Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Thoughts on DS -> IxD

I wasn't able to make the meeting discussing this but I just read Dominic's email, and despite the seemingly endless frustrations with the DS program, I'm sad to see it go.

Yes, combining all the courses into the IxD track will be great for the design program as a whole, will make life easier for everybody, etc.

But considering it from a personal point of view, I don't think I would be in design if I were entering this program a few years down the road. What drew me to DS was the explicit interdiscilpinary nature of it, because the slightly fewer credits allowed for taking on a second major feasible. Not to say that doing a 188 credit design track plus another major is not possible, but I expect it would make it significantly more difficult.

Yes, I understand IxD will be a major in itself and not a "half major" like some people percieve the current DS program to be. Yes, there will be course cirriculum overlaps. But I'm not seeing these changes so much as combining the DS track, as it is getting rid of the DS track. I expect that this IxD track will focus more on IxD topics/issues and I have nothing against IxD. However, my favorite part of the DS track is seeing the interests of my fellow classmates, whether accounting, crafting, guitars, or sustainability. Not to say that IxD can't address these topics, but I suspect that the approaches and the frame of mind that will be indoctrinated will differ than the more free-style whatever-goes of DS.

Although it is frustrating articulating what DS is, that is what makes it so great. It forces each of us to make our own connections from design to the world at large.

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