Nicole Killian, professor of graphic design, is using her classroom to reconsider what design education looks like. In an interview with Eye on Design, she offered some insight into her pedagogical methods, from showcasing queer artists and artists of color, to creating new conversations amongst students.
Design education has been stale for a really long time. I think educators need to be constantly unlearning what our own educational background was and asking ourselves, “What are the actual needs of the bodies in front of us?” And not just in a service provider way. The students in our classrooms want to see people who look like them. They want to see people succeeding who sound like them. So we have to really rethink how we share knowledge. Unlearning or de-skilling is essential, I think, in taking away the hierarchy in the classroom.
Read the full interview in AIGA’s Eye on Design.
Illustration by Marleigh Culver (BFA ’12)
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