Video Exclusive丨The Design Class in Beijing Royal Foreign Language School

Design is an important part of the IB Courses (International Baccalaureate). In the design class, it challenges all students to apply practical and creative thinking to solve design problems. Please see how the teachers in Beijing Royal Foreign Language School interpret it.

Design, as a word, often appears in people’s life. However, to most people, the specific concept of design is blurred. We usually mention design as the consciously creative activity with designers’ purpose. While, in the IB courses, design is a kind of process that is produced by the reasonable planning and careful planning, then it was expressed by various forms of feelings.

The Silhouette of Design Class

Since the beginning of this semester, the theme of the first design unit is to design a LOGO for the annual science festival of Beijing Royal Foreign Language School. Why does it start from the LOGO?

Student work 1: Science Festival Logo

MYP project of the IB courses aims at the students whose age are from 12 years old to 17 years old. Their understanding of design is not yet comprehensive. Through graphic design course, it can make the student learn color scheme, practice hand-painted skills, develop design originality, and then stimulate students to have interests in design.

Student work 2: Science Festival Logo

The Questions and Answers about the Design Class

What’s IB design course about?

Every subject of our design courses is based on solving the real-world problems.

After studying one unit, many students have already shown their talent in design.

Is the design thinking important?

The most important thing in design course is the training of design thinking. Students with good design thinking can

Benefit from many field, because they have different thinking modes, which make them capable to think of more ways in solving problems.

Is there certain process in teaching design?

The strategy of developing this way of thinking is called design cycle. It includes four steps: Inquiring and analysing, developing ideas, creating the solution and evaluating. At the same time, this is also a complete design process.

How do you inspire the students?

During teaching I guide the students to appreciate the classic design cases from different branches as much as possible, for example, graphic design, architecture, industrial design etc. This will help cultivate their pursuit for beauty and good taste.

Is the design thinking important?

The design thinking mode will have a lifelong influence for the students. There is more to design than can be conveyed thoroughly in one semester or one academic year. As a teacher of design my role is to help students arouse an interest in taste and aesthetics.  This will help them truly enjoy design throughout their life.