Towards co-creating the praxis of teaching design from decolonial, intersectional and pluriversal approaches1

Abstract

Across Oceania, design courses within the tertiary education sector remain entrenched in Eurocentric narratives and pedagogical approaches, which omit place-specific contexts, cultural histories, knowledges and diverse ways of designing, including those of First Nations. This concern drove the four authors to create the InterDesigning Network, a supra-institutional network that aims at connecting like-minded educators, practitioners and students. This article reflects on the results of the InterDesigning Network’s first symposium, titled Co-Creating the Praxis of Teaching Decolonial, Intersectional and Pluriversal Design and Histories. As the core team behind the network, we listened and learned from a panel formed by First Nations people that discussed Indigenous design practice, local protocols, connection to place and land, common struggles and ways of integrating Indigenous knowledges into contemporary design education. We also listened and were inspired by the insights shared by another panel made of diverse design educators who discussed how their positionalities and experiences inform their teaching practices. By reflecting on these insights as well as on the rationale behind the formation of a design educators’ network, this article offers actionable suggestions on how to disrupt the status quo for a more diverse and inclusive design education future.