Irwin, T. (2015). Redesigning a Design Program: How Carnegie Mellon University is Developing a Design Curricula for the 21st Century. Solutions 6(1): 91-100. https://thesolutionsjournal.com/article/redesigning-a-design-program-how-carnegie-mellon-university-is-developing-a-design-program-for-the-21st-century/
On The Ground
Redesigning a Design Program: How Carnegie Mellon University is Developing a Design Curricula for the 21st Century by Terry Irwin
School of Design, Carnegie Mellon University
Faculty engaged in twice-monthly retreats and used the same approaches to brainstorming and synthesis that they teach their students.
I
n the past 20 years, the field of design has undergone tremendous change. Design’s universality as a powerful approach to problem solving and its potential to serve as a catalyst for positive social and environmental change are finally being recognized. Increasingly, designers play key roles in many domains such as business, government, notfor-profit sectors, and grassroots activism. Design also has an important part to play in one of the biggest challenges
confronting us in the 21st century: the transition to a sustainable society. This transition can be viewed as a ‘wicked’ design problem that can only be addressed through the collaboration of people from myriad professions, disciplines, and all walks of life. This challenges educators to reconceive design programs and curricula to prepare students with the flexibility, knowledge, and skillsets needed to address the problems confronting society in a globally interconnected and interdependent world.
Framing the Problem The design school at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is one of the topranked programs in North America and alumni take up challenging positions within well-respected design firms, companies, and not-for-profit organizations around the world. I joined as the Head of the School of Design in 2009 and shortly after my arrival I led a complete review of our programs. Our curricula had not kept pace with the unprecedented degree of change described above and the faculty
www.thesolutionsjournal.org | January-February 2015 | Solutions | 91