DESIGNER FIRST, EDUCATOR SECOND
Some in academia may look at this statement and claim that if you were to put one before the other that you may not be a dedicated professor, however I believe that this could not be further from the truth. With any major field of study those who are educating must have a current understanding of the technology and trends of their specific industry in order to best educate their students. Imagine if medical students were taught in a classroom by doctors who had not actively practiced medicine in over a decade, rather than in working hospitals with real patients and practicing doctors. I know that I would have a hard time trusting any doctor who graduated from such a program. Thus as a professor in design education, I am first and foremost, a designer.

WHAT IS A DESIGNER?
Place a designer in a room of people who know very little about design and you will find yourself in a room filled with graphic designers. With the proliferation of the personal computer and the availability of the Adobe Creative Suite and other desktop publishing software, everyone believes they are a graphic designer. However, remove the word "graphic" from the title and you become a specialized individual who focuses on multiple tasks and works to deliver smart and precise solutions. For design is much more about the process than it is about the actual artifact that is produced. In percentages the artifact accounts for, at most, five percent of the creative process. A designer must approach each design as a creative challenge and work his or her way through the task. It is designer's responsibility to be an expert in every field; we take on the role of investigator, asking questions and researching until we have found all the necessary answers. We must be an anthropologist, understanding the sensitivities of different people and cultures. A designer is much more than an individual who creates logos and brochures; we are active participants and interpreters of life.

DESIGNER TURNED EDUCATOR
While my mother nurtured my artistic talents and provided me with the inspiration, motivation and tools to become a successful designer, I owe my interest in education to my father. An early advocate of the use of technology in local educational systems, his belief of the importance of education and how it functions has offered great influence and insight. The belief that a single individual, put in the right situation, can influence change quickly developed into a passion, which was further nurtured in graduate school as I developed a new understanding of design. With the culmination of my formal education I was faced with a choice to continue my professional career or accept the challenge of passing on what I had learned to a new generation of design students. The decision was easy; I wanted to promote change in design education and better prepare students to enter into the field of design.

Recently I have introduced my students to the movie Objectified as a way to try and expand their understanding of design beyond the concept of an artifact. While watching the movie, I realized that a large part of what I do is provide the necessary resources and tools to my students so that they may have the greatest opportunity to succeed in their design education. Classrooms should be an active setting for innovative thought and discussion and I aim to provide my students with such an atmosphere. At the end of each quarter I look back at the successes and failures of my students and myself in an attempt to gain perspective on how I can provide them with a better experience. If I do not look to improve and expand my knowledge, then how do I ask my students to do the same?

PRESENTING THE PRESENT
Concluding my studies at SCAD a little over a year ago, I submitted my final thesis that explored the importance of considering multiple perspectives in design education. My argument being that if we limit students to the study of design principles alone and not consider other liberal art courses, then the academic institution is failing to prepare those students for the design industry. My research led me on a journey of discovery into the minds of Tim Brown and Tom Kelley, pioneers of the T-shaped designer and the application of design thinking principles. Since finishing my studies, these theories continue to intrigue and push me to gain an additional perspective on how the study of design management can aide in improving my role as an academic and community leader.

I have continued to write about the increasing capacity of education and the difficulties students and faculty will face in the years to come. As an Instructor at The Art Institute of Houston, my main role is to oversee the redevelopment of the web design classes that are offered to our graphic design students. I have worked to improve the program by harnessing the ideas and thoughts of creative leaders within Houston's design community, integrating the use of social media into the classroom, and improving the overall classroom experience for the student. The connections I have made while discussing the role of a designer in the web development process have helped me to continue to provide a better classroom experience through invitations for guest critiques, discussions, and lectures. Providing students with exposure to opinions from outside the walls of the institution is essential in their understanding of the industry.

Currently I am developing a course on sustainable design issues to be taught in the upcoming 2012 academic year. This course will focus on the application of sustainable materials while also allowing students to explore all aspects of sustainable design theories and processes. It is my goal to implement the theories of sustainability in every course I teach. In order to advocate change in our industry, sustainability must be taught as a core principle in graphic design.

LOOKING FORWARD
Much of my current writing focuses on improving the way design is taught in order to best prepare students for the industry. Better understanding the role education plays in our society and how it can be improved, is a topic I will continue to research and expand on. I continue to be captivated by the idea of design, systems thinking, and collaboration. Continuing to assess my personal and professional goals, I plan to further my education in order to better understand design and systems thinking, while also preparing for new creative opportunities in the community which I live. Only by advancing my knowledge through new challenges, will I continue to grow as a creative professional.

An unexpected gain from graduate school was a passion for research and writing. My initial research into approaching design from multiple perspectives only addresses the fundamental issues surrounding the topic and could benefit from further research and exploration. I hope that this additional research on the changes within the graphic design industry and the challenges faced in the education of future generations will lead to the completion of a book on the topic.

Looking to further provide students the best possible educational resources, I am looking to organize a design conference either as part of the community, or with the college or university I am currently affiliated. Having the opportunity to hear directly from some of the great designers of our era directly influenced my education and I feel that every student should have the opportunity to be a part of such an experience.

The growth of the field of design, starting with the education of our youth, is far more important than is personal glory.

© Nicholas McMillan