Orientating Design Education: Implementing an orientation field trip as an introduction to design education

Abstract

"Project: Freshwater" is an orientation experience for Built Environment students
at the Queensland University of Technology. In the third week of the semester
this field trip takes the First Year cohort out of their familiar urban environment
and into an extraordinary natural setting for four days in order to facilitate goals
of socialisation, enculturation and education. It sets the tone for the whole course,
establishing a sense of belonging and group identity amongst the design
disciplines (industrial design, architecture and interior design), breaking down
traditional staff/student barriers. Students develop an awareness of each other as
emerging professionals and an awareness of the cultural diversity and a sense of
community possible within the university environment.

Through presentation and discussion of the context, structure and content of the
programme and it’s five year evolution this paper explores the educational
objectives of: the development of visual and verbal communication skills;
experiencing design thinking through practical discovery; promoting
interdisciplinary thinking and approaches to design; promoting independence in
personal and group learning skills; and introducing concepts of enhanced
environmental awareness and product life cycles as informers of design intention.
The long term impact on students, future plans and suggestions for others thinking
of implementing such a programme are discussed.