This course invites you to explore the cultural narratives of Aotearoa and to consider how contemporary design, values, Tikanga, and Do-Design can work together to create meaningful, community-driven outcomes aligned with collective and whaanau aspirations.
In recent years, government and social institutions have critically explored design as a promising practice for facilitating self-determination. Co-Design allows new ways of thinking to be expressed, enabling genuine connections that foster the necessary collaboration to deal with complex challenges. As an example, “Maaori co-design” or tikanga-led design explores how kaupapa Maaori approaches can be used to address challenges that affect communities and particularly Maaori communities.
Students will learn to design from a culturally respectful perspective, developing a deeper understanding of the historical relationship between Tangata Tiriti and Tangata Whenua, celebrating what is unique about the people and the place in which this university is embedded. The topics discussed will help students build a shared understanding of Maaori heritage, worldview, whakapapa (interconnectedness), values, stories, and current challenges, alongside narratives and design approaches from Oceanic peoples and those from further afield so we can explore and experience authentic intercultural practices.
Students will also learn collaborative design methods as a respectful approach when working with local communities. This paper emphasises the importance of local knowledge and positioning whaanau and/or community groups at the centre of projects. Students will learn to develop empathetic listening, collaboration, understanding of power dynamics, and facilitating safe spaces for others; the ability to test and fail forward in order to improve and co-develop solutions. Moreover, students will be encouraged to practice tino rangatiratanga (self-determination), explore their uniqueness, and positionality and develop their own decolonising design methods due to these inspiring narratives.