Lesley Ann Noel, PhD

This study explored how design thinking, a process for creative problem solving which uses empathy and iteration to solve problems creatively (IDEOU n.d), could be used as an alternative style of teaching and learning at primary level in Trinidad and Tobago to enhance critical awareness of students, and their empathy and critical thinking skills. These three abilities were found to be vital to the cognitive and social development of the children, and their long-term success. The study… Show more

This study explored how design thinking, a process for creative problem solving which uses empathy and iteration to solve problems creatively (IDEOU n.d), could be used as an alternative style of teaching and learning at primary level in Trinidad and Tobago to enhance critical awareness of students, and their empathy and critical thinking skills. These three abilities were found to be vital to the cognitive and social development of the children, and their long-term success. The study documented and analyzed a three-week design thinking workshop with 4th grade students at a rural primary school in Trinidad and Tobago. Qualitative data were collected via journals kept by the children and the instructors, focus group interviews, observation and the work that the children developed. The findings of the study were presented in three research articles. Show less

This article describes the conversation and process between two Caribbean design educators, one from Puerto Rico, and one from Trinidad and Tobago, as they co-developed an appropriate design class for students who were experiencing a catastrophic event. The curriculum built on a design curriculum, developed by the latter for children in a rural village in the English-speaking Caribbean that focussed on promoting equity and empowerment through reflections and critical discussions by the… Show more

This article describes the conversation and process between two Caribbean design educators, one from Puerto Rico, and one from Trinidad and Tobago, as they co-developed an appropriate design class for students who were experiencing a catastrophic event. The curriculum built on a design curriculum, developed by the latter for children in a rural village in the English-speaking Caribbean that focussed on promoting equity and empowerment through reflections and critical discussions by the participants. The curriculum was adapted by the former, using her resilience thinking toolbox with her undergraduate students in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane María. The aim of the curriculum was to help the Puerto Rican communication design students move beyond merely coping with the impact of the natural disaster, to action and thriving through design. Students were led through several design stages that included reflections, critical discussions, brainstorming around future utopian or dystopian scenarios and proposing solutions. The students were expected to focus on a Puerto Rico in the year 2054 as a strategy of resistance visualization. In this paper, the authors describe the four phases of implementation of the curriculum, as well as the reflections of the students and their own reflections on the collaborative process and its significance. Show less

Emancipatory research is a research perspective with the aim of producing knowledge that can be of benefit to disadvantaged people. It is an umbrella term that can include many streams of critical theory based research such as feminist, disability, race and gender theory. One of the key assumptions in emancipatory research is that there are multiple realities, and that research is not only created by the ‘dominant or elite researcher’. Given the development of branches of design research such… Show more

Emancipatory research is a research perspective with the aim of producing knowledge that can be of benefit to disadvantaged people. It is an umbrella term that can include many streams of critical theory based research such as feminist, disability, race and gender theory. One of the key assumptions in emancipatory research is that there are multiple realities, and that research is not only created by the ‘dominant or elite researcher’. Given the development of branches of design research such as inclusive design, participatory design and design for social innovation, where the designer interacts with and designs with and for people who may be marginalized for reasons of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, economic background etc., designers should be introduced to the concept of emancipatory research during their education, so that they will be able to recognise the impact of their own privilege on their practice and develop research interventions that are sensitive to this.

This paper examines the aims and principles of emancipatory research, and uses guidelines on evaluating emancipatory research-based interventions, borrowing from disability studies, to analyse three interventions between designers from the ‘centre’ and artisans from the ‘periphery’, to assess whether these interventions can be considered emancipatory or not. Show less

Can design education have a positive impact on primary school education beyond merely preparing designers? As designers, we know almost intuitively that design education is 'good education', and most designers would affirm that it would be beneficial to expose children to design education, because of the benefits of the signature pedagogies of design, such as problem based learning, human-centred creativity and iterations of prototyping and testing.

This paper seeks to review and… Show more

Can design education have a positive impact on primary school education beyond merely preparing designers? As designers, we know almost intuitively that design education is 'good education', and most designers would affirm that it would be beneficial to expose children to design education, because of the benefits of the signature pedagogies of design, such as problem based learning, human-centred creativity and iterations of prototyping and testing.

