Perspective State of Education

Oct 07, 2024 By Cheryl S. Durst

We check in with educators, mentors, and students for a look at where we are—and where we're going—in the pursuit of, and design for, education

By Cheryl S. Durst Oct 07, 2024

Published in Perspective

Welcome to Perspective’s Education Issue!

My passion for this topic is well-documented—in fact, my love of learning is what I’d call an essential attribute. My professional life has been centered around education, from my days as a high school teacher in D.C., to creating education for designers, to leading an organization that is dedicated to sharing knowledge and expertise throughout the design community.

Learning is, perhaps, humanity’s most vital pursuit. Expanding our knowledge and understanding requires us to open our minds, shed preconceived notions, and then assimilate that new information—it becomes a part of who we are. Imagine the power, then, that comes with educating others, whether in a classroom, a seminar, or face to face in a work or even social setting. The knowledge we impart empowers others, and enriches us in turn.

I’m proud that IIDA is an organization of lifelong learners: designers inherently seek the skills and information that will lead them to solutions that make our world better today, and in the future. From our Design Your World program, which introduces high school students to design thinking and learning, to a robust slate of professional education programs, and our new Certified Design Futurist program, IIDA keeps the learning going!

Of course that also includes this issue of Perspective. You’ll hear from one of our dedicated Design Your World instructors, who harnesses his passion for art and design into a curriculum that inspires design’s next generation. And we’ll check in with a pair of mentors and their student designer mentee to hear firsthand about what mentoring at IIDA looks like today. There’s more, of course, so keep an eye on IIDA.org, our social media channels, and the new Perspective members-only newsletter, which brings all the articles in every issue into one place for you to peruse, bookmark, and learn from at your own pace.

I know you’ll enjoy the issue; let us know which article is your favorite, or fill us in on what you’re learning about. We’re curious how you, our members, are continuing to grow!

Read on, stay ever-curious, and keep learning!

Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA
IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO

Members Only

In this members-only feature, our cover story is extended with educator and designer Kenzie Leon Perry sharing a deeper look into his vision, mentorship, inspirations, and the design rule he always breaks. Read more

Cover Story

Impeccably dressed, effortlessly approachable, and endlessly inspiring, Kenzie Leon Perry is, in many ways, larger than life. We turn our focus to the Miami-based designer and educator whose creative vision extends beyond the interiors he curates, and into the core of his curriculum and the students that her impacts. Read more

Day in the Life

Why is mentorship so valuable? Delaney Bement has an answer: “Mentorship is important to me because … it allows me to take a step back from my day-to-day tasks and remember why I chose this profession.” In an interview, Bement, of VIA design, weighed in on the IIDA Student Mentoring Program alongside co-mentor and colleague Jacqueline Childress and mentee Layla Cadwell. Read more.

Talk Talk

Three designers tell us what they wish they’d been taught in design school and share their ideal curriculums. Serving as instructors with IIDA’s Design Your World (DYW) summer program earlier this year they discuss how DYW students sparked new ideas in them and how they see the world.

IIDA Perspective Team:

Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA | Executive VP and CEO, IIDA
Cindy Dampier | Chief Marketing Officer, IIDA
Nneka McGuire | Director of Content, IIDA
Laura Botham | Senior Digital Content Manager, IIDA
Vasia Rigou | Writer and Copy Editor, IIDA
Jessica Jones | Content Coordinator, IIDA