CONFERENCES
E&PDE 2026 - 28th International Conference on Engineering & Product Design Education
The Conference will bring together representatives from education and industry interested in sharing new perspectives on design education.
Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
SET UP TO FAIL: REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION IN TEACHING DESIGN AT A TRANSNATIONAL INSTITUTION IN CHINA
Burgess, Jon; Gallagher, Connor; Blacker, Charlotte
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
Arts University Bournemouth, United Kingdom; Sussex University, United Kingdom; University of Lancashire, United Kingdom
Page(s):
421 - 426
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
Teaching design within UK–China partnered higher education institutions is increasingly common. Chinese universities are influenced by filial piety (xiao) and Confucian principles, where avoidance of shame can heighten fear of failure, embarrassment to self or family discourages openly sharing creative experimentation, and limit engagement with Western iterative, failure-driven design processes. Drawing on the author’s experience, this paper examines how Dweck’s Growth Mindset and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle can be adapted for design teaching in China through an AI-assisted creative module. Students transformed sketches into AI-rendered outputs and used AI-generated “failures” as prompts for critique, reflection, and refinement. This created psychological distance between students and their work, making failure acceptable - and at times humorous, while re-framing iteration as a core component of creative development. The structured cycle of iteration and self-evaluation supported open discussion of mistakes and strategies for improvement. The AI-mediated reflection model preserved face while fostering creative risk-taking, offering insights for educators navigating cultural expectations in transnational learning environments.
Keywords:
