Design processes and co-activity in design education

Abstract

In an artistic design process, interaction occurs between the material, the techniques and the artist. In design education, interaction occurs between students and the lecturer, between students and other students, and between students and the task. To explore the similarity between design and education processes, this article uses the Black Thread project, which involves co-design embroidery, with a focus on design education within higher education. The project involved nine student groups studying design education in the Specialised Teacher Training Programme in Design, Arts and Crafts at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway and took place over a three-year period. The lecturer’s instructions and recommendations were vague in the first year and clearer in the final two years. The groups cooperated and collaborated, showing how they related to the design and describing the communicative and relational processes. Co-design embroidery projects such as the Black Thread project help to develop the patience, manual skill, creativity and ability of the participants