In 2007, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design became the first university in North America to offer
Today, design more than ever is having to respond to client briefs which requires a broader application of design outcomes than those initially expected by a client; across print, web, product and/or the built environment. As a NSCAD student in the Interdisciplinary Design degree program, one is preparing to understand how a concept can manifest itself in various forms. It is the role of our cours
es to engage the student in this mode of thinking and designing. While all designers, including Interdisciplinary Designers, come with their own strengths, weaknesses, and of course specialization, an Interdisciplinary Designer embraces this condition — an empowerment for locating other designers who can bring a broader palette of skill to a project. It is true that a student may develop their own area of strength (specialization) and the courses will assist and encourage a student in this direction, however the student must strive to be inquisitive, learning from and about other disciplines. This is not in the hopes of becoming an expert in those disciplines, but to begin to understand the questions required to respectfully and dynamically engage with a wide range of creative practitioners and, hopefully, for future collaborations. In the end, it is the expectation that the student will have begun to develop the design and intellectual skills, and confidence to understand how to bring added value to a client's brief.
