Designed for Learning Research Book by mewang

Designed for Learning Research Book

Michelle Wang Spring Semester 2019 Fish McGill

Degree Project Research

“The shifting status of “minorities” in the U.S. affects not only the pool of possible future designers at the K-12 level, but also the makeup of our clients, colleagues and collaborators. From a practical (not to mention moral) standpoint, diversity and inclusion within the field of design lead to more innovation through problem-solving, whether in service to business or society.” — Antionette Carroll, “Diversity & Inclusion in Design: Why Do They Matter?”, AIGA 2014

Researchable Question: How can we use the public school system to bridge the socioeconomic and elitist gap in design?

Project Statement: Design is what our world is supported by; without it, society could not function. And while everyone, everywhere interacts with design, our world is constructed by a very small pool of people. In many ways, diversity in design has benefited society greatly. With diversity of experiences comes a new set of beliefs, preconceptions, and solutions to the problems we face in our day to day lives. Frustrated by the lack of diversity in design and design practices, I was inspired to learn more about bridging socioeconomic, elitist, racial, and gender gaps in the world of design by introducing design in school. My end goal would be to inspire people with a diverse range of experiences to pursue design as a career choice by implementing sustainable, flexible, and interactive courses on design that can be practiced in a wide range of schools, from inner cities to rural counties.

Degree Project Research

Check in #1 Research varied greatly in the first two weeks, as Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m kinda swimming through data until I find somewhere to truly sink my teeth into. The first week was more general and the second week I focused a lot on the current education system and trying to understand what the baseline standard is. I started with pulling out notes from my African American History: the Disenfranchisement and Segregation of America and highlighting relevant inserts. I next started pulling from notes I took during my time at the State House regarding borderline communities and education. I then began to pull an index of resources I know I can begin to reference, books, movies, professors, networks that will serve me in my first line of quantitative research.

Degree Project Research

Art School Baseline Privilege Assessment Survey Results: Over 70% of students are from suburbs Students went to a variety of schools (the highest two groups were public at 67% and private at 12%) Despite this over 80% of students took art classes in high school and over 50% of students took in depth curriculum (ex. photography, graphic design etc.) ~75% of participants are from middle class - upper class background with ~50% making more than 80k per year 72% are white Most were able to participate in after school activities related to their interests Over 80% consider themselves privileged

I’m without a doubt privileged. Even the fact that I’ll be graduating debt free from college because my parents are able to afford it is not something that I take for granted or just assume everyone can do. I’ve never been judged for my race once in my life and have had every available opportunity at my fingertips. I’m lucky that my high school experience was diverse so that I could be more aware, but as an upper-middle class white person, there’s no question that things have just been handed to me without me having to fight for the right to them. There are things I’ll never have to go through, never have to face, never have to struggle or fight for because I’m white, and so by definition I’m definitely privileged.

Degree Project Research

Major Research Points from January 24th-Feb 12th

Conclusions

Major education legislation has done little to nothing to change the climate of schools — in fact, in many instance, schools are more segregated than they were 60+ years ago. Some important Supreme Court Rulings include Brown vs. Board of Education and Mendez vs. Westminster.

School segregation seems to be at the core of education inequality. The challenges different groups face is determined by the challenges each face; white students in white communities are very different than black students in minority communities.

The impacts of segregation (be it racial or triple segregation (race + income + language) have major impacts on students. Schools that are not integrated have lower budgets, inadequate teachers, and children face major challenges from a basic standpoint in terms of safety and physiological needs (referencing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Whole Human Design: Designing for Humans, not Users by Alex Klein.

The way we shape our schools is corrupt and outdated. Formulas for budgets are vastly inadequate and teachers are inexperienced or unfairly tenured. Programs are underfunded and money is not thoughtfully allocated and curriculum is vastly outdated.

