Written reflection –  enhancing the curriculum in design education

This paper explores the complex interrelation and tension between the creative, artistic, reflective and academic dimensions of a design education under radical change. Since 2003, the Danish Design School has been in a process of transformation from traditional applied arts school to contemporary institution for design research and teaching at university level. So far, the most conspicuous changes on the educational level include structural changes according to the Bologna Declaration (a three-year BA level followed by a two-year MA level has been introduced), and a growing proportion of research-based teaching, particularly of theoretical aspects of design, with Design Theory as a comprehensive element of the curriculum. As a consequence, skills of academic writing are becoming increasingly important to our students (along with more conventional designer's skills of analysis and creative expression), not only for passing exams in Design Theory, but also as an integral part of studio work on design projects. Academic writing in the project context is developing into a genre in its own right, known as 'written reflection'. We shall briefly present this notion in terms of our experiences so far, current debates, and initiatives concerning its future development.