DESIGNING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE: SHIFTING THE FOCUS

Very often in design activities the focus is on the design destination rather than the meaningful imperative journey. Not focusing on the total experience results in missing out on the exponential developmental value of the process associated with design. To achieve design capabilities in students there needs to be awareness and knowledge relating to the application of design, make and evaluation in everyday settings which encompass the principles, processes and practices of design.

Design is often practiced in terms of an artefact, the destination, rather than the process, the journey. There needs to be a balance or shift so “design is both a making discipline and an integrated frame of reflection and inquiry.” (Friedman, 2000).

The means or process by which designing is achieved results in a design success or failure. The establishment of a ‘best practice strategy’ will act as a ‘guide’ for all young designers which in turn can be translated into the organs of a language to aid those ‘doing’ design. This paper sets out to investigate the rationale for the current practices of designing in the Technology Education in Ireland, to create a continuum of design which will fully exploit and explore the design capacity of young people.