At risk children face a number of major challenges. From mass incarceration to housing segregation and resources; these children and adolescents are truly on the front lines of the battle towards education equality. There are many ways to approach education equity — one is changing the way we teach students / approach teaching holistically. There are a number of studies about interventions and Growth Mindsets. I want to look further into the psychology and sociology in teaching. Boston Public Schools’ students (asides from the Latin Schools) show a great disadvantage — even valedictorians are at major disadvantages and show much lower levels of measurable success compared to that of valedictorians in suburban communities of Massachusetts (The Valedictorian Project, Boston Globe). These students have a true sense of loss in their capabilities and efforts as academics / students. Why are our best failing, and what does this mean for our lowest achieving? Students at Madison Park High feel that they are not adequately prepared for the future of their future education, career or personal lives. These graphics are a palpable piece of data in proving that these students don’t feel a sense of belonging or preparedness (self confidence / self esteem) for their futures. While BPS are taking steps to alleviate the inequity, statistics show the growth in BPS performance is primarily in White students and Asian students; in fact performance among Black / African American is failing behind. Additionally drop out rates are increasing across the board in the BPS.

The at risk, inner city, and racial/wealth minorities have many challenges to becoming a part of the profession creative class.

Degree Project Research

Questions

Tentative interviews/discussions

How can we design spaces that feel inclusive and accessible to all? How can we start uncomfortable conversations around representation in our field?

Beth Balliro — Associate Professor, MassArt Art Ed Dept.

What are the immediate effects of removing arts programs in at risk communities? What happens when we provide after school programming and special counseling to students at risk? How can we implement growth mindset strategies and purposefulness into classroom environments - especially where needed

Sean Hagan — K-12 Visual Arts Program Director, Bedford Public Schools Akil Mondesir — METCO Coordinator, Bedford Public High School Lyssa Palu-lay — Dean, Office of Justice Equity, and Transformation, MassArt Compass Chandra Mendez Ortiz — Director, MassArt Artward Bound Eileen Wagner — Teacher, Bedford Public High School

How can we implement jobs to empower at risk students and allow them to tell their stories in meaningful and reactive ways? How is post grad supporting the design community and pushing the boundaries of representation? Can we shift perceptions of where and how learning happens in the City and reframe Boston’s view on what it means to be an “expert”? How can the City support new ways of listening to residents, and how can we better tell the Q. stories of what we are collectively doing? How can we further develop individual and systemic supports for social, Q. emotional, and economic well-being?

Goals Successfully conduct guided discussions with Bedford, MassArt Students, Beth, Compass, Artwork Bound, etc. Continue my literary, document and video research Begin more research on growth mindsets and teaching styles

What financial choices must be made in Boston Public Schools to enable the rich academic offerings that Boston students deserve? What are the tradeoffs associated with each of these potential choices?

Collect different classroom activities used in high schools in design curriculum

What are the real challenges these students face in accessing the professional world, do meaningful relationships with companies from a young age make a difference or is it the content of what they learn?

Begin to understand what is expected for college portfolios and what are some cost effective strategies in achieving that (instead of acrylics, use crayons, etc.)

What does innovation mean to you? How can we incorporate innovation in meaningful ways without bursting budgets on fragile tech? Do partnerships with the outer community engage students or alienate them further? What impact does the style of teaching have on a students ability to succeed in any given subject matter? Why do programs seem to have the most impact on the white population — how can we make the same impact for the people of color in Boston, why are programs making it HARDER for them to succeed? Why do adolescents drop out of school? What causes children and teens to feel so alienated by the school and edu- community that they don’t desire to continue education? How can we empower these students? Why is there so little trust in preparedness for post grad life after high school? Students feel as though they do not have access to quality resources. How can we provide quality resources that accommodate to low budgets? What do low quality resources mean (facilities, computers, textbooks, curriculum, student teacher relationships)? Why do parents feel like they have so little participation in schools?

Degree Project Research

Sean Hagen Discussion Guide This conversation between Bedford K-12 Art Director and myself (Michelle Wang) will be conducted to create a better understanding of budgets, art school curriculum, school objects and the movement into the STEAM community.

