Knowledge economy market development mapping study

In the absence of a national framework and substantial Australian empirical evidence for the value of design education, this study responds to the National Cultural Policy’s (2012) failure to address how design thinking capabilities will be developed for lifelong learning and to drive creativity and innovation, and builds on a vision for design education tabled in the National Cultural Policy Discussion Paper: Response by the Queensland Design Council (2011). The study was funded by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments. It was commissioned by Arts Queensland in the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts and peer reviewed and endorsed by QUEENSLANDERSIGN™, an initiative of the Queensland Design Council. It was conceived as an initial mapping study to build momentum for future academic research supporting the need for design thinking and creative practice to be embedded in education at all levels, as part of the whole-of-government Queensland Design Strategy 2020 objective to “build design knowledge and learning” (2009). The study reported on the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data consisting of a literature review, survey and focus groups/interview with key stakeholders, to identify the value of design education and research programs from primary school through to tertiary and continuing professional development level education in Queensland, Australia during the inception of the Queensland Design Strategy 2020. Findings provide initial Australian state-centric empirical evidence for the value of design education and research, and draw attention to the tertiary sector’s role in leading better integration of design across all levels of education and training (informal and formal), to facilitate a greater understanding of the role of design in the economy for state development. The report was made publicly available through the Queensland Government Arts Queensland, QUEENSLANDERSIGN and State Library of Queensland Design Minds websites and findings presented at a design education conference in Oslo, Norway, and Australian Higher Education, Creative Engagement & The Creative Economy Creative–Campus UK workshop, and in a Norwegian international journal