Design plays a vital role in education. From the type of furniture used to the way learning materials are laid out, design impacts how students learn, how they feel in their environment and whether the lessons are retained and effective. Here are just some of the ways in which design influences education.

User experience

User experience (often abbreviated as UX) defines how a person interacts with a tool and how they feel about that interaction. To use a basic example, a chair is designed for sitting – but is it comfortable, easily movable, the right size for the person using it, and the right colour and style for the surrounding décor? The user’s experience of all these factors together defines how much enjoyment and benefit they get out of the tool in the context it’s used in. A soft, comfortable lounge chair is ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon, but it’s not appropriate in a board meeting.

Good designers are acutely aware of this and tailor their work to make the experience for the user as hassle-free and enjoyable as possible. UX touches on many important aspects of education at all levels: the design and layout of physical classrooms, the type of stationery supplied, the way course and lesson plans are structured, how textbooks and learning materials are designed and laid out, even how students contact and interact with their teachers.

UX design considers the entire journey – in education, this means from the moment the student enrols in the course until when they graduate or complete their training. Where school teaching is involved, design must consider both the learners and the parents (not to mention the educators) and take into account their overall needs – even such considerations as lighting and temperature.

Curriculums also benefit from the considerations of good design and UX. Day-to-day education should speak to the age, level and interests of its participants – and this requires creative thinking. Primary school learners, for example, may be miserable if forced to sit through an hour-long presentation on weather patterns and plant life. But if they are taken outside, taught how to plant their own gardens and then shown the effects of sunlight and water on the plants, they will gain valuable lessons without even realising that they are learning. Their user experience is so much richer and the lessons much more effective.

Aesthetics matter

The adage about judging a book by its cover holds a simple truth – if something looks good, it is more likely to grab and hold your attention. Design encompasses the competing philosophies of form (appearance) and function (usability) – and the former is often just as important as the latter.

For example, a textbook that is laid out with a tiny font, cramped spreads and no images is simply harder and less pleasant to read than one with a clear font, lots of white space and some graphics to illustrate concepts. Education is often already a challenging and uncomfortable undertaking for many, so it is logical to make as much of the process as easy and enjoyable as possible. Design can help to achieve that.

Going beyond the learning

Aside from having tangible effects on people who are already learning, good design has several other vital spinoffs.

One of the most crucial results is actually making learning possible in the first place. Thousands of schools in South Africa are understaffed and under-resourced, and there’s little funding for the basics like furniture and textbooks. Designers confront these challenges by developing solutions like sturdy cardboard tables with interchangeable parts, $100 laptops that enable students to connect to the web, and cleverly built classrooms that maximise light and air while keeping temperatures at a comfortable level.

These solutions are cheaper than the alternatives, more sustainable and contribute to tangible development. On top of that, they are usually also more environmentally and socially friendly too. The children who plant a garden for their class contribute to greening and environmental awareness, and even perhaps to creating subsistence produce for the school. A school that sends learners textbook materials on their cellphones cuts down on book printing and transport costs while engaging the learners on a platform they respond well to. The potential is endless.

Design is not just making something pretty – it involves transforming the way we think about our world and making us more effective, efficient and aware. With the focus turning to South African design, there has never been a better opportunity to showcase what local creative thinkers can achieve if they put their minds to it.

Anna Malczyk is a member of the academic department of GetSmarter, online education company that presents part-time online courses. Visit GetSmarter

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