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The Proposal: Designing The Future
The Proposal Presented To The Faculty Senate, On April 18th, 2024
The main distinction between art and design lies in their objectives and methodologies. Art emphasizes self-expression, exploration, and emotional communication by evoking aesthetic or emotional responses. In contrast, Design is problem-oriented, aiming to address specific challenges by employing structured processes to create functional solutions tailored to particular needs.
Establishing a dedicated Design department that caters to design-thinking students, with a curriculum centered on design principles and methodologies, would create organizational effectiveness, facilitate student identification and recruitment by employers, and streamline transfer processes to private and four-year colleges and universities. Here's how:
Specialization: Establishing a Design department facilitates the development of a focused curriculum, from courses to certificates, emphasizing design principles, processes, and technologies in line with current and future trends. This ensures customized attention to course assignments, all grounded in real-world examples and using industry standards. Presently, we are integrating existing courses from Digital Arts (DART) and creating new curriculum under new prefixes for better organization. Additionally, we are procuring industry-standard software, equipment, and facilities to bolster support for our envisioned Design department's specialization.
Clarity of Purpose: Establishing a dedicated Design department brings clarity to the curriculum, roles, and responsibilities, enabling design students to concentrate exclusively on tackling design challenges without the ambiguity that could result from blending personal artistic styles with other problem-oriented tasks. We believe that personal artistic styles take years to develop in the field, and should not be diluted by other focuses. We propose four new programs derived from courses in our current Digital Arts Program, each incorporating a mix of existing, and new curriculum courses and certificates, which are currently undergoing the approval process:
- Animation: Traditional, 2D Vector, 3D/CGI, Stop Motion, and Motion Graphics.
- Narrative Arts: Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and 3D Illustration.
- Product Design: Toy, consumer goods, and 3D Printing.
- VFX: Specializing in 3D/CGI.
Industry Funding: A Design Department is better positioned to secure grants specifically designed for career technical programs. These grants can help subsidize student costs, fund scholarships, and improve facilities, creating additional financial support for students, who will benefit from streamlined resources, shared facilities, and reduced duplication of costs, lowering overall expenses for course materials, lab fees, and access to specialized equipment.
Alignment with Industry Practices: Many creative industries, particularly those heavily reliant on design, such as animation, consumer product and toy design, comic books, graphic novels and 3D/CGI, operate within specialized design teams. Establishing a Design department aligns us with industry standards, empowering students to engage in group assignments based on real-world exercises similar to those in a professional design team. This approach equips students to compete effectively upon graduation by mastering the language of design fluently.
Enhanced Institutional Collaboration: While specialization is crucial, collaboration is equally vital. A dedicated Design department facilitates streamlined cross-functional collaboration, enabling students to work closely with other divisions, departments, and programs such as Art, Digital Arts, Graphic Design, Fashion, Interior Design, Illustration, Printing Technologies, Television and Cinema, Photography, Journalism, and others within the College. This collaboration ensures cohesive and innovative solutions are developed through combined expertise and perspectives.
Focus on User-Centered Design: Design often prioritizes user experience and functionality, aiming to solve problems for the user. A dedicated Design department emphasizes the importance of user-centric approaches, ensuring that the curriculum and students' work align effectively with the needs and expectations of their intended audience.
Resource Optimization: Establishing a new Design department enables improved resource allocation, encompassing design-specific software, equipment, tools, furniture, training, and faculty acquisition, all customized to meet the needs of design-thinking students.
Increased Design-Centric Exposure: We anticipate that a dedicated Design department could increase the number of Artists in Residence shows (AiR) per year, from one to two. Understanding that the new Design department's AiR would offer more relevance to our design students, exposing them to design-centric work. This expansion would benefit both Art and Design students. Moreover, hosting two Student Shows annually, inspired by institutions like Art Center College of Design, Otis College of Art and Design, and Laguna College of Art and Design, would amplify the exposure of our design students' work.
In summary, establishing a new Design department presents numerous advantages for our students. This strategic initiative aims to elevate the creative capabilities of our College, Fine Arts Division, departments, programs and students, fostering innovation and success in today's competitive landscape.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity of our Proposal
The Importance of Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity
We believe that not all students should be taught the same things. What works for one student may not work for another. The self-expression, creativity-driven, and exploration of aesthetic concepts by art students can be lost with design-thinking students, who are focused on problem-solving, functionality, and communication through visual elements. By recognizing and accommodating this diversity, we can create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment where all students can thrive.
Not all students find adequate self-reflection of their diverse cultural heritage and lived experiences through the lens of traditional classical art curricula. By incorporating diverse perspectives, histories, and traditions into a design-focused curriculum, we can make design education more relevant, engaging, and meaningful for design-thinking students.
Not all students have equal access to resources, opportunities, or support systems outside of the classroom. Some students face systemic barriers such as economic disadvantage, lack of access to technology and materials, and limited exposure to design in their communities. We plan to address these inequities and provide additional support and resources to design-thinking students who need it most, by leveling the playing field and ensuring that these marginalized students have the opportunity to succeed.
A more inclusive, responsive, and effective approach to design education will meet the needs of these students and prepare them for success in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. Here are the five main areas we want to cover:
- Representation: Representation in design education and practice is of extreme importance. A new design department that embraces equity and diversity can ensure that a wide range of voices, perspectives, and experiences are represented in the field. This not only enriches the learning environment but also prepares students to work effectively in diverse professional settings.
- Access and Inclusion: We need to create opportunities for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in design. By establishing a design department committed to equity and diversity, you can promote access and inclusion in the field, breaking down barriers and providing pathways for all students to thrive.
- Innovation and Creativity: Diversity drives innovation and creativity in design. Diverse teams are more innovative and produce better outcomes. By fostering a diverse learning community within a new design department, we can inspire collaboration, spark creativity, and push the boundaries of design practice.
- Social Responsibility: The creation of a design department with a focus on equity and diversity reflects the College's commitment to social responsibility. Design plays a significant role in shaping society, and by prioritizing equity and diversity in design education, the College can contribute to positive social change and address pressing issues such as social justice, environmental sustainability, and accessibility.
- Professional Relevance: In today's globalized and interconnected world, designers need to be culturally competent and socially aware to effectively engage with diverse audiences and address complex challenges. A design department that integrates equity and diversity into its curriculum and pedagogy can better prepare students for success in the profession.