Dizaina Studija. Telpa Forma Laiks

Is a revolution necessary for Latvian design education? What is Latvian design? What is the vision for the development of Latvian design? We must think about the winners in education – the person who know what to look for, and where to look for it. Design is one of the “hot potatoes” that is being currently bandied about in the context of the arts industry as a prominent indicator of added value. Do we have the opportunity, desire and aim to develop internationally competitive design education in Latvia? A quality that will result in talented specialists who will work both in the Latvian and the international markets, but the real winner will be our society, which will benefit from the improvement of our national image, and an economic return to Latvia through taxes paid. In order to develop quality design education, it must be built on a stable foundation, evaluating the current positives and negatives, looking for the best in foreign design education programmes and finding our own identity. And – that is much more important than the previously mentioned – we must learn to create discussions and accept a diversity of opinion, because only in this way can we clarify the direction in which to look for answers.
Since January 2008 the Design Information Centre (DIC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the Arts Education Centre of Latvia have been developing a unified concept of national design education, as well as the guidelines for design education programmes. The concept envisages the effective organisation of succession at all levels of education, and the improvement of study programmes. Seven work groups have been created in which the best Latvian specialists are working, foreign professionals and experts in design education, specialists from the Ministries of Economics and Education have been involved; work has begun with the Latvian Designers’ Association and representatives from the manufacturing industry. The work will be completed in October, when the new programmes will be presented to all interested parties during an international conference under the framework of the project “Design. The Future”.
“Dizaina Studija” presents the opportunity to become acquainted with the opinions of specialists involved in the project.  

AGNESE MILTIŅA, Master of Arts, Director of the Arts Education Centre of Latvia:

This “revolution” in design education began due to the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and the Arts Education Centre of Latvia. Currently we feel as if we are the winners. The systematic approach to the field of design has revealed many new aspects from world experience which are worth adopting, after evaluating both successes and failures. For example, the interdisciplinary study model of the University of Art and Design in Finland is outstanding: it has been created for the promotion of collaboration between companies and students. The interrelationships and succession of the design education programme has been secured. A new approach to design education is utilised all the way from the educational content of small art schools through to the PhD level.  
The creation of a college-level design education programme will be of benefit for a new higher educational facility which is being created on the basis of the Liepāja Art Secondary School. One must praise the capacity of international design experts enlisted by the DIC, which strengthens the conviction about the international competitiveness of the developing design education programme.
The work is happening at a time when a number of significant political planning activities are occurring in Latvia, which in the future will influence the common educational space: the bill on Higher Education, the concept and bill on professional education, and the culture and creative industries education development programmes for 2009–2013.
Three of the most important future tasks: to create an effective model for the further education of teachers; to strengthen links between educational institutions and businessmen; to look for opportunities to improve the financial and material base for educational institutions.  

GITA STRAUSTIŅA, Master of Arts, Associate Professor, Director of the Laboratory for Design Innovation and Technology at the Design Department of the Latvian Academy of Art:

Good intentions often encounter a lack of finances, also in design education: the rigidness of the system and the prolonged small amount of support from the State, local government and businesses as participants in this process. Due to this, the special interest of the Latvian Ministry of Culture to encourage design education is to be congratulated. Professional design in Latvia is closely related to the versatility and relevance of design education.  
I became involved in this project as the representative of the Design Department of the Latvian Academy of Art, because the Academy is the leading higher education institution in the field of design in Latvia and it is aware of its responsibility in continuing to develop the opportunities for education in this field. I fervently hope that these good intentions will become a reality and that Latvia will gain a long-term development perspective with the help of design.  