Do you need to provide special resources for at risk children? What kind of emphasis do boards want in the arts Why are schools cutting the arts What are the limitations of a school budget

Project Intro Researchable Question: How can we use the public school system to bridge the socioeconomic and elitist gap in design? Project Statement: Design is what our world is supported by; without it, society could not function. And while everyone, everywhere interacts with design, our world is constructed by a very small pool of people. In many ways, diversity in design has benefited society greatly. With diversity of experiences comes a new set of beliefs, preconceptions, and solutions to the problems we face in our day to day lives. Frustrated by the lack of diversity in design and design practices, I was inspired to learn more about bridging socioeconomic, elitist, racial, and gender gaps in the world of design by introducing design in school. My end goal would be to inspire people with a diverse range of experiences to pursue design as a career choice by implementing sustainable, flexible, and interactive courses on design that can be practiced in a wide range of schools, from inner cities to rural counties.

What are the limitations of curriculum in a public school > how frequently is curriculum changed How prepared do you think students that leave BHS are for their future careers and why? Where are the cracks? What do students miss when they attend BHS? What are the strengths — what is special about the BHS program holistically that children in other schools don’t get Do you consider BHS students privileged? Who is and who isn’t privileged Why Why do you think the creative class is so middle class, white, male dominated? What steps is BHS doing to change this? How can we inspire the under privileged to go into art/design careers Are there opportunities for schools like BHS to partner with other schools to create more integrated synergies and bridge the wealth gap? How can the art dept do this?

Questions/Discussion Points Please state your name, job role, and explain what you do at the Bedford Public Schools. What job(s) have you held previously and what about them differs from the Bedford Public School system; how did that prepare you to take the role you have at Bedford? What has changed (both macro and micro level) since you have joined the Bedford Public Schools (curriculum, teachers, classes offered) What steps are the Bedford Public Schools taking to accommodate for the rise of STEAM in the professional world What is the art dept doing to prepare students for STEAM careers - what classes are offered, what does the curriculum entail Are other dept collaborating with the arts dept to create new synergies within BHS Many students from BHS leave to pursue engineering, medical, biomed, and math based careers — is there a gap in the understanding of STEAM? Why? What does the BHS art dept do to prepare students for college and their career beyond? Why is this impactful? What are the needs of students at Bedford High in regards to what the art dept can accomplish? Do students from METCO or the Hanscom air force base have different needs than the Bedford Students Do you personally feel that the art dept creates a sense of community? How and Why? How many students (on average) pursue art/design careers How do schools outline the budgets they allocate for art depts What is the current budget and how is it being used in the art dept

What will this do for the community at large? Is there a budget for this kind of synergy? Closing — any further comments thanks

Outcomes School budgets are determined by property taxes (ie towns with higher property value will likely have more dollars per student) Art curriculum takes a long time to change - integrating STEAM into curriculum takes even longer. People are unwilling to step out of their comfort zones and understand experiences —it is to my understanding that Mr. Hagen was avoiding certain questions to avoid saying some liable. METCO integration is a constant WIP — integrated schools don’t just happen. In his words “you don’t want to be the white savior” — something I haven’t considered, but also kinda weird considering I’m not white... Art/Design programs aren’t only dependent on a budget, they’re dependent also on the values of the town and a supporting infrastructure. Teachers need aid and to be supported, you need a program director to overlook the entirety and make sure it is comprehensive and holistic in its approach. Additionally, budget can go beyond what the school allocates by donations in the community, grants, and foundation donations. With all of this is a sense of privilege that people may not get in different circumstances. A supportive and comprehensive art program needs a supporting and loving community — starting from a micro level (teachers, other students, clubs) to a macro level (town support).

Degree Project Research

Checkpoint #1 My research became more guided in structure. I created a more regimental base to understanding how my interests influence the structure of my project. From there, I turned more to my inspiration projects; the Innova Schools by IDEO and Youth Design by KORN Design. From there, I synthesized my research into a few different compartments: quantitative, qualitative, journalistic, scholarly, and interview based. In reviewing my research, I came to a crossroads in my research: Who and how am I going to bridge the gap of representation in design in a meaningful way. I decided I had to narrow my audience to schools / community centers that already have a comprehensive art program donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily invite people from outside that niche. My target school has an interest in STEAM, a diverse group of students from a wide variety of different backgrounds, a growing arts program, and is based in or around a city. I then declared my deliverables as the following: Develop a comprehensive prototype/course, create a partnership with a local school, pilot program with a class of students.

