School of Design: Foreword
Returning to NCAD after directing the Irish year of design, it’s exciting to see how students are actively engaging with the expanded design landscape in Ireland, and beyond. Design has moved beyond the creation of artefacts and environments, and embraced the realm of services and experiences. Designers are increasingly engaged with social, environmental and political agendas, and informing public and institutional policy. The School of Design encompasses graphic design, illustration, jewellery, fashion, textile & surface design, product design, medical device design and interaction design, creating a design culture that thrives on new ideas, new ways of doing things and new areas of expertise. Our graduates experiment and embrace risk to create innovative ways of working within, and beyond, their design disciplines. They anticipate the needs, wants and desires of future societies, and recognise that they can apply innovative creative processes and transferrable design skills and thinking across a spectrum of settings. 4