DAINA VĪTOLIŅA, Director of the Design Information Centre:

The further development of design education is very topical, and is of global importance. Ten years ago education was the main driving force, but currently the development of industry and technology is progressing at breakneck speed, and the education system cannot keep up. With this project there is not just the opportunity to address questions of design education, but also to bring forward higher aims. To create a flexible model for education, which would create eminent and wide-ranging personalities – people who are active, open to change, can think creatively and utilise the knowledge they have acquired.  
The introduction of educational programmes needs a real continuation. A successful beginning needs purposeful developmental work in four basic directions: 1) deeper research into both the fields of education and the demands of the national economy; 2) the creation of forms of discussion and their development, involving both specialists in the field and the wider community; 3) the development of collaboration between manufacturers and educational institutions, including a search for a method of state support; 4) the attraction of funding sources (national, local government, industry, education fees) for the provision of the implementation of design education.  

MARTIN PÄRN, Masters of Design, Design Agency KNOK, Department of Product Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts:

The aim of this programme is to lift Latvian design education to a higher and more contemporary level, creating a successful design culture and industry. What could be the Latvian method to encourage and create a unique identity for the design industry, taking into account historical (uniqueness, culture) and current (education, industry) conditions? Design education in Latvia is based on an earlier, older form – studies are based on materials and techniques, while international design education is rapidly moving forward, integrating other disciplines in the design field. Therefore the first thing that is necessary is the analysis of the current situation in education, society and industry.   
Local industry should be the main promoter of design education, because it is a significant partner which offers students places for work experience and initiates successful communication between education and work. If there is no push from the economy, education cannot blossom on its own.  
The best way to develop is through various forms of collaboration, because in Latvia, the same as in Estonia, the biggest problem is the small volume in all fields – the nation, the economy, design education, one student courses etc... It is not possible to look at education divided off from the outside world, from the economy.  

JURIS GRIĶIS, Director of the company “Nakts mēbeles”:

If we want to exist in the contemporary market, we must understand that supply and demand define the essence of the market.  It is important to orient oneself in the fields of marketing and management about the process of the market in general. This was acknowledged by David Griffiths, lecturer of the Royal British Institute of Marketing who visited Riga with his wonderful lecture which analysed the concepts “design management” and “management design”. In turn, Martin Pärn from Estonia effectively described the strategic tendencies of Baltic design – the management of design is in the hands of the designers, and this is not a practical solution to the situation.
I personally view these processes in a positive and hopeful light, design is being spoken about more and more from “the ground up”. I hope that the government will also pay attention to design as a nationally strategic direction, as is already done, for example, by the Danish government, which invests 12 million Danish crowns a year in the national design programme development project.   

KATRĪNA ANDROSHINA, professor, Bolzano University and Berlin University of the Arts:  

In many cases new solutions occur from a “different” way of thinking. This implies that ideas should be brought forward into the foreground of education. Designers are necessary as the definers of tendencies, directions and as spin doctors – people who create new ideas for new tasks. Design education should focus on teaching the creation of ideas and creative thinking. High level English language training should be an obligatory part of design education. Frequent lectures by international guest lecturers should become an integral component of design education.  
Latvia’s uniqueness should demonstrate the wishes of modern society, their demands. This implies an investment in modern technologies and new media. On the other hand – strong roots of craftsmanship should remain a stable foundation for the further improvement of the educational model. A mechanism must be created which would improve understanding and interest in design education both in the chosen industries and in Latvian thinking generally. This is the real time for the improvement of Latvian design education. Both the introduction of new courses on all levels, and the improvement of existing design education institutions are significant steps in the right direction.  

MASAJO AVE, Professor, Director of the Faculty of Product Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts:
For Latvia it is important to plan educational opportunities in design not just for the younger generation, who is beginning study straight after high school, but also for specialists who work in manufacturing or providing services. The specific problem of design education in the Baltic region, in which there are only new and small factories, could be that manufacturing specialists do not have the opportunities to gain a foundation in design theory, designing, and learning to understand design as a development strategy for their manufacturing facility.
We have to give an opportunity to those who are active in the local economy to become involved in higher design education (for example, through doing a master’s degree). In this way an institution of higher education becomes and active platform on which industry representatives and designers learn together: to think and experiment as colleagues. In this way, the period of study functions as a time to prepare real partners who can in the future create original products of national design together.  

Material prepared by INESE PĒTERSONE