Degree Project Research

Interests Representation in the creative class I have had the good fortune to have seen a lot of different work spaces and meet a lot of people in my short lifetime. My most two recent jobs are very polarizing; Bodega, a contemporary streetwear store, was racially very diverse, but very few women worked in the office or on the creative team. After spending a year at Bodega I was hired at Gensler, an internationally acclaimed architecture and consulting firm. I was excited to see Gensler had a 1 to 1 ratio of men to women (and windows, but that’s a whole different discussion), but was disappointed to see how much more radically white it was (and again, male dominated for the most part as the directors and studio managers are mostly men) Creating opportunities for disenfranchised Growing up in the greater Boston area in a high ranking high school, I was privileged. I had access to some of the best resources, overly qualified teachers, and a network of people who wanted me to succeed, no matter the price, time, or space it took. As I’ve grown, lived in a city, and began to take classes that expanded my understanding of humanity (like the Hood, a class on segregation in America’s inner cities and the disenfranchisement of African Americans), I have become overly aware that your zip code can determine your future success. I feel as though I have a responsibility to give back to these communities with my privilege. Using education as a tool of inspiration As a high schooler I didn’t fully understand what, who, or how I wanted to be as an adult, but I was able to use my experiences to shape my future career. Later in college, I was molded by my educational experiences, both positive and negative. I think schools have a unique position to inspire young people to think about the world with curiosity, inspiration and open minds. Creating new pathways and equity in design The design industry is a traditionally upper class, white, male dominated industry. The tide is slowly shifting, but I believe their is an opportunity for some real disruption and a true creative class explosion on the horizon. Design is created for everyone, it should be made by the people for the people.

Using education as a tool of inspiration.

Bedford High School

Art All States

National History Fair

Degree Project Research

Tentative interviews/discussions Lyssa Palu-lay â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dean, Office of Justice Equity, and Transformation, MassArt Compass

Goals My final deliverable will be a course guide - approved by art educators and college admissions departments - that will live online in an accessible format with videos, tricks and tips, and other interactive tidbits for anyone to access globally.

Degree Project Research

Check in #2 My research becomes more niche, as I begin to dig mainly into design thinking / under representation in design and then graphic design course syllabuses. I go on to do an interview with the Dean of Justice and Equity at MassArt, Lyssa Palu-Ay to discuss Euro-centric teaching and the effects on minority students. I then went on to further assess the abilities and portfolios of current art school students to see the standard of art when entering school. What were they pulling from? What skills did they have from high school?

High School Work: Pulled from Current / Previous Art School Students

Degree Project Research

Lyssa Palu-Ay Discussion Guide This conversation between Lyssa Palu-Lay (Dean of the office of Justice Equity and Transformation at Massachusetts College of Art and Design) and Myself to gain a better understanding of the inequalities between privileged students and POC students. Additionally this conversation will serve as a deep dive in understanding Lyssa’s PhD research and how she has come to work in this community.

Questions/Discussion Points Please state your name, job role, and explain what you do at MassArt What job(s) have you held previously and what about them differs from the MassArt; how did that prepare you to take the role you have at MassArt? What made you want to work at this specific institution What differs MassArt from other arts schools What inspires you to be here What do you hope to achieve here that you couldn’t elsewhere How did you become a teacher — what do you hope to achieve as an educator? I want to get her insight on the high school experiences and how they affect your ability to succeed in a creative profession In the workshop last year there was a discussion about a kickback that happens from privileged people aka white people. It’s hard to grasp other people’s lives especially when you never ever do it what are the best methods of approaching disproportionately underprivileged children in design education — how do you inspire disenfranchised people what are reasonable ways we can provide a meaningful experience that will help underprivileged youth a chance to create and think about problems with a new mindset How is creating impactful How do we create safe spaces for people who are underprivileged What exercises / teaching techniques make the most impact?

Do you find they want more or less oversight in the making process, related to their experience or separate? What are some tools we can implement to empower minority populations What can we gain as a society by empowering minority populations in the creative class?

