A Passion for Designing

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A Passion for Designing

• Professor Stephanie Atkinson
• Angela Sandwith
• University of Sunderland

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Presentation

• Introduction
• Background
• Method
• Results
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• ...the urge to do something for sheer pleasure
• ...the element that really cooks the creative
  stew is passionGoleman et al (1992)

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• link between joy and intellectual
  passion(Polayni 1958 Frijda 2000)
• so involved that nothing else matters
• so enjoyable will do it even at great cost for
  the sheer sake of doing it (Csiksentmihalyi 1990)

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The intention of the project

• Using an attitude scale and semi-structured
  interviews
• collect data and analyse using HyperResearch
  software
• identify factors to inform and improve the way we
  teach studentsto design about designing

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The Sample

• Originally49 DT ITT trainees
• Non-probability purposive sample of 10

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Background - why designing important

• ...the capability to investigate, design, make
  and appraise is as important as the acquisition
  of knowledge
• the acknowledgement that DT can develop such
  capability

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• Teachers must understand
• be more than just enthusiastic

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Background - why Passion important
Links between

• joy of discovery and intellectual passion
• passion and stretching ones mind
• passion and creativityand without passion we
  loose interest in difficult tasks

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Background - why Passion important

• ...passion is the energy that comes from
  bringing more of you into what you
  do(Rosengren, 2004)

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Factors influencing Passion

• Many factors
• internal
• external
• Relationships between
• passion,
• performance
• and attributes the learner brings with them

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Factors influencing Passion

• learners general ability
• intrinsic motivation
• personal goal orientation
• creative ability
• ways of thinking working
• knowledge base
• past learning experiences

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Attributes of the task influencing passion

• Attributes of the task itself
• its contextual location
• its structure
• its likely demands on the learner

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Outside Commitments

• families
• mortgages
• part-time jobs

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Sampling criteria

• Marks awarded
• Specialisms studied
• Level of passion detected
• Group A - passionate designers
• Group B - competent designers
• Group C - successful but lacked design flair and
  confidence

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Three criteria Matrix
Group A (n 12) Group A (n 12) Group B (n 12) Group B (n 12) Group C (n 25) Group C (n 25)
Specialism Mark Specialism Mark Specialism Mark Specialism Mark Specialism Mark Specialism Mark
TT/MT 88 ECT/MT 79 TT/MT 70
MT/TT 80 MT/FT 76 MT/FT 68
TT/FT 77 FT/TT 74 FT/TT 62
MT/FT 72
The specialism and achievement of each member of
the subsample split by levels of passion
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Materials and Research Instruments

• Marks awarded
• Attitudinal Scale
• Interview data

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Results - Mean mark for sample (n 49)
Level of Passion Mean Mark
Group A 74.42
Group B 65.09
Group C 56.04
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Results - Mean mark for sample (n 10)
Level of Passion Mean Mark
Group A 81.67
Group B 75.25
Group C 66.67
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Results - Mean Attitude Score (n 10)
Level of Passion Mean Attitude Score (max score 4 min score 1)
Group A 3.154
Group B 3.105
Group C 2.679
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Attitude ResultsLeast Passionate

• I have drive in most of the things I do
• I find it easy to be purposeful

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Attitude ResultsCompetent but lacked passion

• happy
• not pessimistic
• stubborn and persistent
• not needing to seek approval before making
  decisions

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Attitude ResultsPassionate

• optimistic
• non-conformist
• single minded
• intuitive when dealing with new situations

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Passionate group Attitude Results (continued)

• happy to set own standards and values
• enjoy most challenges
• persever against all odds when confronted with
  problems
• display creative spontaneity
• proud of their product outcome

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Results of Interviews

• passion in final outcome
• developed new practical skills
• hindered by lack of time
• frustrated with designing

90
80
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• creative thinking important
• interested from early on in the process
• passion to be found in product and in folios
• 3/4 of each group believed outline briefs
  interesting and enjoyable

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• enabled them to be
• creative
• achieve a unique outcome
• practical and feasible
• importance of aesthetic form
• use of excited by
• imaginative thought before rational thought
• perseverance

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• Designers method not Scientific method
• passion evident in
• folio product and in talking about it
• proud of outcome

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Competent but lacking flair - interviews

• interested from design stage
• developed new skills
• creative thinking important
• passion in folio
• determination to succeed

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Least passionate - interviews

• activity rewarding
• passion in product

Two positives
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Least passionate - interviews
Six Negatives

• didnt think outside box
• frustrated
• disillusioned
• needed support
• lack of knowledge designing
• lack of knowledge - manufacturing

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Conclusion

• data provided an informed picturePassionate
  Designers
• positive happy within themselves relish
  challenge Not Passionate Designers
• glass-half-empty
• barriers preventing them overcoming their fear of
  designing

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Conclusion

• importance of teaching students to design and
  about designing
• association between a students own design
  activity and success as teachers of design in
  future cannot be ignored

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A Passion for Designing

• Thank you for listening
• Any Questions?