Wednesday, September 24, 2008

design vs technology in school

Design Observer recently posted a link to this article about the lack of technology and software education in many design programs. (There is further discussion on the topic here.)

Does anyone else have any opinions on this? Should design programs be teaching software as well as design skills? LSU's program largely ignored software education in the graphic design program, but I was grateful for the amount of time that was spent on teaching design. In my opinion it's easier to teach yourself the software than how to think like a designer, and the latter requires a far greater investment of time and energy.

Your thoughts?

Please comment in the "comments" link below. Thanks!

4 comments:

Hunter said...

Software education classes should be offered as an option for those who feel that they would like to learn more. I took multiple painting classes and not a single class on, for example, "How to use InDesign." I use InDesign on a daily basis, but can't say I have done any masterpiece paintings lately.

Unknown said...

Software is fickle. What's the point of being taught how to use one type/version of software when it will eventually be replaced (remember Freehand?). A designer's skill-set should include the ability to quickly adapt to the everchanging mediums required. Besides, a subscription to lynda.com is only $20/mo. Tuition is well...expensive.

Unknown said...

design programs should be left open to one's desires ... typography, film making, book/magazine/newspaper production, environmental design... the choices are endless. in this utopia, basic ideas of design and a general know how of software is offered. the rest is up to the individual.

isral said...

i think that design theory should be emphasized over technical knowledge anyday. technology and tools always change, on an almost yearly basis. yet the human eye and our brains haven’t changed in the last 100,000 or so years (since homo sapiens first emerged). that means that our sense of aesthetics and visual organization change with biology (cultural tastes notwithstanding, obviously). after all, even primitive peoples art can be deciphered by modern homo sapiens sapiens.