Welcome to
Community of Design
Zoey Andreas
Master of Education (Transforming Practice)
University of Cambridge.
Community of Design is a platform developed as part of a Master of Education (Transforming Practice) research project at the University of Cambridge.
The platform explores how collaborative sharing of design work can support autonomy, creativity and reflective practice in secondary Design and Technology education.
Research Context
This project forms part of a Master of Education (MEd) research study at the University of Cambridge exploring autonomy, creativity and design practice in Secondary Design & Technology education.
Research Approach
Community of Design has been developed as a digital platform where teachers and students can share design work, document iterative processes, and reflect on design decisions.
The project particularly explores how shared design artefacts and collaborative reflection may support both pupil and teacher autonomy within Design and Technology education.
Research Purpose
Ethical Considerations
Ethical approval was obtained through the University of Cambridge. All participants provided informed consent and contributions to the project are anonymised where referenced within the research.
The research draws on interviews with Design & Technology teachers and school leaders, alongside the development of this digital artefact. The project explores how collaborative sharing of design work may support autonomy and reflective practice in Design & Technology.
The resource is informed by theory-informed research on autonomy in design education, particularly Self-Determination Theory. It also reflects discussions with practicing teachers and designers about how iterative design processes operate in both educational and professional contexts.
A particular focus is placed on rapid idea generation, prototyping, and iteration, which are central to professional design practice. While design processes in secondary schools can sometimes become more linear, this framework encourages a more exploratory and iterative approach to design thinking.
The framework also encourages students to take ownership of their design process by making decisions about design focus, methods of idea generation, and approaches to development and iteration.