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Oct 23
educating educators

Educating the Educators

On October 20, 2011 I had the privilege to speak at the AIGA Chicago’s Living Principles event with John Harris (principal at a5). The event sold out and featured a discussion of how the Living Principles are being utilized in the professional practice (via John) and in undergraduate graphic design education (via me).

If you missed my talk here is a quick snapshot of sustainability in the BFA classroom:

  • There is no Graphic Design BFA in the United States that focuses on sustainability
  • Most sustainable-themed projects are under the discretion of the instructor

Here is what I think must happen:

  • Best to teach sustainability in managable chunks
    • e.g Minimization, Materials, LCA, etc.
  • Sustainability should be a foundational element in the art classroom (like composition and color)
  • Whole systems design should be mandated in the design process
  • We must educate the educators to increase the discussion and practice of sustainability in the classroom
  • Design must leave the design classroom and connect with people (design with not for)

Here is a link to the entire talk.

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About The Author

Eric is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois. He has worked as a professional designer for such companies as Razorfish and Texas Instruments. His research as a professor explores how design can be sustainable and consequently how to teach it. Eric has a BFA in Industrial/Graphic design from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Design from the University of Texas.