Envisioning an innovative future: The real-world value of creative and design skills

14 Nov 2019

Design skills with LASALLE — Source: LASALLE College of the Arts

In the face of an uncertain future, what drives students to mould their creative and design skills to fit industry demands and expectations?

Spurred by predictions that creativity will be the currency in futuristic organisations and AI-based businesses, students across the world, from a diverse range of backgrounds, are holding onto their passion for design and their eye for innovation.

Evaluated in the recent release by the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, called The Future of Work: How New Technologies Are Transforming Tasks, design and creative skills will be assets for students to hold onto for the future.

“As technology reduces the cost of some tasks, the value of the remaining tasks increases. Tasks that require grounding in intellectual skill and insight as well as to some degree, physical flexibility, common sense, judgment, intuition, creativity, and spoken language have tended to increase in value.

“Design tasks are also increasing in value across all wage groups. Design tasks including graphic and visual design, industrial design, user interface, user experience, and presentation design have increased in value consistently across occupations and wage groups,” notes the report.

Source: School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Curtin University

Increasing in value and granting students a fast-track pass to the automated gates of future organisations, creative and design skills are strategic talents to focus on.

“The rising value of design and industry knowledge tasks could reflect the innovative and intellectual skills required to bring together data, trends, and experience. Design, generally, and design thinking, specifically, often require deep insight and experience. Design thinking is intended to capture the needs and requirements of clients, markets and organisations and thus requires deep knowledge of a wide range of economic activity,” adds the report.

By tapping into their design skillsets and awakening their creative drive, students’ artistic passions and portfolios may push them further into career success, keeping their candidacy relevant and appealing for future employers.

Here are 3 innovative schools that develop students’ creative and design skills…

LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS – SINGAPORE

As a leading institution in Asia for contemporary arts and design, LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore offers 30 different programmes, led by a community of award-winning artists, designers, educators and researchers.

Source: LASALLE College of the Arts

What distinguishes LASALLE is its diverse offerings of diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across a comprehensive range of disciplines, including visual arts, performing arts, design, film & animation and arts management.

LASALLE inspires the next generation of forward-looking, globally engaged artists, designers and leaders of creative industries. As such, the College provides a nurturing, interdisciplinary learning environment where students are adept at collaborating across disciplines, pushing the boundaries of their practice.

Being at the heart of Southeast Asia enables LASALLE students to bridge Eastern and Western artistic practices and philosophies to create unique forms as well as gain an understanding of diverse cultures, traditions and art forms.

As a practice-led institution, LASALLE helps students understand and appreciate real-world challenges through industry collaborations and community engagement initiatives. These projects prepare students to become game-changers and creative leaders once they step into the working world.

Take the next step in your creative pursuits at LASALLE, where the arts matter most.

SCHOOL OF DESIGN, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON (VUW) – NEW ZEALAND

Merging design with the fields of film and technology, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) graduates are valued for their creative, innovative and independent thinking abilities.

Source: School of Design, Victoria University of Wellington

That’s why the diverse selection of study routes at VUW School of Design includes the Bachelor of Design Innovation (BDI) with the opportunity to major in Animation and Visual Effects, and the Master of Design Technology (MDT), which is annually certified by the globally-leading software company SideFX – an extremely competitive certification.

Offering the largest specialised design programmes in New Zealand (NZ) and staffed by lecturers and tutors renowned for their leading research and practice, VUW is where you can refine your creative potential.

One of VUW’s most prized offerings includes the Miramar Creative Centre (MCC). The MCC is located in the heart of Miramar: ‘New Zealand’s Hollywood’, where you’ll find the Weta Group of Companies. Through this proximity and networking platform, students make use of the impressive connections through internships, mentorship and insightful visits.

At VUW, all staff have impressive industry experience driving their research programmes. For example, a current academic is developing a project with support from the renowned Sundance Film Festival, and two others are continuing collaborations with Epic Games.

Additionally, Wellington became the 2^nd best city in the world for its tremendous quality of life, according to the Deutsche Bank Mapping the World’s Prices 2019 report. As such, your studies at VUW will be enriched by one of New Zealand’s most creative and liveable start-up cities.

SCHOOL OF MEDIA, CREATIVE ARTS AND SOCIAL INQUIRY, CURTIN UNIVERSITY- AUSTRALIA

Taking its place in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019, Curtin is a top 200 university for art and design.

Source: School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Curtin University

Under the Faculty of Humanities, the university eagerly supports the development of students’ art, creative and design skills through the School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry.

Enabling you to explore new technologies and values that 21^st-century creative industries and social sciences promote, the school encourages you to create real-world innovations.

Reflecting on her creative Curtin experience, established playwright and Bachelor of Arts graduate with a double major in theatre arts and creative writing, Kate Mulvany opens up about her motivations and pivotal moments at the school.

“I’m always drawing on the lessons I learned at Curtin. I had the best of the best here. I remember the exact moment when I was on stage and started speaking Shakespeare’s words and I just loved the feel of them in my mouth. And in terms of writing, I remember Elizabeth Jolley liking how dark I could be as a writer.

“Curtin has given me this beautiful gift and what I’ve got from that has been unexpected but completely wonderful,” Kate explains.

Exposing learners to a plethora of employable assets, Curtin School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry is the ideal place to develop your creative and design skills in Australia, and the perfect hub for sparking new artistic innovations.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International