Creativity in higher education, design fields: a case study at the National Museum of Australia

Fanny Lemaitre, Benita Tunks

    Research output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in BookConference contributionpeer-review

    Abstract

    ABSTRACT Designers are increasingly asked to find new concepts for products responding to the changing needs of consumers. The design brief is presented in a broader manner; the designer is asked to rethink the idea of conviviality and to develop new concepts for “sharing a cup of coffee or tea” within a specific cultural setting and encompassing a sustainable design approach. The authors believe that design students should therefore receive specific training to assist them to develop their creative skills using “divergent thinking” methods. This paper examines the way divergent thinking was used during a design workshop conducted in 2009, by the National Museum of Australia (Museum) for children between the ages of 5 and 12 years. It draws comparisons between this workshop and a transport design brief given to undergraduate students in 2008 at the University of Canberra (UC), Industrial Design course. The paper analyses the outcomes of a creative workshop for a group of UC students at the Museum, using the same learning framework used with the children. The authors sought to test whether such a creative approach (if used in the tertiary education context) can free students’ minds, increase the creative output and prepare them for the competitive professional design field.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationConnectED 2nd International Conference on Design Education: 2010 Conference Proceedings
    Place of PublicationOnline
    PublisherUniversity of New South Wales Press
    Pages1-4
    Number of pages4
    ISBN (Print)9780646545066
    Publication statusPublished - 2010
    EventConnectED 2010: 2nd International Conference on Design Education - Sydney, Australia
    Duration: 28 Jun 20101 Jul 2010

    Conference

    ConferenceConnectED 2010: 2nd International Conference on Design Education
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    CitySydney
    Period28/06/101/07/10

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