Outcomes Massart alum > madison park tech Artward bound Compass partnership (BPS) 100% hs completion; 90% college acceptance Recruitment: essay, app, portfolio Lyssa: ba in poly sci, ma in photo, phd in eurocentric teaching in art school Studio foundation teacher Compass + artward bound coordinator Dean of justice equity dept Experiences of microaggressions, feeling crazy Sadie Redwing - indigenous designer Www2.ocadu.ca Eurocentric teaching > only thing you’re exposed to Example won’t be in america Eye opening to frame system Identity space for students to find their identity for their work Workshop: Engaging pedagogy Different ways to rethink/broaden perspective of the classroom Cultural humility / sensitivity training Cultural change won’t happen in one place Not just a syllabus it’s breaking the systemic issues

Degree Project Research

High School Analysing my own design experiences from high school, I can speak endlessly on how limiting the curriculum. The focus was on technology / software, which at that was dated compared to industry standard. We had very little focus even on design principles like typography, composition, layout and color. And what is the most disturbing about all of this is that my high school in many ways was considered far more privileged than most others in the country.

Syllabus Reviews In order to get a true assessment of the K-12 education, I began pulling syllabi from various schools and organizations. In order to streamline the process, I used Park Hill High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Graphic Design Curriculum Syllabus as my baseline assessment. Similar to most other standard course, most of the classes are built around limiting projects that suppress creativity and limit students to learning (most likely dated) software with boring project prompts. I did notice that PHHS included a unit on design thinking, while it seemed pretty lackluster, it excited me to see some level of an introduction to design thinking and a STEAM oriented though process. I then looked to AIGA to see what they offered for the k-12 environment. While, far more sophisticated and design oriented, the AIGA was still limited. The curriculum is built for art teachers to teach 2D design with or without technology, but I think the AIGA focuses too much on looking at 2D design and implementing typography rather than actually thinking conceptually.

Degree Project Research

Syllabus Reviews Cont. While I acknowledged that the US public system’s art and design programs were limited, I kept digging to see if I could find courses that aligned more closely with the goals I was attempting to achieve. I found a few different syllabuses from either Canadian, Chinese Internatinal, or private schools in America focusing on design thinking / design problem solving. These classes were thinking far more large scale and reality oriented and many were collaborative, something that was not featured in the classes prior to. I was excited to shape a curriculum inspired by these courses, but integrating lessons I had learned from my own experiences as a student of design thinking and technical design.

Questions Why did you choose design Notes: money, i like the idea that words and letters can be much more than something to communicate on paper, but also on platforms or installation, it’s cool to learn to learn other ways to communicate, it’s the only thing I’m good at, (AFH) creating something, money, (SIM) scale of graphic design is wowing, you can design a work of art for some gallery or you can design an app or interface or poster and that can reach 10s of thousands (bigger impact to creating strong work), it’s pretty cool, message driven rather than medium driven, communication before medium Why are you still excited for design Notes: there’s no end to the learning, always getting started, the endless possibility of the beginning and finding out where you go, options (a lot of other majors are limiting), I like designing for other people, sketching and type, idea that you can send off a message and how you do that is important, you’re the first thing people see, constantly forced to interact and understand / communicate with them. It used to be specialized and inaccessible What are lessons you learned sophomore year that resonated w you Notes: Jibo exercise - we got to work as a team, it was a short workshop (not a long deadline), quick thinking, more realistic of how the projects are done in the workplace, different thinkers in groups. Kenji - nice to see old school, mom went to beutera. handlettering - the only hands on activity (paul). gif - story telling, motionsplaining, thumbnailing, flipbook, design research, learning, different stuff

Degree Project Research

Checkpoint #2 At this point, I finally started to put the research to the side (with the exception of a few crucial pieces of design evidence) and focus on prototyping, creating a plan for the following weeks and synthesize my product down into a manageable chunk. Even more so than it was, my audience was further narrowed and I had the chance to review my product with various educators, students, and friends / family to begin to get feedback on the class structure and the final product itself.

Audience My audience profile is students from 14-18; while the program I am designing for is built around the idea of quarterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of curriculum, the program is built to be used in multiple settings (classroom, community centers, weekend classes, self lead, etc.)

