Exploring what design can…
The following story has been adapted from a presentation I did one Wednesday evening in May in front of a group of design professionals at UX Cheltenham.
The guys at UX Cheltenham wanted to find out how The Cheltenham Design Foundation was setup and how we’ve managed to acheive what we’ve done so far; taught design to over 300 14–16 year olds and hosted 4 design festivals.
The purpose of this story is to look at the legacy of the Cheltenham Design Foundation (a design and education charity) and how it will evolve over the next 10 years.
Chapter 1: Established
“We believe design can change the world for the better and transform lives.”
Established in 2009, a group of design professionals got together and setup the Cheltenham Design Foundation — a design and education charity which promotes the benefits of creativity and original thinking.
The 2 reasons Cheltenham Design Foundation exists are:
1. Educate Creativity
Creativity in education has all but gone. To quote the amazing Sir Ken Robinson from the book Creative Schools:
Standardisation and conformity have suppressed individuality, imagination and creativity
Through The Design Academy (our free Saturday design school), over 30 design professionals teach 12–16 year olds (our students) about all aspects of the design industry; from architecture through to digital design.
Since 2009, Our Design Academy has helped over 300, 12–16 year olds to find their creative voice.
2. Acknowledge Design in Society
The role design plays in society needs to be acknowledged as it’s too often seen as a veneer.
Through our Design Festivals we engage with society to promote how design can and does help us in everything we do.
We demonstrate that creativity is essential to all areas of life and encourage the conversation between design and society.
Chapter 2: What We’ve Acheived
Educated Creativity to Over 300 Students
The Design Academy has a total commitment to the next generation of creative thinkers.
As well as opening their eyes to available job opportunities within the creative sector, teaching creativity is at the academy’s core and underpins everything we do.
We help students create the future, not just fit into it.
Our students learn what design can do and helps them embrace original thinking.
4 Festivals, Over 8000 People
Our 3-day Design Festivals have brought together over 8000 people to debate and explore the future of design.
Here’s how our World-class speakers explain the Design Festival:
“There isn’t anywhere else where practicioners, teachers and the general public can get together and trash out design issues
Sir Christopher Frayling
“The design festival is a platform to discuss design beyond the creative industries and talk about some of the knotty issues that design can be involved in
Camilla Buchanan
“Ultimately what we’re asking at the festival is what is the role of design? Is it to make us feel good, or is it to improve the quality of life?
Neville Brody
It’s not about design as a tangible thing. It’s about the thinking behind design and the many dimensions and implications design has.
Marina Willer
Chapter 3: The Future
Now, The Cheltenham Design foundation looks to the future.
“Where we’re going, we won’t need roads”
Doc Brown — Back to the Future.
Our evolution begins with a change of name… ‘The Cheltenham Design Foundation’ will become ‘design can…’
It’s time for us to evolve and open up the possibilities of creativity beyond Cheltenham.
We won’t be forgetting our roots, rather, we’ll be building upon our legacy.
design can…
‘design can…’ is not just a name change, it’s the message we need to help us achieve our ambitious goals.
By 2028 we’ll have:
- 10 Design Academies
- 10 Years of Festivals
- An Established Platform
2028
10 Design Academies
Educate creativity and original thinking to over 2000 students, share ideas worldwide and have a positive effect on more communities.
10 Years of Festivals
A place where design and society explore what design can do.
Through talks, panel debates and workshops we’ll explore the future of design.
An Established Platform
More than an academy and a festival, we’re a platform to explore creativity, open to the world, 365 days a year.
Through online content and discussion, we’ll engage with society to promote and educate how design can and does help us in everything we do.
But why?
Why the need for ‘design can…’ ?
‘design can…’ promotes the need for creative thinking in every activity, to solve future challenges facing the world.
Put simply, we explore what design can…
Thanks to the UX Cheltenham team, to everyone involved and to Jo Hopkins for editing :)
