Philosophy of Teaching Statement
My primary goal as an educator is to help students develop the tools needed to be creative and successful designers. Having worked as a designer in various soft goods product design positions, I have firsthand knowledge of what skills are necessary and used most frequently to survive in the fast-paced design world and succeed and thrive. The most successful designers I have encountered professionally are creative and understand the technical side of soft goods products. They are critical thinkers and objective observers with excellent interpersonal skills, allowing them to effectively partner with other designers, engineers, merchants, and other individuals needed to produce successful designs. Most importantly, good designers understand, are comfortable with, and highly value the design process.
However, imparting these skills to design students presents an exciting teaching challenge, as creative minds rarely think or learn alike. Most often, designers respond best to hands-on activities or interactive visuals. I believe it’s imperative to determine how your students learn and adjust your methods accordingly. All projects, presentations, and in-class activities must be relevant to advancing student design interests and abilities. Relating assignments to real-world examples is an excellent way for students to understand how they will benefit from investing their time and energy in design skill development.
Getting students to embrace the design process fully can be challenging in an ever more fast-paced, technology-dependent, and increasingly focused on profitability world. Yet, this is imperative for students to understand to become successful designers. My job as their instructor is to teach them the value of the entire design process and discourage the temptation of using shortcuts to deliver quicker results. Digital modeling, 3D printing, and AI technologies can be incredibly useful in various parts of the design process, and students are rightfully attracted to the “coolness factor” of such innovative technologies. However, focusing only on digital technology and skipping physical modeling, prototyping, and/or sampling results in lower-quality design work. It also denies the student fully understanding how their product is produced and ultimately functions. Through project-based learning, my students continue to learn about and embrace the design process and develop the technical skills to design good products.
Complex, team-based projects are an effective way to expose students to large portions of material but also teach the actual application and relevance of technical knowledge in the creative process. Students become better designers by narrowing the gap between the technical and creative worlds. Additionally, they will enjoy more significant success professionally in an industry that struggles with decreased availability of individuals with formal soft goods training. Project-based design assignments effortlessly emulate the team-focused design process in the corporate world, teaching research skills, time and workload management, and creative problem-solving skills within defined project parameters. Supplementary lectures and in-class discussions, including relevant visuals, are mandatory – product samples, historical images, current advertisements & marketing materials, or manufacturing videos to further support significant topics. Virtual Q&A sessions with industry professionals and field trips to local manufacturers offer students direct exposure to industry practices, encourage networking and professionalism, and help ease the eventual transition from the academic environment to the working world. Replacing exams with large-group critiques and classroom presentations can nurture public speaking and professionalism while preparing students for industry design reviews and executive presentations. Weekly classroom discussions of current industry issues not only foster critical thinking but also create awareness of the complexity of their chosen industry.
In addition to current industry events, students must know the historical aspects of textiles & soft goods product development, including its impact on society. Many manufacturing processes and techniques have not changed in decades, and designers face these restrictions daily when developing current trends. Understanding the social and environmental effects of our industry is a responsibility owned by each member of the design world. Today’s students should not only be aware of these impacts but strive to improve the industry for future generations.
My final student assessments are based heavily on how well each student worked through the design process, not solely on the execution of their final prototype. If students have excelled at following the design process, they typically end up with a well-executed final prototype. Class participation also plays a factor in my final grading, as students who partake in class discussions and critiques learn even more from one another and improve their public speaking and critical analysis skills. I make considerable effort at the beginning of each semester and at the start of each project to explain my grading policies and expectations directly. I develop and post project calendars and grading rubrics to accompany my design briefs so students understand timing and expectations clearly. As it is often a challenge for young designers to switch from a student to a professional mentality after graduation, I encourage students to think of my class as a job where deadlines and quality of work are of utmost importance. I have repeatedly seen students surprised with their own capabilities once they start thinking of themselves as professionals.
I genuinely love the soft goods design world and am continually amazed by how much it has permeated almost every area of our day-to-day lives. I’ve been told numerous times that my enthusiasm is infectious, and I often find myself in random discussions about yarn, fabrics, clothing, and soft products with people I have just met. Hailing from a long line of educators, I have inherited the innate ability to efficiently break down complex concepts into smaller, more manageable portions for even the most inexpert audiences. My teaching goals are to share my enthusiasm and respect for soft goods design and help prepare students to have successful and impactful careers, wherever their education may lead them.