Design in the Real world

Social design highlights design-based practices towards collective and social ends rather than predominately commercial or consumer-oriented objectives. In this paper we share staff and students experiences of participating in an interdisciplinary approach to social design and describe the key learning that arose from the implementation of a pioneering approach to the teaching of social design practice on the MA/MFA Design Programme at Sheffield Hallam University. Taking the conference theme holistically this paper highlights the values of situating learning beyond the classroom in real-world contexts. Holism here relates to the recognition that learning is socially situated, that it draws on the individual strengths and resources students bring and that by involving practitioners from different specialisms, learning has the potential to bring about real-world transformation and change beyond the boundaries of the subject discipline. The authors believe that social design has a place in design education as threats including precarious economies, social and financial inequities, global warming, war and mass migration are real-world issues impacting on world citizens and the planet. Opening up the right forums for discussion and experimentation, including the right mix of skills and knowledge to enrich discussion needs careful consideration and facilitation. Our initial work focused on placing social design within a module and employing cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary working and learning. Our current projects widen the learning experience taking place over a year-long period with dual entry and multiple points. This work includes the local City Council, city residents and our DeSIS Lab. Keywords: Holism, social design, student engagement.