At School with Design

Introducing Design Studies at The School, Chennai

"As teachers we have recognized that space that lends itself to use in multiple ways is far more valuable than space which can be used only in one way.. A room with a few mats and possibly chowkies will not only remain clean but also provide infinite opportunities for small group work, music and dance, sitting in a circle, reading separately, etc. Thus setting space free of heavy structure appears to be one of the key elements of design.." Gautama, The School, Chennai 1995.

As parents of The School, we had, on many occasions, talked with Gautama about introducing the study of Design to students at the high school level. The teachers had already been thinking of this for some time and were only too willing to see the evolution of an experiment that could eventually develop into a regular course. The School's commitment to be the nurturing ground for the growth of socially aware and responsible young adults provided the necessary impetus to further engage in the exercise of introducing Design Studies for class XI through to the early part of class XII.

Gathering inputs from resource persons in the field took us to vastly diverse subjects from fractals to architecture and fashion to the different communication media. These design areas have their own structures that cater primarily to the practice of the respective professions. And although we could have exposed the students directly to them, we felt it was too early to do so right in the beginning and so decided to offer it instead, at the end of the year, as a summer apprenticeship project based upon the students' own preference.

It was agreed to approach design at The School as an exciting means for the unraveling of order and complexity in ones environment. In the first year, the syllabus was planned with respect to three larger "environments"- nature , society and the built environment - around which the basic design elements and principles of color, texture, line, shape, space, proportion, balance, rhythm, motifs and composition were examined. For example, students looked at symmetry (spherical, radial and bilateral) in plants and animals; or patterns in nature like flow, branching cracking, packing, spirals etc. or patterns in society as in different types of tools and instruments like mortar and pestles used the world over or types of dwellings in the built environment like the wigwam, igloo, tarawad and so on.

A combination of illustrated lectures, demonstrations, field trips and projects enabled us to engage the students with these environments. But while we did get the first batch to produce work, by the time of their summer projects we found they had somewhere not been able to inculcate within themselves the "attitude of design" i.e. a way of being with design always - both in their thinking and doing as well as in the presentation of themselves in everyday life.

A different strategy was, therefore, adopted for the second batch of Design Studies students. It was clear to us now that Design would be a way of enhancing spontaneous critical thinking and establishing meaningful connections between materials, technologies, products, places, people and processes. We therefore decided to limit the scope of our explorations to taking real life examples closer to the students' immediate environment and perspective. The School ground therefore became the resource for our basic design from nature exercises. Toys found in our own homes, both modern and traditional, became the focus of attention in our wider understanding of design and society. And different places on the School premises, and in the city like the newly built Park Hotel and NIFT campus, provided students with the opportunity of understanding familiar places in new ways and unfamiliar places in familiar ways.

The learning outcomes of classroom and home assignments were now intended to basically enhance perceptual abilities , not only through drawing and color application skills but also through cognitive skills of observation, analysis and some synthesis. We were not looking at neat and final answers but rather at explorations and questions emerging from the students' own initiative. Employing mental maps , brainstorming , lateral thinking , series development , guided observation , interviews , research , personal diary reflections , article reviews , presentation techniques and other methods of creative learning and doing, students were gently drawn into developing a feel for some aspects of design processes. Many were able to successfully handle independent redesign projects (e.g. a future model in the He man series, or eco-friendly toys in the line of Barefoot Toys from Sri Lanka) as well as provide directions for redesigning others as was the case of their School's washing and toilet areas.

Some inputs on world art and design history further encouraged students to find parallels in their own lives. They could now recognize the inspirations and influences upon the buildings around them, the products they used and the colors they took for granted. They were able to explore and distinguish for instance, an Art Nouveau inspired leaf from, say, a Bauhaus one. They also began to appreciate some of the nuances of important art works and gradually understood Van Gogh's treatment of color and how it differed from, say, the way Matisse employed it.

Our objective was not to be exhaustive in any way and nor was it to encourage documentation for its own sake. Instead, our aim was to merely sensitize and sharpen perceptual and analytical skills using design-based teaching strategies. That is to facilitate rather than teach authoritatively; to reach all learning types and give individual attention based upon individual learning capacities; to make learning active and self directed; to use technology in the service of ideas rather than the other way around; and finally, to build connections between learning content and the student's own interest as well as the interest of the wider community . What was interesting to see was the fact that, although all three of us employed these strategies in our interactions with the students, the three of us emerged with distinctly unique results.

Design Studies, we were now sure, would essentially deal with the generation of creative problems and solutions pertaining to the immediate natural, socio-cultural, built, technological and imagined environment around the students. Not only did we see design both as a "way of thinking" and "a way of doing", but also as an opportunity to work in teams , through leadership and cooperation, towards goals that were both self-initiated and meaningful.

We aimed now to inculcate among the students a basic respect for the mundane and hoped that it would also lead them towards a deep attention to detail both in the work they produce and in the life they live.

Dr. Aarti Kawlra is a social anthropologist and teaches at NIFT, Chennai.

Deepa Kamath is a practicing Graphics Designer from the NID, Ahmedabad.

Kalpana Shah Korwar is a practicing Architect from CEPT, Ahmedabad.