By Jordan Wannemacher
Designers: they just make things, correct? That’s the assumption graphic design professor Joseph DiGioia is questioning.
DiGioia has been researching and exploring the idea of designers changing their “ethos” (a set of ideals or beliefs characterizing the designer). In this research and exploration, he is in the process of incorporating these new ideas into his own curriculum and the Graphic Design department as a whole.
This doesn’t just apply to graphic design. The concepts he’s bringing into discussion can apply to the entire spectrum of design, whether it be industrial, architecture or fashion. It’s possibly endless.
“We need to utilize what designers already do well,” said DiGioia, who believes that the empathy and intuition that is innate to designers could be more valuable than we think. They have always been considered just the makers, but there’s more to designers than what meets the eye.
“Designers need to be moving away from this idea that design is just art,” DiGioia explains that designers have the capacity to move up the professional food chain. They’re at a level of thinking that is worthy of more than just the backseat. Instead of receiving instructions of strictly execution from marketing directors, art directors or the like, designers can be using their level of thinking to have more of a hand in finding out what the problems are and creative ways to solve them.
“Designers need to realize the importance of how we think, and capitalize on that,” he said.
Most of us are familiar with the left brain versus right brain concept. The left brain is associated with the idea of a more rational, linear thinking. The right brain is responsible for more intuitive and holistic reasoning.
The combination of these two thought processes is what DiGioia considers the new mode of design thinking. The intuitive side designers naturally encompass is their strong suit. They’re empathetic, always designing for a specific audience, always designing within a context.
“Designers understand the more non-linear aspect to solving a problem…design is a business, we’re always designing within the constructs of our society,” said DiGioia. A successful example is Apple.
“Apple is the quintessential design thinking company,” said DiGioia, “Apple doesn’t wait for problems to be solved, they’ve worked to discover what’s lacking.”
DiGioia also mentioned that this ethos should push designers into designing for a greater purpose.
“Design has a great deal of more importance than anybody has really given it… This is a world of stuff, so it’s hard to justify making more stuff unless there’s a higher purpose,” he said.
DiGioia also believes that students need to understand the impact design has on the world around them. Instead of designing for the world, we can be designing the world.
DiGioia has already begun implementing these ideas into his classroom. He’s slowly converting from the normal class structure of rapid sketching and execution, only concerned with an end product. Alternatively, he’s instructing with parts of a more research-based approach. In many of his graduate classes, they spend the first five weeks doing only research before they’re even authorized to begin physical execution.
In his undergraduate Studio I class, DiGioia assigns focused readings to accompany each project throughout the quarter. Each reading directs students into the type of thinking they should be considering during their process. It also encourages a more thorough research from the students, allowing them to really investigate what they’re trying to communicate.
“What I’ve been doing with my Graduate II class is I’ll give the students seven or eight broad-based topics. I’ll say, ‘All right you need to look at environmental issues, political issues, social issues, economic issues, water, et cetera.’ and then they come back to me and say ‘OK, I’ve done this research and I’m really interested in this political situation, or this social situation or I’m really interesting in this environmental issue, and I’m going to continue my research in that area.’ So now we’ve taken something super broad based to something a little bit more tangible,” he said.
The graphic design department is already in the process of trying to alter their curriculum to further stress these concepts of “design thinking.”
“Curriculum needs to change and it is changing,” said DiGioia. And the department is starting with the graduate program, a process that will take two years. (“If it passes,” DiGioia noted.)
After all, according to DiGioia, this new direction of design will make students better prepared for the professional world.
“The future of design is design thinking. If you do not know these people, these concepts, this ideology, you are behind,” he said.
It is DiGioia’s goal for himself and his future alumni “to be taken a good deal more serious in regards to what they bring to the table.”
DiGioa has received tremendous support from his colleagues in the graphic design department. DiGioia cited professor Scott Boylston, initiator of SCAD’s new design for sustainability program, as being heavily involved in the welcoming of these ideas. Other professors have also begun reaching out to the local Savannah community, tackling homelessness, environmental issues and even traffic through visual communication.
As for this implementation on the undergraduate level, it still may take time to progress. Until then, DiGioia offers solid advice for designers to immediately consider for their own personal design thinking:
“What I think that you need to be a good designer is what’s between your ears and a pencil…too many people see graphic design related to tools, it’s about the idea that you’re communicating.”
