Design Education for Social Innovation: Preliminary Explorations

Studio-based design education in the United States has often been constructed to reflect the demands of design practice. Traditionally, this has been consumer-driven and responsive to local market trends and the private sector. Due to this, pedagogical strategies for social innovation are not often primary considerations for studio coursework within design curricula. While participatory design methods are increasingly being recognized as valuable sources for innovative solutions that facilitate the process of engaging and empowering people, these new opportunities for design have not yet been formally embedded in many curricular structures. Two university courses serve as case studies to illustrate the significance of participatory design methods in social innovation. This paper examines the potential of alternative design pedagogy, one that is set within an ethical discourse based on social innovation and one that is grounded on an ethical construction of practice, which more accurately responds to the pressing needs of society and social change. It discusses the challenges to be faced, new tools and methods for research and design, and the change in mindset needed to address social transformation