Becoming Designers

By Nana Naz-Khan

Becoming Designers is a study of six undergraduate students studying at a particular Art and Design college. The book narrates the experiences of these students’ who are living, working and learning in a design-education setting, a environment I have often dubbed as The Idea Bazaar. It is very much a story that concentrates on the programmes that the school runs, the people who are responsible to execute them and the students who have voluntarily chosen to undertake them. Eventually, it’s about expectation and desires, shortcomings and spot-on achievements of becoming young graduate designers via their Final Year Projects.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Nov 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543748215

Nana Naz-Khan

The author taught Architectural Design for 12 years in a Malaysian Polytechnic. He was also involved in developing a new Art and Design curriculum for the institution that focused on Digital Graphics and Film Studies. He is currently heading the Digital Learning Unit under Malaysian Polytechnics and College Community Department, Ministry of Education, Malaysia. His PhD was in Design Education via Students Experience of a Curriculum.

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Copyright © 2018 by Nana Naz-Khan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Creative Crowd

Chapter 2 An Initiation For Designers

Chapter 3 Chosen Callings

Chapter 4 Fmp And The Final Year Agenda

Chapter 5 Becoming Designers

Chapter 6 A Beginning Called The End

Introduction

I have been involved in design education since the late 1980s when I first started to teach in the Malaysian Polytechnics. I have an Architectural background but later became very interested in Graphic Design, Multimedia and eventually Film and Video production. All these courses are being taught presently in the Polytechnics. I have taught all the above courses for the past eighteen years, and I was also actively involved in building and developing these curriculums. In other words I have always been on the ‘production’ side of curriculum design.

I have often wondered how students actually live-out these curricula, what actually happens when the documents are being put into practice. In, 2008, I finally got a chance to conduct a study and find out what actually happened in a learning environment.

Becoming Designers is the result of that study. Its intention is to understand the students’ experience and perspectives of Higher Education, particularly within the Art and Design field. Although the study concentrates on the student’s learning experience, it considers students’ experience to be total and tries as much as possible to see how other non-academic features affect the student’s learning. As far as the study is concerned, there shouldn’t be a difference between student learning and living experience – Learning is Living.

I managed to spend an academic year at an Art and Design College. I observed students and tutors as they went about with their daily academic life trying to complete their design projects. I focused on their final year projects and used this as a vehicle to understand their experiences at their college. Through being with them for a period of 9 months (October 2007 – June 2008), I managed to observe the dynamics of a design school in progress. Becoming Designers, specifically, is a study of how six college students from two different courses, Graphic Design and Textiles, experience their education at an Art and Design college. Written in a narrative format, the study describes how these students live through a 3 year programme at a well-known college. Besides my observation, the study uses the voices of these students, their respective tutors and peers to reconstruct a three year journey through a ‘Bachelor of Arts’ degree course. The study focuses on the efforts taken by these young adults in becoming graduate designers. It also looks at how the tutors organize and manage this transformation. In addition to concentrating on these two main figures, the study also tries to look at other environmental factors that complement or restrict the progress of educating young designers. However, what this study is incapable of achieving is in describing a total and complete experience of the three years. The title of this book, Becoming Designers was chosen to reflect the on-goings of a design school in which ideas, especially creative ones were very much prized, and how the lack of the right ideas among students is not well received and can be de-motivating as well. The design school is seen as a living bazaar, where these ideas are given birth to, developed, even protected, negotiated, bargained if need be and eventually celebrated and prized as an achievement. The book tries to tell these stories through the experience of six young students. Hence, Becoming Designers should be seen as a collage of opinions or a psychological and emotional montage of what six students and their respective tutors experienced in a Design Education setting.

A College Called TADS:

I conducted my study at a prominent Art and Design College which for anonymity purposes will be referred to as TADS (The Arts and Design School). TADS is located within a small and pleasant city. Although being small the city it is said to have hundreds of shops, clubs, restaurants and cafés; thus providing enough vibrant energy to make living in it comfortable and enjoyable. The city which is built along several narrow lanes hence many of its charms are best experienced on foot. Just a few minutes’ walk through these small beautiful lanes from the city centre brings The Art and Design School into view. At first sight, TADS seem invisible as it tends to blend in with the cityscape. The lane running along it is filled with cafes, bars, an old church and a theatre. The college is only recognizable if one happens to look at its logo on the signboards. A closer look will show the main building standing next to a small winding river. TADS seem to exist on an invisible boundary that separates the city centre from its outskirts. The college activities are housed within six to seven separate and different types of buildings, ranging from early nineteenth century to modern type of building. A pedestrian walking along ‘TADS’s Lane’ will not feel the college’s presence as elements of the city centre are still very prominent in these lanes. The college truly lives within the city.

