts, design, and media arts education. By emphasizing the design process as a tool for problem solving, students address challenges and develop a sense of contribution and responsibility. Through studies in design, such as architecture, fashion, interior design, and urban and systems planning, students learn to appreciate the interconnectedness of objects to each other and the world around them. We recognize the pivotal role of design in shaping cultural and economic landscapes, helping students value well-designed objects and understand their broader societal impact. Recognizing that human-made objects and experiences come from intentional design, we understand the importance of both function and aesthetics, and that it is key for students to understand how design extends to our human capabilities to shape our world for the better. Visual arts, design, and media arts educators are uniquely positioned to teach how aesthetic qualities enhance our quality of life.
Goals for design education include:
- Teaching design as a study of human experience to develop socially responsible students through interdisciplinary exploration.
- Guiding students to use the design process and thinking skills to creatively consider and address authentic local, national, and global challenges.
- Teaching students to use design as a way to make a personal impact by following analytical, iterative, and evaluative steps until the best solution is found.
- Educating students to be informed consumers, emphasizing the holistic understanding of product life cycles and advocating for sustainability.
- Cultivating informed citizenship, enabling students to actively contribute to community improvements and advocate for the importance of aesthetics in enhancing quality of life.
- Teaching design through historical perspectives shows its key role in shaping cultures by reflecting the lifestyle, aesthetics, economics, technology, and perceptions of different eras.
- Teaching students to apply skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and innovation as components of the design process.
- Teaching students to work collaboratively in design teams promotes diverse voices and viewpoints, fosters interpersonal relationships, and enhances emotional intelligence.
- Educating students on design’s economic role by fostering innovation highlighting design’s significance in the creative economy.
Design is defined as the application of creativity to planning the optimal solution to a given problem and communication of that plan to others (National Core Arts Standards).
Design education within the visual arts is an interdisciplinary approach towards problem solving and critical thinking to improve life. Participants define challenges and work through a series of steps to an innovative and viable solution. Design education includes teaching about the aesthetics of products, systems, experiences, the built environment, communication, and more.
NAEA Design Interest Group: https://www.arteducators.org/community/interest-groups/design-interest-group-dig/