2019 International Design Education Forum of South Africa (DEFSA) Conference, Cape Town

Design is sometimes portrayed as a practice that can address our damaged environment, mitigate the negative impact of technology, contribute to the global economy and help us to adapt to societal changes. Designers’ skills, ways of thinking and doing equip them to address a range of complex tasks that may require innovative solutions.

Given the value of design in an increasingly automated future, how can we prepare our students for a world where they must rapidly acquire new knowledge, learn new skills and adapt to new contexts and cultures? How can we as educators and researchers support the production of new knowledge and prepare our students for a changing world?

The 8th International DEFSA Conference explores these challenges under the themes of design knowledge, design research and postgraduate design education.