Presenting Becoming Designers:

Lastly, I feel it is important to understand how ‘Becoming Designers’ is being presented. The study is being organized in a narrative format as it takes the reader along an almost linear journey that ends with the final year events at TADS. It is mainly made up chapters (Chapter One to Six). The chapters will begin and end with an introductory narration by a ‘character’ that is dominating and yet invisible but is very much a part of the study. This voice will hopefully guide the reader to be aware of certain information that will help with the comprehension of the chapters. It might also allow the reader to attempt to appreciate the ‘character’s’ role and purpose. The identity of the character will be revealed in later chapters. The chapters in this study can be summarized as follows:

- Chapter One: The Creative Crowd

The chapter begins by introducing the reader to the six design students, their tutors and the various design programmes at TADS. The students and their immediate tutors will be shown in the midst of their Final Major Projects somewhere in the beginning of the third year. The reader will get to know them as they ponder over their current project/s issues.

- Chapter Two: An Initiation for Designers

This chapter brings memories and experiences to the fore. It deals with the students’ earlier years, before TADS, their families, school experiences and ambitions. This chapter also looks at the first year at TADS and how it affected the students and tutors.

- Chapter Three: Chosen Callings

This chapter focuses on the second year. It elaborates the specific design field the students have chosen as a possible career. It delves deeper into the dynamics of design education at TADS and how the students and tutors experienced it.

- Chapter Four: FMP and The Final Year Agenda

This chapter begins to look at some early project/s of the final year. It sheds light on four Learning and Teaching approaches adopted at TADS. It also begins to provide an overview of the final year agenda.

- Chapter Five: Becoming Designers

This is the longest chapter. It deals with the technicalities and social manoeuvres of both tutors and students in completing and coping with the final year project. It focuses on how and what the students at TADS have to undergo in become designers.

- Chapter Six: A Beginning called The End

This is the final ‘result’ chapter. This chapter narrates the activities occurring within the last three weeks at TADS just before the final assessment and exhibition. It will also look at the preparation of ‘life’ after TADS as students graduate and move on.

Becoming Designers on one hand is a story of an Art and Design School, its students, teachers and their projects. It is very much a story that concentrates on the programmes that the school runs, the people who are responsible to execute them and the students who have voluntarily chosen to undertake them. It’s about expectation and desires, shortcomings and spot-on achievements of becoming young graduate designers. On the other hand, it is a by-product of an effort of scientifically documenting the experience of students’ who are living, working and learning in a design education setting. It is written in such a way as to allow readers of various backgrounds to identify their own area interest and to proceed with further studies. To all the students, tutors, management of TADS, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you all. The experience of writing this book was unbelievably exciting. I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading them.

(Nana Naz-Khan)

Zainal Azhar Zainal Abidin, PhD

Ex art student

neat-haired and

low heeled

you live without passion

hold down

a dull job

in a world of dull fashion

ambition

once prickly

is limpid is static

portfolioed

your dreams

lie now in the attic

Posted on a student’s

tack board at TADS.

(Poem by Roger McGough)

CHAPTER ONE

The Creative Crowd

5th – 24th April 2008

"I believe it’s customary to begin any introduction with a name, but in my circumstance, a name presented at this early stage can be misleading. Calling me by a name would be a trouble-free task. Calling me by a purpose would be slightly complex but certainly not impossible. I can be elusive to many different people, and yet I can be like the stars to the seafarers, certain and rigid to their cause. Let’s not begin by defining me, for it may cloud your perspective and certainly your judgement. Let us begin by allowing me to relate a tale about some of my companions, with hope that by understanding them, you will begin to understand me better.

For as long as I can remember, I have been living in the Arts and Design College, here in this fine city. I often wander in the student halls and in the design studios and run and play in the workshops or in the labs. They often refer to me in the staff room meetings and chat of my purpose at their coffee breaks. I feel that I am them, and they are me. My collaborators, mainly learners and educators, see themselves as belonging to a creative crowd of individuals; their sole purpose is to uphold its spirit.

