Understanding Design-based Learning (DBL) for teaching Z-Gen learners as Design Education in the 21st Century


Design Education Model by Albert Young Choi


JUAN J. ARRAUSI | TDA Organizer
Diseñador, profesor, docente y continuo aprendiz. Postgrado en diseño gráfico en la Schule für Gestaltung de Basilea, Suiza. Licenciado en Bellas Artes por la Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao. 



Important note: I want to clarify that this article is not a research article; instead, it is a contribution article. I hope I can contribute my pedagogy experience to our design education society.


In my 20 years of teaching experience, I have always believed that education is a learning process and provides the ability to distinguish information and achieve a goal in life. This concept leads me to think about my design education and teaching philosophy, which has three main parts: Learning Method, Learning Process, and Design Methodology (see Figure 1). The learning process ATE (Analyzing, Thinking, and Executing) utilizes design methodologies to make the learning process efficient. I studied cognition science, marketing, psychology, and sociology to developed design methodologies such as “Conceptor,” “Experience Brand Design,” “Culture Code Brand Design (CCBD),” “Design Formalization,” and “Decoding.” For many years, I taught these methodologies under design course names as hidden contents because the students and the department cannot forecast the future, and the course could be in danger of dropping out. These courses have helped many students to achieve their life goals as successful designers. Later, I developed and implemented DBL (Design-Based Learning) as a learning method utilizing design methodologies under ATE as a learning process.