GENERAL EDUCATION POLICY DESIGN INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA

This document was developed from the focus group discussions held across Australia during 2008. It is presented as the DIA General Education Policy.

To outline the position of the DIA in relation to design education

To contribute to the improvement of the quality of design education

1. To establish the scope and nature of the DIA’s position in design education at a state and national level
2. To provide education guidelines for members of the DIA, education institutions, government and other relevant bodies
3. To position and align with the education policies of international design organisations (including IFI, ICSID, and Icograda)

The DIA recognises the importance of design education for the design profession and the broader community. In contemporary society, design-thinking and creative processes are recognised as being applicable to a breadth of problems beyond design per se. Therefore, an emphasis on these key aspects of design education has the potential for far-reaching impact that will facilitate positive change in terms of human capital development and innovation within private and public sectors. In association, the DIA acknowledges that integration of research to inform design education and practice has become an imperative for the future development and competitiveness of design in Australia.

The DIA recognises the educational needs of the diverse range of disciplines that constitute the design profession. Therefore, the DIA Education Policy promotes the unique characteristics of designing while simultaneously acknowledging the specialist knowledge required for each existing discipline as well as those emerging within future contexts and recognises the requirement for interdisciplinary knowledge in design.

Design education involves design thinking, theoretical and applied research, conceptualisation, design process, technical skills and knowledge, detailing, documentation, communication skills and business skills. The DIA acknowledges design education as:

1. an important component of primary and secondary school education to create an awareness of design in children from an early age
2. a tertiary/post-secondary field of study for students to learn about design, to design, to prepare graduates for employment in professional practice and for students to acquire design research skills
3. a post-graduate field of specialised study and research
4. a necessary component of the continuing development of design practitioners’ professional knowledge and skills

To support, encourage and advocate for excellence in design education, the DIA will:

1. provide advice to design education programs
2. provide DIA recognition for design education programs that meet the DIA criteria (refer 3.2)
3. act as a broker between design industry, employers, practitioners and design educators and institutions, design students and academic peak bodies for design
4. source and publicise relevant continuing professional development (CPD) for practitioners
5. provide awards and competitions for design students
6. participate in local, national and international design education forums

The DIA is the voice of professional design in Australia, and as such, is an advocate for appropriate design education standards. This occurs in two key ways:

1. requirement of minimum education standards for the various categories of DIA membership
2. provision of DIA recognition of design programs

Membership of the DIA is provided for the following categories:

1. Student Membership for students 'enrolled in a tertiary course of study which is related to a Design or Associated Profession at an educational institution which is recognised by the Board as relevant...' (requires 1 Membership point)
2. Graduate Membership for graduates 'of a tertiary TAFE certificate/diploma or University degree course and where appropriate, private education provider courses that are recognised by the Board as relevant...' (requires 6 Membership points)
3. Associate Membership for applicants who meet a minimum standard of education and are ‘employed in consultancies, design departments, for staff in university and TAFE design departments, and designers employed in other business areas’, and also for 'graduates and designers who are working toward the Points System requirements for Member...' (requires 9 Membership points)
4. Member (MDIA) the full professional category of the Institute. Applicants must meet a minimum standard of education, experience and ethics. They must have a minimum of three years verifiable, relevant professional experience. (requires 21 Membership points)

The DIA recognises that professional standing may be achieved without having met one of the above educational requirements. Therefore, the DIA may recognise the professional standing of designers with approved combinations of education and professional experience.

The DIA acknowledges that individual design education programs will have different structures, duration, areas of focus and modes of delivery. The DIA encourages individual programs to develop areas of specialisation and expertise.

The DIA is currently developing a process of recognition of post-secondary design education programs that will include:

• recognition criteria
• process for submission,
• review and record-keeping
• process for identification of DIA members who can act as representatives on program review/advisory panels

Institutional type will be taken into account (including University, TAFE and non-government colleges and institutes Degree, Certificate, Diploma, or short term other non-degree courses). For example: University education, by its very nature, aims to lead as well as engage with practice, develop research skills, critique the changes in society, prepare for future change and current unpredictability, as well as explore the nature of multidisciplinary frameworks. While these criteria are increasingly being pursued within many VET design programs this sector is charged with a specific mandate to prepare ‘industry ready’ graduates. Therefore this training must encompass creative and conceptual thinking as well as emphasising the development of technical work skills and competencies associated with a particular design focus.

The DIA offers annual state and national awards and competitions to recognise the work of design students. These include:

1. Professional Encouragement Awards for final year students (administered by State Branches)
2. Australasian Student Design Awards (national (and NZ) program)
3. 'GOTYA' Graduate of the Year Award (NSW and VIC Branch programs)
4. Student category entry in State DIA Design Awards (SA, WA and QLD Branch programs)

The DIA recognises that design practitioners need to continue their education beyond graduation. The DIA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program is a framework for the continuing education of design practitioners and provides advanced professional standing for individual Members in the form of Accredited Designer™ status.

The DIA CPD program is an annual assessment process for Members to record their professional development activities within each year. Members who meet the required number of CPD points for the previous year are entitled to use the term Accredited Designer™ and will receive a rebate on their membership subscription for the following year.

The DIA encourages the undertaking of further education toward post-graduate qualifications in design.

Post-graduate programs may include project-based design research, traditional thesis based research, and/or coursework based programs.

The integration of discipline knowledge from outside core discipline areas is encouraged to support the enrichment of professional knowledge in global and multi-disciplinary contexts.

Dissemination of postgraduate studies and research findings in a form accessible to practice is encouraged through avenues such as international and national conference and workshops forums and professional and academic publications.

The DIA will keep up to date with changes that impact on the education sector. This will be achieved through consultation with DIA education members.