VIRTUAL Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

By grounding a new curriculum and aligning it with Mātauranga Māori principles, this pedagogical approach emphasises and acknowledges the value of indigenous knowledge systems, highlighting the importance of reflecting on cultural and historical contexts to inspire and inform new directions in contemporary creative practice. Guided by the whakataukī (a Māori proverb), whakatōmuri ki te auaha o ngā whakatipuranga (look back to the creativity of the generations), the revitalisation of a core communication design course is essential. It addresses the absence of design research in the curriculum and reintroduces critical historical, theoretical, and cultural perspectives into studio pedagogy. Key design principles, movements, and contemporary practices are embedded within the curriculum and reinforced through both individual and group research tasks. These tasks enable students to identify, ideate, and apply strategies through a conceptual lens. Practical, cyclical studio exercises, paired with conceptual provocations, emphasise non–linear, iterative methodologies, that enable students to connect research, ideation, and multimodal outputs. This pedagogical model serves as a dynamic framework that nurtures adaptive, independent modes of creative practice, encouraging students to evaluate and articulate the relationship between theory, context, and application, while also fostering collaboration and a commitment to understanding and undertaking culturally responsive design that values historical and indigenous knowledge and contemporary perspectives.