Words by Ian Gustav Ahlberg, a BA (Hons) Public Relations graduate.
BA (Hons) Design Management and Cultures is a practice-based course where critical thinking and design research methods are at the core of everyday life. With projects and collaborations that address social, business and environmental needs, the course has innovative approach to teaching the future design leaders of the world.
In this Course Snapshot, we look at what BA (Hons) Design Management and Cultures students have been getting up to over the past few months, including a collaborative exhibition exploring design cultures from across the world, a guest lecture from business and entrepreneurship educator, Mark Elliot and a study trip to the Design Museum.
A collaborative exhibition featuring second and third year students
Hope, Struggles and Tensions was a group exhibition curated by second year students on the course. The works exhibited a range of mediums including sound, objects, posters, photographs, and construction materials. Exploring the quality of a city’s culture and identity, the exhibition spotlighted the soul of cities that might otherwise be forgotten – Bangalore, Cairo, Jakarta, Lagos, Mexico City and Zagreb. With students working collaboratively to unearth the riches of each city’s design scene, the exhibition underlined the collaborative heart of the BA (Hons) Design Management and Cultures course.
In Process: DMC Challenge was a chance for visitors to the exhibit to take part in participatory research for third year students who are busy with their final mayor projects. A mini-maker space created by Aleksandra Knopek asked participants to create objects, and then go about titling and pricing their creation.
BA (Hons) Design Management and Cultures students with co-course leader, Mo-Ling at the Hopes, Struggles and Tensions exhibition.
Course Co-Leader Mo-Ling Chui is proud of the work the students are doing, and said the following:
This Interim show was a great experience for students to ground human-centred design thinking and developing skills like curation and live design research, in practice and doing. The Year 2 and Year 3 students were able to come together quickly and collaborate and show good examples of what design managers and cultural strategists do in the real world.
Guest lecture workshops
One of the many reasons students join LCC is its relations with business and industry. Mark Elliot, a business adviser at the Design Council visited the BA (Hons) Design Management and Cultures students as a guest lecturer and delivered workshops as part of the Professional Practice unit on the course.
Guest lecture workshops with Mark Elliot, a business adviser at the Design Council.
Using visual spatial budgeting techniques, workshops covered:
Workshop 1: Creating a Design Management Business Start-up and Working Freelance, 23 January
- Exploring different design business structures and models
- Researching and creating a small business
- Understanding the business planning process
- Business Model Canvass
- Promoting and selling your work; including online presence, social media, agencies, licensing agreements, and intellectual property
- Cultivating financial acumen (knowledge/skills)
- Creating budget for projects and start-ups
- Understanding contracts and fees
- How to research funding and investment opportunities from the public and private sectors
Study trip to the Design Museum
Third year students went on a trip to the Design Museum to the new Fear and Love exhibition. The exhibition featured 11 installations from world renowned designers and artists, all conveying the different emotions modern living envokes in humans. With the exhibition featuring a living room of European design, the students explored ideas about our changing world.
BA (Hons) Design Management and Cultures students at the Design Museum.