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.” 

Graham Fink – Why Process Matters More Than Finish in Creative Work Design Education Talks

Graham Fink is one of those rare creative figures whose career refuses to fit neatly into a single title. Creative director, art director, writer, artist, technologist, musician, filmmaker and educator, his practice moves fluidly across disciplines, cultures, and technologies. From global advertising leadership roles to experimental art-making, from working with robotics and AI to developing tools that allow him to draw using only his eyes, Graham’s work is driven by a restless curiosity and a deep belief in the power of ideas to cut through sameness.Alongside his commercial and artistic practice, Graham has spent decades committed to creative education and mentorship. Through initiatives such as Think Different and the relaunch of his influential Art School, he has challenged conventional models of learning, advocating for experimentation, cross-pollination, and thinking before polish. In this conversation, we explore creativity as a way of seeing the world, the dangers of mediocrity in an age of speed and AI, and why difference, curiosity, and discomfort remain essential tools for the next generation of creatives.Since 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. Graham Fink – Why Process Matters More Than Finish in Creative Work
  2. Dan Vlahos – Dynamic Media, Critical Thinking, and Design Pedagogy
  3. Jan Kubasiewicz on Teaching Design as a System of Meaning
  4. Nikolaus Hafermaas – Berlin Unplugged: Design, Education, and the Courage to Disrupt
  5. The Future of Learning with Christian Dominique: AI, Neuroscience and the Art of Wellness in Education

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

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