salt – the next step in the evolution of design education

Being able to design requires a conceptual understanding of the practice. Friedman and Stolterman state, that most of what we face today requires more than practical knowledge and Bradford and Robin add, that “some lessons have to be experienced …” in order to be learned. So design education has to provide a kind of hybrid approach. And most design educators will argue that this is exactly what they do.

So how come, so many prospects and young designers, don’t feel confident when confronted with todays fast-paced, complex, and unpredictable challenges? And what about those with years of experience that equally feel a sense of unease and slipping agency, when facing instability, overload, and uncertainty on all levels? What, or who, do they rely on to facilitate their growth? How do they work with climate change, fragile political and economic systems, or a rapidly changing society? The truth is, we’ve become observers to globally networked crisis in need of creative and innovative answers and we don’t even know where to start.

It becomes increasingly evident that the sturdy “best-practice,” we rely on so much, has few answers for todays challenges. Our discipline is in transition, but still lacks the traction to contribute to change in significant ways. As a result, poly-crises are spreading and multiplying unchecked while design remains a discipline of beauty and aesthetics. In my understanding, this means we are out of sync with our intention and desperately need to recalibrate – not only from a practical perspective, but from a theoretical one, too. And the only reliable way for transformation, is rethinking our whole approach: We need to find new theories of design, new ways of application, and new dimensions for the design term. And we need resources that can guide the development of such a “new-practice.” This is my attempt:

To enable anyone to develop a personal methodology based on sound interdisciplinary practice I am presenting you with salt – strategies, actions, lessons, and thoughts of reflection for designing.

Salt is a meta-study of years of research into the human condition and our productive behavior, manifesting as three offerings – a publication, a kit, and a tutorial:
The publication lets designers experience, contemplate, and resonate basics of the practice to develop a conceptual understanding of what it means to design, which shapes and maintains any process through strategic thinking.
The kit supports process facilitation, by providing a framework based on strategy development through backcasting, so practitioners have a reference to continuously relate, compare, and contrast the process to during execution.
And the tutorial is a way of investigating the impact of strategic planning, solidifying knowledge from the publication and kit, as well as offering multi-channel learning opportunities – packages can be customized, units tailored to specific needs or demands, and support applied to real-world challenges relevant to the individual or collective.

All together they form an innovative, powerful, and effective gateway to reflection and growth. Let’s transform how we approach tomorrow – let’s add some salt.

About the author:
Lukas G. Böckelmann is a 3rd generation Strategic Designer. He and his family of Design Professionals & Educators have been reshaping the design term since the 1950s. His practice is deeply purpose-driven, focussing on local intervention based on global strategy. He is dedicated to preserving habitat earth and future-proofing humanity through transdisciplinarity and coordinated action, and to that end he focuses on five goals:

1. To facilitate innovative approaches,
2. to integrate performance with interspecies inclusion,
3. to cultivate hybrid creativity,
4. to advance co-creation,
5. and to build lasting partnerships and true connections.

For further information on projects, practice, and product or to inquire about professional and voluntary engagements, you can contact him through the attached project link.