Curious Habits - Design As Learning

What distinguishes surface learning from transformative understanding? What role does iteration play in the process? Design methodology and learning theory share fundamental similarities, particularly in their iterative nature. Both often involve stages of observation, reflection, conceptualization, and active application or experimentation. This similarity underscores a fundamental truth: both design and learning are deeply rooted in human nature. The distinction between surface learning and transformative understanding is a critical aspect of both design and education. Surface learning focuses on acquiring knowledge at a superficial level, often driven by the goal of completing tasks or passing exams. In contrast, transformative understanding involves deep engagement with the material, where learners internalize concepts, question underlying assumptions, and integrate new knowledge into their existing frameworks, leading to profound shifts in perspective and capability. Iteration plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between surface learning and transformative understanding. Through repeated cycles of action and reflection, learners and designers alike move beyond initial impressions to develop a nuanced and comprehensive grasp of the subject matter. Each iteration provides an opportunity to refine ideas, confront challenges, and incorporate feedback, leading to continual improvement and deeper insights. The exhibition aims to reveal key moments where learning is most apparent in the design process, showcasing how various design exercises contribute to final outcomes. By highlighting these moments, the exhibition demonstrates how learning shapes the design process, where new insights transform a project. Visitors will witness the evolution of design concepts from initial sketches to polished products, observing how iterative cycles foster both technical proficiency and creative innovation. Ultimately, the exhibition seeks to inspire a deeper understanding of how iterative processes in design and learning can lead to meaningful and lasting transformation. The show also features the RCA’s collaboration project with mobile technology brand OPPO, now in its 5’th year and focusing on Connective Intelligence. As we experience a ‘Cambrian Explosion’ of consumer electronics and digital opportunities, we strive to ground design innovation in values of curiosity and the capacity to learn. With technology offering us ever more ambitious visions; from better versions of ourselves to existing in harmony with systems of people and products and ultimately living sustainably with nature and planet, we need to ask ourselves who or what must we learn from? What lessons do we learn and how do we act upon them? In this show, students from across the RCA School of Design exhibit projects which explore, redefine and question ecosystems of devices, archetypes of engagement and new ways of being.