My story begins just after the Easter Holidays as six of my younger companions are just about to return to the college. I guess, like most ‘returns’, some would be welcomed, some would be seen as customary continuance and some would even be dreaded. As for me, the return of these young collaborators seems only to hasten my dynamics to another closure. Whether they embrace or fail to notice its essence is yet to be seen. The next twenty days have always seemed to me to be unique especially for the seniors. They have just returned from a holiday and they have now got about eight weeks to finish their projects. This is the final run for the course. As their moment of truth approaches, they have got to balance out their priorities. It is usually in these moments that they would really need to understand themselves.

As for me, I have undergone this cycle of beginnings and ends more than I can remember. Sometimes I tend to forget that I am supposed to be ‘alive’ and ‘spontaneous in-practice’ and often end up feeling like a machine, a programme. While some of my collaborators have been with me for quite sometime, most are still learning to cope with my presence.

These are some of their stories…"

Sarah Lin

Final-Year Animation Student

5th April 2008

What if it was snowing lightly and the little girl’s body lay lifeless on the street as snow now began to cover her body?, Sarah thought as she laid on her bed that night. She said that she has seen children suffering in the world, especially on the news and in the papers, and this is her way of voicing her feelings. I really want to tell this story right through my short film, the images, the music and environment must be true, she said. She couldn’t sleep much that night, It was almost two in the morning, and for some reason, I was not sleepy.. She switched on the lights and began going through her diary, her third for this semester. She kept filling them up with everything, from notes to appointments to little sketches. I dunno, she would say, I definitely feel that I need to organise my work now more than before. I have got a three- to - five minute film to complete as my final project in the next few weeks and at this moment I don’t even have a name for my main character, let alone a title for my film!, she said.

In two days’ time, Sarah Lin and most of her peers will be back in their college finishing their final term of their final year. In approximately three months’ time, their course will come to a close but until then, she has a massive amount of things to do. She decided to climb back on to her bed and force herself to sleep; she switched off her table lights and waited to doze off. Sarah Lin was always ready for any moment of inspiration; it was usually just before falling asleep that she got ideas. She quickly moved her hand below her pillow to check if her ‘bedside’ notebook and pencil were still there. As usual, they were. It’s best to be prepared for anything. she said. A few minutes and a couple of changes in her favourite sleeping posture later, Sarah Lin still couldn’t fall asleep so she got up and switched on her lights again. This time around, she walked across her room to her wall where her storyboard was tacked and decided to look at her narrative structure. After some time, she concluded, I think the falling snow idea might work.

Krisztina Sharpe

Design for Publishing Subject Leader

7th April 2008

Krisztina was busy rearranging a notice board on this Monday morning. The students had just had a break and on this first day of the last term, her first task was to find out where everyone was at in terms of their progress. As the subject leader for Design for Publishing course, she organised Publishing 3, the site where she put up all her important messages, notes, notices, reminders and even a copy of the final-year ‘curriculum’ for the students to read and to be aware of any important daily or weekly events. She would like to see them all today if possible. Today’s notices included an attendance sheet for the whole week printed in a standard A4 size format, a work inquiry from the industry and the tutors’ tutorial schedule written with a broad marker in black:

Monday:

Krisztina in to see all students and

work in studio throughout

As the students came into the studio, a small group decided to check out what was on Publishing 3, sign their name in for the tutorial and head to their tables. By 9.50 that morning, she was at her first student’s desk. Krisztina Sharpe sat down and started to ask about their holidays and then soon after came her first inevitable ‘progress-based’ question, So, what are you working on now?

Rhys Thomas

Final-Year Publishing Student

7th April 2008

Rhys donned a black t-shirt and then looked at the time: it was 8.30am, and the first day back from the Easter holidays. Today he decided to go to the ‘uni’ earlier; he wanted to get in early so he could to meet his tutor. She will probably want to see his sketches, and he can expect some questions on progress and approach. He crossed the street to get into his building and took out his student card and swipe for entry, pushed the door and looked at the time again. He climbed to the top floor, entered the Graphic Design studio and walked to the end of the room, said hello to a couple of students and found his table. He then placed his bags and sketchbook on it and walked forward to look at the Design for Publishing notice board. There he greeted Krisztina as she left the area and headed for her small office behind Publishing 3. Pinned on the board among several other notices was a formatted sheet of A4 paper. By now Rhys knew what to expect, His eyes automatically scanned on a few words: Krisztina; 07, April, Please sign in. He looked at the list and saw that slot six onwards was free, signed his name in and got back to his table to wait. Guess he wasn’t as early as he had thought.

