Hi Everyone,
Here's my two-pronged question. For quick reading, look for the indented, numbered, bold sections (hope that this carries across platforms):
1. How do you explore or encourage cultural variation in your research or teaching? I’m especially interested in the Middle East and Southern Asia, with a focus on Communication Design.
I teach at Carnegie Mellon Univ. in Qatar—bound to its Western influences. Recently, Don Norman opened my eyes to an opportunity that I’d overlooked.
While I’m immersed (as one can be) in a cultural shift, I had not yet encouraged my students to invite their own cultures into the design space. I see that now as a huge oversight on my part.
This semester, I’m teaching Document Design, focused on visual/verbal argument within the grid. For the first time, I included a prompt to incorporate an aspect of student cultural experience into the design in order to show that this redesigned grid reflected place as well as purpose. First steps have just begun to explore the pyramid as a grid element, variations of sand as a color theme, and Arabic letterforms as both the forms themselves and an effect on the underlying structure. But this only scratches the surface, which leads to a more specific question.
2. I would be intrigued to learn how others are exploring the educational space.
Whose work do you admire and show to your students?
How do you approach prompts for student projects?
What differences do you notice between Western, Middle Eastern, and South Asian design?
Thank you for any perspectives,
Susan
Susan M. Hagan Ph.D., MDes | Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar
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