Jarred Evans’ Post

❗️Design & Technology in schools could be extinct in as little as 4 years❗️ This post highlights some of the key points from my recent article in The Observer on why this would be a social and economic disaster (no, this isn’t an exaggeration).

It is no secret that creative education has been neglected for over a decade, but now this issue has come to a head with the subject of Design & Technology being dangerously close to extinction. Ahead of a report being published by organisations including the Design Council and The Design & Technology Association Association later this week, an exclusive article in The Observer - written by TDC’s  Abbey Bamford - has highlighted just how serious this subject’s decline is. Panasonic’s Rowan Williams reinforces that everything we interact with has been designed and that the subject being neglected in such a way is, in part, due to “a miscommunication of what design is”. The sad reality is that the schools most likely to drop D&T are “the most socially deprived”, with the students that need it the most, according to Tony Ryan MIET FRSA Aston Martin’s executive vice-president and chief creative officer Marek Reichman spotlights world-renowned artists and designers who came through the subject, such as Jony Ive, Stella McCartney and David Hockney. Award-winning chartered engineer Yewande Akinola MBE FIET HonFREng says: “The subject gives students the chance to come up with progressive ideas that will ultimately help us become a more innovative country that the world looks to for solutions.” If no action is taken, it could be just four years before the subject is no longer a part of the UK’s state school national curriculum, plugging the pipeline into the design sector, which contributes more than £100bn a year to the UK’s GDP. Get in touch with TDC to discuss how you can get more involved! Online article here: https://lnkd.in/edk99Fcb

I am so disheartened to see this article. Having watched the creative education opportunities of my own kids decline in real time through-out their primary school days it has been such a pleasure to see them connect with art and design in their secondary education. My daughter's Product Design GCSE (final exam today 🎺 ) has given her material knowledge to complement sciences like physics and biology, technical skills that mean she is confident and capable with tools and machines, ideation practice that means she thinks laterally and in user-centered way. If you are in any doubt about the real terms value of the Creative Economy to the UK (2.3 million jobs in 2021) the State of Creativity report from Creative Industries PEC is well worth a read. Successive recent governments have de-valued education's role in our creative industries' contribution to the economy and society, and continue to deprive our children and creative businesses of the opportunities to develop and employ creative skills like originality, fluency of ideas and complex problem-solving that will be essential in the future. We have an opportunity to make change in before it's too late for the design education that we benefitted from – go out and be heard, vote.

Welcome to the Design Truth Student Awards. Our theme for this year is to celebrate state school education. To acknowledge the role it plays in carving the curiosity that this thing called industrial design can be a career, and to highlight the challenges it faces under the current status quo. You can find out more about eligibility and the meaning behind the theme for this year by clicking the below: https://lnkd.in/em_zzGb2 Any questions or levels of interest - fire them to [email protected] _ #industrialdesign #designtruth

Exciting times in the design world! 🌱🎨 The Design Council embarks on a game-changing mission: upskilling a million designers in green design by 2030. As we speak, the Design Council is pooling resources with educators and designers to define these crucial green skills and shape the upskilling programme. This comes hot on the heels of their collaboration with 20 top design and education organisations to revamp the design and technology GCSE course, laying the foundation for this vital shift. This mission calls for a collective effort - bridging schools, higher education, industries, governments, and philanthropists. It's all about creating a robust curriculum that stretches from the classroom to boardroom executives and driving support across the sectors. If you're intrigued or want to be part of this transformative journey, let's talk! Drop a comment below or swing by our site to explore opportunities in innovative design roles. #DesignForChange #GreenDesign #SustainableFuture

Exciting times in the design world! 🌱🎨 The Design Council embarks on a game-changing mission: upskilling a million designers in green design by 2030. As we speak, the Design Council is pooling resources with educators and designers to define these crucial green skills and shape the upskilling programme. This comes hot on the heels of their collaboration with 20 top design and education organisations to revamp the design and technology GCSE course, laying the foundation for this vital shift. This mission calls for a collective effort - bridging schools, higher education, industries, governments, and philanthropists. It's all about creating a robust curriculum that stretches from the classroom to boardroom executives and driving support across the sectors. If you're intrigued or want to be part of this transformative journey, let's talk! Drop a comment below or swing by our site to explore opportunities in innovative design roles. #DesignForChange #GreenDesign #SustainableFuture

Creative and innovative thoughts and actions taught and learned are key to all our well-being.

I have been studying speculative design in my MA program at the University of Leeds. Within the discipline of speculative design, I came across the term critical design. As The Museum of Modern Art puts it, “Critical Design is speculative, conceptual, provocative, and can be darkly satirical. It does not always lead to usable products, but it does produce long-term thinking, a nuanced view of consumers as complex, contradictory individuals.” Another term I came across is technological solutionism. And since reflective practice is a large part of higher education, I can’t help but wonder about some of the digital comms tools I am designing. For more on the concept of tech solutionism, there’s a good article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (links below). As someone who is slightly rebellious and, perhaps, still ridiculously idealistic, the concept of critical design and tech solutionism has had a profound impact on me. I have been obsessively creating a design series that is…critical. This emotional connection to the concept has made my design process more personal and meaningful. And there’s a sarcasm to my critical design work that clients, for obvious reasons, would never allow, which is childishly fun. For my first piece, I am working on an app to save the world. Right now, it’s a #wip, but stay with me and watch as I finish the project. https://lnkd.in/gmCdkdBz https://lnkd.in/gne5r2vg School of Design - University of Leeds #criticaldesign #speculativedesign #appdesign #mastersofdesign #DesignCritique #ethicaldesign #designresearch #hci

Really interesting report from Design Council on design education and what benefits this can have on society and in particular, the climate emergency. https://lnkd.in/e56Sh_rw As the great Victor Papanek said, "Design is a way of thinking, an approach to problem-solving that goes beyond aesthetics," effectively reinforcing the idea that design isn't just about making things look good, design is a mindset focused on solving real-world problems. Exactly what we need today! It made me think of that fantastic programme The Big Life Fix (well worth a watch https://lnkd.in/esi-z5tR) - we need to focus education on 'design thinking', thinking outside the box and turning the box around and upside down to find solutions that better society as a whole. #designeducation

Join Design Age Institute’s Director, Colum Lowe, at the Royal College of Art, for our first virtual Masterclass in Designing for an Ageing Population 11-13 September, part of Royal College of Art - Executive Education. Book at the link below >>> https://lnkd.in/eXQp_28N Over three mornings, you will:  - Understand how to tap into the growing ageing marketplace - with over 55’s expected to account for 63p in every pound spent by 2040.   - Develop the tools and approaches to design for and with older adults.   - Learn to apply innovation methodology and frameworks to create better customer products, services and experiences for the UK’s rapidly ageing population.  9-12:30am 11-13 September 2024   Online £800 early bird until 30 June #design #designers #inclusivedesign #universaldesign #designinnovation #innovation #innovators #ageing #ageingwell #happyageing #healthyageing #ageingpoulation #longevity #longevityeconomy #productdesign #servicedesign #masterclass #professionaldevelopment #careerprofessionaldevelopment