Education has become my Material
I have always been interested in materials and constructions, examining, challenging and testing materials – finding possibilities and limitations in a material and in the constructions it can be part of. I remember my student days as one long experiment in the workshops. How far could you go before the material dissolves?
I was a student at the school in the transition period from arts and crafts to industrial design. As a textile designer in 1989, I was totally preoccupied with trying my strength with the industry rather than cultivating arts and crafts. As a practicing designer, I have been able to let the material experiments try out functions and users. It has been crucial for me that design should be used – making play equipment that begs to be played with, or textile fabric which can be sold.
A temporary assignment at the school as a workshop assistant became ground-breaking. The textile materials were gradually replaced with organisation, training and students. Rather than being a direct participant in experiments I had the opportunity to create a framework and content for new generations of designers.
Education has become my material. Building, constructing, developing and organising the design education have become my speciality. The temporary assignment became a long journey with Design School Kolding – formalisation and accreditation of a design programme with a three-part knowledge base: research, artistic development and practice at the university level.
In the development of the design education I have been interested in the relationship between theory and practice, in ensuring that research and theory building in the education do not steal all the attention, but rather increase the quality of the aesthetic and functional design. I have also been focussed on making sure that theories and methods expand the designer’s toolbox, while there is still room for the basic artistic tools, and on equipping designers with generic design competencies that qualify them to conquer new territory.
My contribution to our programme over the years has been to translate general issues – the school’s overall visions and strategies – into programme elements and then combine these elements into an education.
At the same time, I have been concerned with how we get the best out of our material our students and staff trying to identify the individual’s unique potential; finding the gold in the individual person and help them shine for their own benefit as well as for the benefit of our profession.