This paper seeks to review and synthesize existing literature and make preliminary analyses, which will support the development of design thinking education interventions at primary school level, which could lead to a paradigm shift in education at this level. Show less

This study is part of on-going action research between an Art and Design programme at the University of the West Indies with local children aged 4 – 12. This paper reports on a service learning and participatory design project undertaken between the urban university students and children from Guayaguayare, a rural beach village in Trinidad and Tobago the Southern Caribbean. This intervention was developed around a reading programme where schools are supplied with books by an NGO that then… Show more

This study is part of on-going action research between an Art and Design programme at the University of the West Indies with local children aged 4 – 12. This paper reports on a service learning and participatory design project undertaken between the urban university students and children from Guayaguayare, a rural beach village in Trinidad and Tobago the Southern Caribbean. This intervention was developed around a reading programme where schools are supplied with books by an NGO that then creates fun reading experiences around the donated books. In this specific programme, groups of children from the primary school were partnered with Design and Fine Art students of the university. The design students guided the children aged 7 – 9 through the development of their own storybooks based on the donated books. By using a design and literature-centred approach the activity aimed to interest the children in aspects of the primary school curriculum such as reading and writing, and to help them connect with curriculum content such as language arts and mathematics as well as introduce non-curricular aims such as building their confidence in themselves and their identities as Caribbean children. This paper analyses and documents the experiment and shares its successes and challenges, and the resulting storybooks created by the young children and their university student mentors. Show less

While the reality is that most design professions and design schools operate within large economies, this paper considers the education and practices designers and design schools, which operate in small emerging economies.

This paper shifts the discussion on design education away from places where design is traditionally taught, and practised, to places where makers are still operating primarily in pre-industrial modes. While the need for design education is obvious in large emerging… Show more

While the reality is that most design professions and design schools operate within large economies, this paper considers the education and practices designers and design schools, which operate in small emerging economies.

This paper shifts the discussion on design education away from places where design is traditionally taught, and practised, to places where makers are still operating primarily in pre-industrial modes. While the need for design education is obvious in large emerging economies such as in Brazil or India, the need may seem less obvious in very more vulnerable economies, where there is no critical mass of designers or even public appreciation for design.

Is there a need for design education in Least Developed Countries, Landlocked developing countries and ‘Small Island developing states’ like those found in the Caribbean and the Pacific, or in many of the economies of Africa? Are there any unrecognized opportunities for designers and design educators to play a role in the development of these countries? Are there any benefits to promoting design education in a pre-industrial context? Is there any benefit to stimulating design in places with little or no design or manufacturing culture? How can design education and design research support the development these types of societies? Show less

There is significant research on introducing Design Management and Design Thinking competencies in general Management education which normally examines the use and implementation of design strategies in situations in developed or fast developing economies or environments. This paper focuses on the development of a new design curriculum with a focus on design entrepreneurship and design thinking for rural and semi-rural art and craft entrepreneurs in the Eastern Caribbean. The smallness of the… Show more

There is significant research on introducing Design Management and Design Thinking competencies in general Management education which normally examines the use and implementation of design strategies in situations in developed or fast developing economies or environments. This paper focuses on the development of a new design curriculum with a focus on design entrepreneurship and design thinking for rural and semi-rural art and craft entrepreneurs in the Eastern Caribbean. The smallness of the islands forces these businesses to be ‘born global’ and the reality of their contexts forces these entrepreneurs to play all of the major roles in their businesses from designer to manufacturer to strategist to marketer, among others. In a study undertaken in 2010 by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean states, many of these entrepreneurs expressed an interest in pursuing a diploma in design to support their need for innovation and continued growth. This paper examines the content that would be necessary in this curriculum to fulfil these aims, focusing on design thinking, design management and entrepreneurship, globalization strategies and general management abilities.
Keywords: Artisans; Handicrafts, Eastern Caribbean; Design Education, Entrepreneurship
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