Nina Terrey
ThinkPlace Global
Canberra, Australia
The urgency at to address climate change, and the inequities of our society mean more than ever our leaders and people in government, corporates and communities need the necessary skills to problem solve with the right templates and mindset. The templates and mindset that we refer to here is Design literacy. To be design literate assumes we are talking about competency. The challenge, always in any area of competency, is being clear on the efficacy that defines competency. The efficacy of design literacy is the ability to produce a desired or intended result, which is both illusive and hard to define, but a necessary one. This paper grapples with this because it is critical for the application of design literacy. As we talk about the efficacy, the opportunity to build this competency can be outweighed by the perils of design illiterate claiming design literacy on very thin and incompetent grounds or dismissing the value of design. So, this area of design literacy is undergoing a revolution in both definition and development. This paper hopes to contribute to this revolution. In light of claiming contribution to design literacy, it is important to note the author subscribes to a view that educating and building design literacy competency is of most importance if we are to make the changes we need in our world, and design literacy brings fundamental ways of working that are necessary to navigate and make the necessary lasting changes. The author has worked extensively over the last few decades building design literacy in academic and applied contexts with policy and public administration leaders, politicians, executives from corporates, non-for profits, community groups, and hundreds of multi-disciplinary teams assigned to problem solving complex issues. All this design literacy investment done in countries all over the world from developing markets to developed markets. The author understands firsthand the perils and opportunities of building design literacy and what we really need to make full effective use of this in the real world.
This paper is broken into 3 parts: Part one is the definition of design literacy. This definition draws from the Dreyfus model because we can sensibly frame the design literacy in which we refer, and this creates a safe place to explore the trajectories of design literacy in different applied contexts. The value of this model is to separate the different skill levels that we can expect to see when we are talking about design literacy. In complement to the skill acquisition model, the characteristics of design literacy or expertise are discussed. The expertise that we are discussing here refers to design expertise that required for problems that are strategic and large scale in intent, exhibit complex problem dimensions, and require high order cognitive and creative skills to identify and design and implement a suite of interventions or solutions. The design literacy at the strategic front end involving assessing and framing the problem or the opportunity through to the design literacy competency that can design and implement the required changes. All of this requires different types of design expertise. The matter of most importance is the adaptive expertise that is required. This adaptability is a pre-condition for the types of contexts in which we need to understand the types of design literacy tat is required.
Part two discusses the context in which design literacy needs to play a part. The pathway of design is moving from abstract to the specific, as we do this it takes us from the simplistic to the more complex. This means in the real-world design literacy we need to facilitate the development of competency to be able to navigate the simplicity to the more complex. The design literacy needs to work in a variety of complex scenarios. This part of the paper will tables four scenarios in which we see the need for design literacy. The scenarios point to the more transformative and transition realities that we are now facing, as we urgently address net zero to planetary health and social equity.
Part three of the paper then creates a holistic rubric that proposes the nature of design literacy required for these different scenarios. The pathway of design literacy is the core concept that will be discussed. The pathway of design literacy provides an appreciative and discerning view of what we can expect for the efficacy of design literacy. It means we locate both the non-designer and designer in the same framing of design, literacy. This collective view of design literacy is necessary for today’s work because as the author has found in her work the relationship between non-designer and designer is the extent in which there is a literacy or competency or bridge to work and communicate. The balance is knowing the pathway of literacy that one ought to go on and the point in which perhaps the literacy developed is “enough”. The ultimate test for design literacy goes back to the opening question, what is the efficacy in which we need to measure design literacy?
References
Bradsford, J. (2007) Preparing people for Rapidly Changing Environments. Journal of Engineering Education Jan
Dreyfus, S.E and Dreyfus, (1980) H. L A Five Stage model of the mental activities involved in directed skill acquisition
Honken, N. (2013) Dreyfus Five-Stage Model of Adult Skills Acquisition Applied to Engineering Lifelong Learning 120th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Atlanta, 2013
Nelson, H.G., and Stolterman, E. (2012) The Design Way: Intentional change in an unpredictable word 2nd Edition
Nina Terrey is experienced leader in social innovation, system transformation for sustainable impact. A global leader in academic and application in design-thinking and integrated design approaches to address complex issues. History of achievement delivering projects with change leaders, policy makers and innovators around the globe focused on the sustainable development goals.
Skilled in social innovation, sustainability, strategic partnerships, strategy and planning, executive coaching, regenerative design, strategic design, facilitation, communications, culture change and transition design. Passionate about activating partnerships for impact through mindset change and collective action.
Nina holds a PhD in Management by Design, and is an Adjunct Associate professor with the Australian Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, Senior Lecturer with University of NSW, and distinguished fellow of the Australian and New Zealand School of Governance. In 2022 Nina was a visiting scholar at Parsons School of Design Strategies, in New York, NY, USA. Nina is a sought-after public speaker on design, innovation, gender equity and sustainable impact. Nina is a published author and is currently co-authoring a book with Harvard scholar on how to unlock complex issues that are gridlocked.
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