Degree Project Research

Influential Projects

Innova Schools by IDEO IDEA was challenged with redesigning the K–12 learning experience for a growing network of schools—from the curriculum to the teacher training to the school buildings—with an eye toward expansion and a goal to provide international-quality education at an affordable price. The created a system including curriculum, teaching strategies, buildings, operational plans, and an underlying financial model to run the network of schools and position it to scale quickly.

Influential Projects

Youth Design by KORN Design Youth Design is a unique summer mentorship program that introduces inner-city high school students to careers in the design profession by providing high quality, paying design jobs in Boston area design firms, agencies, and in-house design departments. The program was founded by Denise Korn and is run in partnership with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Boston chapter, and Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Private Industry Council (PIC) that organizes the private sector component of Mayor Meninoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summer Jobs Campaign.

Degree Project Research

Research Key Takeaways

Are you privileged? If yes, why? If not, why? “White, wealthy, straight, cis female in a safe and supportive environment/family — I am so privileged it’s crazy”

Privilege Assessment Art School Students Consider themselves privileged. The creative class as is is a white, male, upper middle class dominated industry - between my own data intake and other data found on the internet, it was obvious that the industry itself is not representational of the populations that it most effects. ~80% consider themselves privileged

Qualitative Data Swash: Getting a baseline understanding of overall American school segregation / inequity across schools using various journalistic, personal, and scholarly insights (many mentioned earlier in this document.

Interview Insights Schools are attracted to the idea of STEAM, but are unsure of how to integrate it > the best examples of schools that are leading in meaningful ways to be inclusive and empathetic in teaching are outside of the US (especially Canada) Creating a space where students can connect with their own work will resonate more than the typical AP art program or kids copying one another In order to be a good administrator, faculty member, professor or teacher > there needs to be a form of sensitivity training for professionals. You are not only creating a syllabus, you are breaking the system of systemic racism.

Degree Project Research

Scholarly Paper Insights WHOLE HUMAN DESIGN BY ALEX KLIEN understanding human needs and the psychological ways to design for the whole person. people are not users, they are people - we need to see them that way to design with empathy PORTRAITURE OF RACIAL IDENTITY BY LYSSA PALU-LAY the impacts and reactions of Eurocentric and radicalized teaching in students studying in white centric art schools. the impacts of their success, maturity, and their creative careers. GIVE Ps A CHANCE BY MICHAEL RESNICK new approaches to teaching that can create new empathetic pathways LIFELONG KINDERGARTEN project based learning is open ended and gives X minded students a chance to be creative in new ways

Degree Project Research

Prototyping In order to build my product, I must have all the materials written out to create a level of brand language and thematically tie all the components. I titled the project â&#x20AC;&#x153;Designed for Learningâ&#x20AC;? and began writing the syllabus, a class structure and local institutions, organizations, and other design students to attempt to get a group together for piloting. Additionally I began to build a template for my class lectures and ran my classes by Fish who helped me really embody the Resnik philosophy into my curriculum.

Degree Project Research

Production Calendar To get everything done I had to create a pretty in depth production calendar to break down when I should be accomplishing all the parts and pieces of the project.

Degree Project Research

Check In #3 In between checkpoint #2 and checkpoint #3, I built out the curriculum, ran 2 pilots, obtained my wix account, bought a domain, and wrote class guides. This check in ran through basically the outcomes of the pilot and ran through what I needed to do next.

Pilot #1 The first pilot I conducted analyzed the first class â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an introduction to the course; students are expected to talk openly about the topic of lunch, what are their memories, how does it engage their senses, do they have cultural differences from the norm in their given school? From here students are pushed into a drawing sprint where they are provided materials / supplies to draw their lunches. This study was done with myself, one other designer, and two non-designers (adults in a residential setting). Out of this case study came numerous surprising outcomes.

One of the most illuminating moments was understanding that classroom format completely changed the dynamic of work flow, to be engaged means you need to physically be able to see and inevitably, empathize, with your peers. I also found that students should feel encouraged to collaborate and talk with one another to encourage organized collisions: the instance where students unintentionally collaborate and better each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work solely by being within close proximity of one another

Degree Project Research

Pilot #2 The second case study then analyzed the second class — a research sprint where students are introduced to the idea some sort of administration partaking in what they eat for lunch. How do the visual cues that the government is giving them mix with the media and ads they’re exposed to on a daily basis. After they are tasked to perform interviews; they are given a set of questions and get into groups of three, one student is a interviewer, one an interviewee, and the third is a documenter who captures the interview visually.

