I’ve just passed the half way point on my degree in Graphic Design and I’ve finally come to the conclusion that design shouldn’t be taught within these academic parameters. The main problem is that design is subjective. What resonates with one person might not with another, so who is to say whether work is good or bad – it might not be aimed at them.

That and essay writing doesn’t lead itself well to design and the arts in general. People should be made to improve their writing and do case studies on important designs or events but essay writing doesn’t seem like the logical choice.

Personally I would like to see a private design school set up, similar to one in Scandinavia (the name escapes me). There every month, new designers come in, impart wisdom, leave and repeat. You get multiple points of view, variation every month and make more contacts with people working in the industry. If a similar school was set up outside the parameters of the BA or MA system, it would quickly get a good reputation with consistently good work that isn’t based on academic grading.

I don’t have buyers remorse or anything but the more I think about it, the less this structure makes logical sense. How can you apply a traditional degree structure to a non-traditional subject?

Picture courtesy of IDN’s infographic special.