Design as a conversation is never ending. Any design has an affect on those that view it, it may be negative or positive, the viewer may not even realize that they are affected until years later and respond then. It is the responsibility of the viewer to respond to design and continue the conversation. As students we are in constant contact with designs of the past. Usually we just take them as they are, items we must coexist with, not matter how annoying they may be. What are we thinking? We should be begging to look at design work from the past and put our own spin on it. Respond to the statements of the past, and continue the conversation. The student’s environment should reflect the learning style of that student but we are all different so how can large institutions accommodate all of this diversity? Design. We should strive to take on this most fundamental challenge in education. Make learning fun and affective though design.
An article in Metropolis Magazine reports of a group of designers is taking on this challenge by rethinking the traditional school chair. There have been many advances in the understanding of how people work. Acknowledgment of different learning styles and a general understanding that the old ways of teaching are not what everyone needs. Yet we attempt these new teaching styles in the rickety old environments of teaching styles past. Steelcase has been designing office chairs for years, providing comfort and support to people who have already been educated. But what about before these people had jobs? Steelcase addresses this demographic with Node . Coming up with a solution to the “ one-armed bandits” as they call them. Taking the mundane classroom chair and turning it into the ultimate learning support system.
These new style chairs are made for the modern person, who is larger than the person of the past, it’s easy to slide into the seat, no more careful maneuvering necessary. The workspace is larger which leaves space for a computer and hand notes. There is ample storage beneath the seat, room enough for a large backpack, the arms of the chair can also support the weight of a backpack and act as additional storage "hooks". But, what makes this chair special for the modern classroom, well what the modern classroom should be, is that the chair is made to move. The student is able to swivel completely around so changing from lecture to group studying is a smooth transition. The entire chair is also on casters making the student, workspace, and storage area completely mobile. This means the classroom is able to completely abandon the traditional room arrangement and change to fit the project needs.
What is unique about this design conversation is that it has been silent for so long. Years ago someone seemed to have “won”, come up with such an economical, and simple idea that no one dared to question. But I don’t think everyone was really happy with the solution all these years. Kids fall asleep in class, text under the desk; pass notes, pretty much anything that isn’t learning. So now we have a solution, a tool to keep kids engaged. Yes, there are some weak points in the design. Price might limit availability, but the point is that we have recognized the need for change and how simple the solution to some education problems may be. Ok, maybe a chair won't solve all of our problems; we still have instructors with teaching styles that match those old clunky chairs. But change always starts with something small, why not a chair? This conversation is not where close to being finished, the beauty of design is that we don't look for the end, we always have a response.
Check out the full article :http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20100616/back-to-school
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