This is where I am currently at with the development of my thesis topic:
The broad concepts of design education have elapsed due to the specialized disciplines limiting the creative output and acceptance of the parallel connections between the design disciplines. As crossover design disciplines emerge; multidisciplinary designers and universal perspectives are formed which alter the design understanding within a space. My thesis will reflect upon how multidisciplinary design and universal design process can transform users experiences as they relate to the new meaning of form, function and the visual message within a space.
Potential Candidates to Interview
The intent is to gather insights from a mixture of design disciplines along with people who have professional experience working in the fields and/or teaching at academia.
Devin O’Bryan
Professor O’Bryan has ample expertise in digital environment, user experience. He has the ability to bring two different perspectives to the table – graphic design (2D) and website design (4D).
Joe DiGioia
Referencing Professor DiGioia’s background, he has some key elements that would help benefit my thesis. Such areas are; design thinking, design methodologies, 20th century design history, typographic form and function, design education and design & culture.
Rod Troyer
Professor Troyer teaches at Kansas State University and has a Masters Degree in Interior Architecture from University of Oregon. Troyer can provide insights on both the practice and education.
Carolyn Thompson
Professor Thompson taught at Kansas State University for eighteen years as an Interior Architecture and Product Design professor, when she took semesters off – she would work at a design firm in Denver, Colorado. Thompson has an M.Arch degree from Columbia University.
Helen Armstrong
I first met Helen Armstrong when I introduced myself to her via LinkedIn during my winter term at SCAD in 2011. I used an article of hers for a project in GRDS709 http://www.helenarmstrong.us/2012/07/congrats-jamie/. Throughout my thesis research, I’ve noticed her cited in a couple of articles on her beliefs in her book Graphic design theory: readings from the field.
Don Gore
Don Gore was the VP of Creative at my past employer. What is so amazing about Gore is he is a self-taught designer. He has an associate degree in architecture and a bachelor degree in business management. During the 1970’s, Gore worked as a draftsman at Black & Veatch learning the core values of architecture while in practice. Check out some of his work – http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgdraws/ Gore can provide insights on practice.
Jennie Kinsler
Jennie Kinsler and I went to K-State together. Kinsler has a bachelor degree in Interior Design, has worked in Dallas, Texas at RTKL and CSD Architecture. Moving to Denver, she decided to open up her very own interior design practice called Kinsler Interior Design (KID). Kinsler can provide insights on education and practice.
Preliminary List of Questions to ask for Interview:
1. How many years involved in industry – (total years = education, practice or academia)
2. How would you define your experience in the profession?
3. How many years practice in the field–
4. How would you define your design process –
5. When working in the profession, did you feel you had a specialized job or could you carry a project from point A – Z?
6. Do you feel your design process applies to other design disciplines –
7. Do you feel we need to go back and reevaluate the universal principles of design – to where designers were diverse generalists?
8. In early 1940’s – late 1970’s, Charles Eames touched anything and everything related to design – architecture, interiors, environments, products, furniture, film/movies, photography – he provided a multidisciplinary nature of his design practice. (To name a few) This applies to Frank Lloyd Wright, Michael Graves, Frank Gehry, Alexander Ghirad…
What do you feel stopped this? Meaning altered the broad concepts of the universal design principles and implied that designers have a specialized role.
9. Do you see any parallel relationships between the different design disciplines?
10. Why don’t designers today approach and understand design with the understanding that it can be
applied to anything and everything?
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