Abstract
If
“Design
is
shaped
by
the
community
and
community
shapes
design”
(DEFSA
2013
brief
author),
then
how
do
we
teach
design
to
a
culture
that
is
engrossed
within
the
ever-‐changing
information
age,
what
is
the
impact
of
this
ethos
on
the
current
day
designer
and
design?
Today’s
student
is
inclined
to
have
an
ethos
that
is
different
to
students
from
as
short
as
five
years
ago;
post
2007,
the
year
that
social
media
started
to
be
commonly
used
by
South
Africans,
thus
changing
their
ethos
of
design
and
continues
to
change
as
the
digital
information
age
develops.
This
paper
looks
at
a
design
class,
on
third
year
level,
as
the
Design
Culture
described
by
the
conference
outlines;
understanding
the
dualism
at
play
on
the
design
process
and
the
class
group
as
the
community.
It
investigates
the
culture
that
does
not
hold
onto
information,
but
has
access
to
information
at
the
press
of
a
button.
This
investigation
aims
to
understand
the
nature
of
this
constantly
changing
culture
and
the
influences
the
information
age
has
on
the
ethos
of
a
design
culture.
It
investigates
how
teaching
has
to
adapt
to
serve
this
digital
culture
and
how
learning
happens
within
it.
The
paper
considers
the
changes
to
the
praxis
of
design;
process
of
design,
the
nature
of
creativity
and
the
communication
of
design
within
this
ethos,
the
challenges
and
potential
for
growth
that
the
information
ethos
brings
with
it.
It
aims
to
contribute
to
the
discourse
surrounding
praxis
of
design
teaching
to
today’s
constantly
changing,
network
driven
design
culture.
In
conclusion
this
investigation
considers
the
influence
of
the
digital
culture
on
design
cultures
and
aims
to
act
as
a
catalyst
to
design
educators
to
enrich
the
understanding
of
the
cultures
they
are
involved
with
and
aims
to
contribute
to
the
praxis
of
teaching
design
to
a
continually
changing
culture
on
the
fringes
or
outskirts
of
the
educator’s
own
culture.