From Doreen Lorenzo

A welcome message for the Journal of Design and Creative Technologies by Doreen Lorenzo, Associate Dean for the School of Design and Creative Technologies in the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin.

By Eugene Korsunskiy, MFA; Kim Hoffmann, MS; Gray Garmon, MArch; Wendy Angst, MHA and Claudia Roeschmann, MFA

As the human-centered design approach to solving problems in the professional world grows, so does the teaching of this approach in higher education. However, there isn’t a comprehensive guide for teaching human-centered design that is peer-curated, dynamic and adaptable within higher education. To meet this need, a group of educators propose a peer-powered research repository that shares case studies and best practices for teaching design thinking. 

By Julie Schell, EdD

Design thinking has grown in popularity and with it, accelerated design thinking learning environments such as bootcamps that rarely lead to widespread adoption after the workshop ends. Design thinking requires practice and continual learning to master, so how can we teach it effectively? By tailoring design thinking education to new learners and infusing learning science, we can use sound pedagogy to set the stage for longer-term, more effective use of the method.

By Michael Baker, MFA

Game design principles are best taught through the principle of play. The historic method of introducing documents before implementation rarely works for beginners. However, beginning with play works in promoting design practice through exploration and discovery and supports an understanding of interactive systems for game designers at any level. 

By Kate Canales, BS, and Gray Garmon, MArch

Teaching design thinking for social innovation requires both the students and the teachers to step outside their comfort zones and outside of traditional teaching frameworks. While teaching a class as part of Southern Methodist University’s Design and Innovation Studio, Kate Canales and Gray Garmon share some of their strategies for navigating the fog of ambiguity. 

By Jared Huke, BFA

Design thinking has spread to many disciplines, businesses and cultures; however, the way design thinking is executed requires change. The “fail fast” mentality can sometimes cause more harm than good, but merging design thinking with principles from the scientific method may offer a more successful way forward.

By Randy Hunt, MFA, and Magera Holton, BFA

Two graphic designers turned software designers worked together for years at Etsy, where they helped build and scale the online marketplace that connects millions of buyers and sellers from nearly every country in the world today. In this dialog, these two designers discuss their own career journeys and what they’ve learned about creating compelling shopping experiences online.

By Katie Krummeck, BA

Looking through the lens of American psychologist Sandra Bem’s definition of androgyny, human-centered design asks participants to take an androgynous approach and to adopt the best of both masculine and feminine traits to improve problem-solving outcomes..

By Allison Schiller, MArch; Katie Mathews, BA and Maggie Hermann, BPH

After a survey at Tulane University revealed startling sexual assault statistics, the senior administration hired design consultants to lead a student-centered qualitative research and design project to address campus-wide concerns. The Project IX team proposed a student-driven design thinking collaboration to address tough issues around sexual assault on campus with the goal of bringing the community together to positively change Tulane’s culture.

By Jiwon Park, M.F.A.

South Korea is a patriarchal, sexually conservative society where the subject of sex has traditionally been taboo. Korean women have long felt uncomfortable purchasing or openly carrying condoms, which are designed and packaged with a masculine message and arousing imagery. Being excluded from the branding and marketing of condoms has left Korean women more vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy and STDs, until now. A progressive South Korean cosmetics brand is working to tackle this problem by creating products that are designed by and for women. 

Within, Above and Beyond is the recent interactive multimedia piece by multimedia artist Yulia Lanina. In the piece, Lanina interacts with projected animations of her paintings in a narrative that chronicles Lanina’s journey to find clarity amid the noise of disconcerting news, images and social media.