PRE Design Forum
Practice, Research & Education in Design
Background
This group evolved as a consequence of the Cumulus conference; The Reflexive Zone held in Utrecht 2004. This conference dealt with the topics of the integration theory in practice, in education and research in the BA curriculum. Subsequent workshops in Lisbon and Copenhagen developed these subjects. A collaboration between Anke Coumans of the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (HKU), and the participants in these conferences, Maziar Raein of Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo (KHiO), Ulrik Jungersen & Thomas Leerberg of Designskolen Kolding evolved. Through the support of the Dean of the Faculty for Design at KHiO, Halldor Gislason, the first working group met in Oslo in November 2005. This group resolved to form the Practice, Research & Education in Design Forum (P.R.E. Design Forum) and they formulated the following propositions:
Statement
The Practice, Research & Education in Design Forum (P.R.E.Design Forum) was formed in order to investigate the role of research in Design education. The task of teaching in design has shifted from training (the apprenticeship system) to the education (with the introduction of the university BA to PhD system) of students, and this change has had a subsequent effect on the status of design colleges. As a consequence of these events design colleges need to take a full account of the nature of design practice and education, in order to distinguish the nature of research for their own particular needs. Moreover, a clarification needs to be sought in order to contrast the use of the term research as defined by the university system. To this end, the P.R.E.Design Forum has resolved to develop a network, primarily for designers, design educators, and design colleges in order to achieve its aims and objectives.
Aims
The aim of the P.R.E.Design Forum is to:
examine the particular responses we as design educators need to make in order to meet the challenges facing design education articulate and develop the role of research and theory, while focusing on the particular position of the designer investigate what is meant by ‘design research’ and how it influences the processes and products of design (and by implication design education) consider what the role of the ‘reflective designer’ is within our society become an influential voice in the debate about the role of the ‘designer as researchers’
Objectives
The objective of the Practice, Research & Education Design Forum (P.R.E.Design Forum) are:
to develop a platform for knowledge exchange and practice of design education
to advance the understanding of the role of research at all levels of design education
to create a forum for debate for designers and design educators
more significantly, to reach a critical mass in order to influence design and networks institutions