Design Education Talks Ep. 67 – Tony Edisson

“If students come in, not really motivated, if they’re a bit blase, if they’re not hungry for education, maybe if they don’t see a purpose in what they’re doing. They’ll achieve mediocre results, and they may not enjoy it as much as they would. And certainly the impact upon graduation, their impact in the workplace, isn’t going to be as impactful as it could, could and shouldn’t be. So yeah, it’s all well and good teaching skills. But I think changing mindsets, in higher education, developing confidence, self esteem, is really important as well. Because without that there’ll be a fear about experimenting, a theory about failing, which is essential especially in our our domains.” 

Lauren Alexander – Designing with Care, Complexity, and Responsibility – Design Education Talks

Lauren Alexander is an artist, educator, and researcher whose practice operates at the intersection of design, critical inquiry, and collective work. Born in South Africa in 1983 and now based in the Netherlands, her trajectory reflects a sustained engagement with questions of power, history, and representation. Trained originally as a graphic designer, Alexander has gradually expanded her practice beyond service based design, developing a research led approach that uses storytelling, archives, and collaboration as tools for cultural and political reflection She is currently co head of the Bachelor Graphic Design programme at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague where she works alongside Chantal Hendriksen to shape the strategic direction of contemporary design education. Between 2017 and 2024, she developed and taught Critical Storytelling in the MA Non Linear Narrative programme, a course centred on collaborative research methodologies and the examination of complex socio political contexts. Across her teaching, Alexander emphasises uncertainty, ethical responsibility, and critical literacy, encouraging students to engage deeply with both material and digital cultures rather than seeking quick or resolved outcomes Alongside her academic role, Alexander is co founder of Foundland Collective, a long term collaborative practice established in 2009 with Syrian designer Ghalia Elsrakbi. Foundland’s work investigates political narratives, migration, and media representation through art, design, writing, and video, and has been recognised internationally through fellowships, awards, and exhibitions at institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Ars Electronica, and the Rotterdam International Film Festival. Together, Alexander’s educational and artistic practices articulate a vision of design not as neutral problem solving, but as an ethical and cultural practice embedded in history, power, and lived experience Find more about her work here https://www.kabk.nl/en/teachers/lauren-alexanderhttps://foundland.info/Support the showSince its inception in 2019, Design Education Talks podcast has served as a dynamic platform for the exchange of insights and ideas within the realm of art and design education. This initiative sprang from a culmination of nearly a decade of extensive research conducted by Lefteris Heretakis. His rich background, intertwining academia, industry, and student engagement, laid the foundation for a podcast that goes beyond the conventional boundaries of educational discourse.See all of our work on on https://linktr.ee/thenewartschoolFollow us on twitter at @newartschoolRead our latest articles at https://newartschool.education/and https://heretakis.medium.com/Equipment used to produce the podcast:Rodcaster pro IIRode NT1 5th generationElgato Low profile Microphone ArmMonster Prolink Studio Pro microphone cableThe rest of the equipment is here 👉https://kit.co/heretakis/podcasting
  1. Lauren Alexander – Designing with Care, Complexity, and Responsibility
  2. Design as Experience: Ksenija Miļča on Interiors, Branding and Education
  3. The Education of Attention: Esen Karol on Design, Publishing and Joy Teaching Designers to See: A Conversation with Esen Karol
  4. Simon Collins – What Design Schools Get Wrong About the Real World
  5. Graham Fink – Why Process Matters More Than Finish in Creative Work

Professor Antony Eddison PFHEA. With a professional lifetime of teaching, management & leadership in Further and Higher Education in the UK and internationally, Tony is Advisor and External Examiner at several universities for innovative post-graduate programmes, as a practitioner he has worked in Architecture, Design and related Creative Industries and as an artist has most recently exhibited his work at The Royal British Society of Sculptors, London.
As a Senior Associate with QAA Tony works periodically on UK and international Further and Higher Education projects. His consultancy and research focus on developing new ways of unlocking creativity and innovation in business and education inspired by the innovative application of Design Thinking, FABLAB Maker-Spaces and LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®. His research publications focus upon archaeology, cultural-heritage and the use of VR in engineering, health and well-being and hazardous situation simulation.

Tony is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy UK and from time to time is engaged as a consultant on a variety of business & international higher education related assignments and mentors those working towards levels of Fellowship recognition with AdvanceHE. 
Tony also heads up a small enterprise which designs and hosts innovative virtual and augmented reality online tours and experiences of castles, stately homes, and other buildings with a focus on communicating our cultural heritage to a global audience.

To end on something quirky, Tony is a keen cook, has been a voice-coach to a well-known celebrity chef and was fortunate enough to conduct the last recorded interview with the first chef to take cooking out of the kitchen, Keith Floyd. Tony can be contacted at ant_je10@yahoo.co.uk

Support the show

Follow us on twitter at @newartschool
Visits us on https://linktr.ee/thenewartschool
Read our latest articles at https://heretakis.wordpress.com/
and https://heretakis.medium.com/

Leave a Reply