Case study 2 was a closer audience profile to my audience, as it was a large group of accepted MassArt students, Freshman, and a few parents of accepted students sitting in on Fish McGill’s freshman drawing class (classroom setting). While they seemed apprehensive at first, students quickly became highly engaged, sharing stories of food guilt, cultural differences, and even stories of family disruption. The imagery out of the class was also inspiring, with angry lunch trays, judiciary inspired illustrations, and a lot of food drawings.

Degree Project Research

Production Calendar The yellow notes where I have completed or I feel Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m at least 65% done with the piece. I was a bit behind on the web content creation so I knew the next steps would be a focus on web creation.

Degree Project Research

Sketch

4/23/19

Designed Learning Design is what our world is supported by; without it, society could not function. And while everyone, everywhere interacts with design, our world is constructed by a very small pool of people, most of whom, statistically male, white, and upper middle class; the most privileged of privileged. In many ways, diversity in design has benefited society greatly. With diversity of experiences comes a new set of beliefs, preconceptions, and solutions to the problems we face in our day to day lives. As said by Antionette Carroll in “Diversity & Inclusion in Design: Why Do They Matter?”(AIGA 2014), “the shifting status of “minorities” in the U.S. affects not only the pool of possible future designers at the K-12 level, but also the makeup of our clients, colleagues and

Poster In the process of content creation, I designed my poster with the help of Chelsea Bretal, Maggie Bent, and Julianna to aid my vision for the poster. I wanted to showcase a collaborative environment where design floats on top of reality.

collaborators. From a practical (not to mention moral) standpoint, diversity and inclusion within the field of design lead to more innovation through problem-solving, whether in service to business or society.” Considering diversified paths to design and the wide range of design practices, I was inspired to learn more about bridging socioeconomic, elitist, racial, and gender gaps in the world of design by introducing design into a high school. Utilizing the frameworks used in schools today, Designed for Learning addresses the ideas of inclusion in design by creating an accessible design curriculum.

Design is what our world is supported by; without it, society could not function. And while everyone, everywhere interacts with design, our world is constructed by a very small pool of people, most of whom, statistically male, white, and upper mid-dle class; the most privileged of privileged. In many ways, diversity in design has benefited society greatly. With diversity of experiences comes a new set of beliefs, preconceptions, and solutions to the problems we face in our day to day lives. As said by Antionette Carroll in “Diversity & Inclusion in Design: Why Do They Mattter?” (AIGA 2014), “the shifting status of “minorities” in the U.S. affects not only the pool of possible future designers at the K-12 level, but also the makeup of our clients, colleagues and collabora-

tors. From a practical (not to mention moral) standpoint, diversity and inclusion within the field of design lead to more innovation through problem-solving, whether in service to business or society.” Considering diversified paths to design and the wide range of design practices, I was inspired to learn more about bridging socioeconomic, elitist, racial, and gender gaps in the world of design by introducing design into a high school. Utilizing the frameworks used in schools today, Designed for Learning addresses the ideas of inclusion in design by creating an accessible design curriculum.

Degree Project Research

Website I eventually settled on creating an easy to use website, this format seemed like a reasonable way to sell a product like this rather than solely expect teachers to obtain a pdf or book from their resource centers or distribute them more formally â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I want DFL to be guerrilla style. Another very important aspect of the website is creating a forum, a place teachers can share their findings together in a safe and inclusive space. For example I might share, some students want to draw diagrams and some might want to draw caricatures, but both are valid in their importance to understanding data. I encouraged my students to explore their creativity to give them the space to learn.

Degree Project Research

Check In #4 Finally, after all the research, prototyping, interviewing, piloting, developing, screaming, crying and slamming my keyboard, I presented the â&#x20AC;&#x153;final productâ&#x20AC;?. I was happy and proud of what I had created and both of the faculty members responded well with positive, but critical critiques, wanting to reach out to industry members to share my work, get a masters, and work along local schools to implement my project into the system. I was elated with how it all came together.

Designedforlearning.fun