Leena Hart

Final-Year Publishing Student

7th April 2008

Leena recollected how her car broke down on the day she needed it most. That car has given me loads of problems, she said as she smiled and shook her head. However, today it got her to college on time. Leena Hart used several means of transportation to get to TADS. She began by driving her car for at least twenty minutes from home on a fairly straight stretch of a road. She enjoyed the drive, often saying that it was a smooth ride. In fact, she got most of her ideas while driving to school and back. She had been doing it for the past two years and practically knew the road and the driving well. As long as her car was in working condition, it got her to the Park and Ride on time to catch the bus to the city. The bus-stop in the town is located on a slightly higher part of the city; from there she would walk downhill for at least ten minutes to the college. Her route took her along a variety of buildings and business; bookstores, banks, offices, boutiques, cinema, antique shops, churches, bars, cafes, while she simultaneously watched the morning ‘rush’, smelling the freshly brewed coffee, seeing businesses open and people lining up for breakfast. As she reached The Art and Design School (TADS), she too took out her student card and swiped it to get in. She pushed a double-leaf red door and walked up the four flights of stairs to the top floor. There she comes to a landing, glanced at the student pigeon-holes and walked through another red door with a label, Graphic Design Studio, on it. Today she arrived at school by ten in the morning. She usually got there earlier, but as she was towards the last leg of her third year, she could afford to be there a bit later as she worked more from home at this stage. She walked down the rather long aisle passing the ‘Fish Bowl’ and the Year Two area towards the further end of the studio. There she finally reached her destination, her private spot in this design school. Her friend Danni said Hi and grinned at her. Both their tables faced each other; their desk formation allowed her to communicate un-obstructively with Danni. This then made Danni her best studio friend and number one idea-appraiser. Danni was usually the first student Leena will approach with her initial design ideas. It was a vice versa informal arrangement that they’ve practiced since the beginning of their second year. They usually used each other as an idea bouncing board. Although each one tackled a project differently, their conversation usually had an effect on their decisions made.

On this fine morning, Leena Hart got a shock. She received her results for a competition project that she chose to enter before the holidays. Today, she found out that she failed and that Danni was the only student that passed!

Noah Westcott

Final-Year Animation Student

7th April 2008

It was about midnight as Noah was reading a past update in his blog concerning a certain progress that he had made titled ‘WACOM wonderful!!’. He smiled when he read his entry on Friday, 21 March 2008. It read:

…Right, well I’m at home now and going skiing from Sunday for a week, so no broken bones pending I will be back to work, with a planned purchase of a WACOM tablet (not a table like I’ve been using!) to continue my final project. In less than three weeks Camilla is coming over for a week which will be fantastic and together we will work on our FMPs and maybe record some more sounds together like we did at her school.

Noah Westcott was an ‘online’ creature with the ability to multitask; surf, chat, blog, play games and listen to music late into the night. Having a girlfriend, Camilla, also meant that now he spent quite some time with her online. Noah had also just learnt to use the WACOM Tablet. This meant that he could draw directly into the computer using a digital pen via certain software. His tutor, Sophie, suggested he do this as it would probably save him a lot of time because he still had lots to cover until the final animation assessment deadline. Learning to use the tool had been a pretty unique experience as it took time to adjust to drawing with a digital pen on an A3-size tablet and looking at the computer screen for the final drawn images. As far as the WACOM was concerned, he was making good progress.

Noah usually finished his online activities at about two in the morning. Yawning, he got up and was ready to go to bed; tomorrow there would be a meeting with his tutor at 2.00pm in Animation Room 6 in the basement of the college building. As he prepared himself before retiring, he looked at his image in the mirror and decided in his ever-spontaneous manner that tomorrow he would start to grow a beard.

Rhys Thomas

Final-Year Publishing Student

7th April 2008

The Graphic Design Studio was still ‘awakening’ that morning as Rhys finished his tutorial with Krisztina. It was a slow morning as students trickled in from their Easter holidays. A group of his colleagues from another course, who had just come in were quietly singing Caron Wheeler’s Back to Life, 1989 R&B hit:

-"Back to life, back to reality

Back