Information Design Program

A project in creative advanced education

The Information Design Program seeks to be an innovative educational venture that serves two purposes:

• To create the best program of its kind in this new interdisciplinary field.
• To experiment with new forms of creative educational structures.

The aim of the project is to create an intellectual structure that uses the best in new technologies and in learning research to establish an advanced educational program to prepare the information design leaders of the future. Their preparation involves coming to grips with the nature of information as it interacts with societal structures through the evolving technologies; with an ease of adaptation to these future technologies; with an aesthetic sense that is ever creative and user-centered; and with the social skills that invite collaboration and good project management. Information design in the context of the evolving technologies is a new field and one that will continue to evolve rapidly. The Program to be established must be always on the leading-edge of the fields it intersects and can be expected to become the model for many such programs around the world as these are established.

The focus of the Program is the development of a new information design sensibility.

The design of the Program will of course fit the institutional context within which it is offered and will be designed by those involved in that context.

The following are some initial thoughts that could influence the eventual design...

• The Program might initially be offered at the Master's level. It could also offer certificates for those who seek more limited engagement.
• The Program should explore the Virtual Studio concept and enroll students from anywhere. The Program should be naturally international in scope and reach.
• The Program should experiment with various forms of involvement in terms of online/on-site participation. Much learning and teaching will likely be done via means of telecommunication / tele-presence. Campus residence will likely be a required part of the Program, but should remain flexible. Other presential events can be organized for students, alumni, and faculty around main information design conferences and events. This distance-learning component of the Program is an exciting aspect of educational experimentation in the Program.
• Partnerships with institutions, professionals and businesses would be very fruitful. Linkages should be  established and strongly nurtured.
• All students, in the course of their first year, should be required to link up with a professional practice and with some design research group or organization. These linkages provide a live setting for the student's design thinking and also direct input from the field into the Program and all its members.
• Both a systems approach to curriculum / course development and a formal evaluation process are essential to ensure quality and gain outside respect.
• The area of study requires both a studio approach of practical creation and an intellectual approach of understanding and appreciation. Courses should be project-based, with all projects having an intellectual descriptive/appreciative element as well as being published on the web [in various forms].
• The community aspect of the Program is very important and all alumni should naturally continue linking with the Program in one form or another. The Program becomes an event.