2024 sees Bridge House welcome Design as an academic subject in the College. The Bridge House Design department aims to challenge its young minds to greater heights in innovation and originality and grow in them a responsibility to people and the planet. It seeks to impact the direct social, cultural and economic environment of Franschhoek and surrounding areas.
Design is an innovative, problem-solving process. It is logical and practical creativity that cohabits our spaces or, as one of the new Grade 11 Design students, Victor Sessinghaus, put it, “its omnificent creativity.” The end products created through the design process are typically environments, systems, services, surfaces and products. These may be unique or intended for mass production for the consumer market. These products may be handcrafted, or made by mechanical or electronic means.
Design is concerned with the product’s purpose, its aesthetic quality, its functionality as well as its commercial viability. Design is a powerful tool, which shapes the social, cultural and physical environment in order to benefit us all. Design makes life easier, more productive and more efficient.
The curriculum has three focus areas:
Here the student will be given a brief and will be expected to develop a design in response to this brief. The student will follow the design process of researching the subject, generating innovative ideas, and developing and implementing them while constantly evaluating their feasibility and practicality.
Each student is expected to produce a body of work that shows an understanding of the necessary skills, materials, and production processes, as well as a target market. Various disciplines will be explored.
Here, the student is expected to develop an understanding and appreciation of design in its context. The student will learn more about the theory of design and the vocabulary. The students will realise the impact that design has on people and the environment, whether it is a positive or negative influence. Design development will be studied from a historical and a contemporary perspective.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs.
Design thinking is a tenet of Future Fit, one of our Seven Bridges. Teaching our students – how it works.