Session 3.01
Tracks
Track 1
| Thursday, June 18, 2026 |
| 1:55 PM - 2:55 PM |
| Kittyhawk Room |
Overview
Why design is the most important subject in school
Details
This session is suitable for: All
Speaker
A/Prof Nick Kelly
Associate Professor
Queensland University of Technology
Why design is the most important subject in school
Presentation description
Design capabilities are everywhere in the national curriculum. They are found throughout the Technologies KLA, are referred to in diverse STEM subjects, and cut across all subjects as the general capability of “creativity and critical thinking”. t
Design is the most important subject in school because, especially in the era of artificial intelligence, it’s not enough just to know things. Students need to be leaving school as competent designers, with what are sometimes called “future skills” or “21st Century skills”.
This presentation draws upon our book Taking Design Seriously in Education (2026) to make the case that design subjects need to be the place where these skills are learnt. The focus of the talk is to explain in a concise way why design is such a vital subject but also why advocacy is needed if it is to be widely recognised as such.
The talk makes clear the basis for these claims by presenting:
1. The current situation of design currently being subsumed within other subjects or relegated to a lower status;
2. The systemic effects that prevent design from being recognised within schools and within school systems
3. The advocacy needed to raise the status of design more broadly
We present a blueprint for a future in which school leaders, teacher educators, and policymakers all work together with design teachers in creating more designerly schools. This talk is an evidence-based provocation informed by decades of research and experience in design education from the two presenters.
Design is the most important subject in school because, especially in the era of artificial intelligence, it’s not enough just to know things. Students need to be leaving school as competent designers, with what are sometimes called “future skills” or “21st Century skills”.
This presentation draws upon our book Taking Design Seriously in Education (2026) to make the case that design subjects need to be the place where these skills are learnt. The focus of the talk is to explain in a concise way why design is such a vital subject but also why advocacy is needed if it is to be widely recognised as such.
The talk makes clear the basis for these claims by presenting:
1. The current situation of design currently being subsumed within other subjects or relegated to a lower status;
2. The systemic effects that prevent design from being recognised within schools and within school systems
3. The advocacy needed to raise the status of design more broadly
We present a blueprint for a future in which school leaders, teacher educators, and policymakers all work together with design teachers in creating more designerly schools. This talk is an evidence-based provocation informed by decades of research and experience in design education from the two presenters.
Biography
Dr Nick Kelly is Associate Professor of Design Science at QUT. His work focuses on Design Cognition (How do we solve the right problem when we design?) and Design for Learning (What should educators be taking from design science?). Both presenters are co-authors of the recent book Taking Design Seriously in Education.
Leighann Ness Wilson
Queensland University of Technology
Co-presenter
Biography
Leighann Ness Wilson is an experienced educator, designer and researcher, motivated by opportunities to inspire creativity across the curriculum. After over a decade in the design industry, she retrained as a secondary teacher specialising in Design and Technologies. Leighann was the inaugural STEAM Education Officer at QUT The Cube, has been a Technologies Teacher in Residence in primary education, and has delivered Initial Teacher Education in subjects such as Technologies, Science, STEM, and Digital Pedagogies. Currently in the final stages of her PhD at QUT, Leighann’s research explores the impact of design thinking on the capabilities and self-efficacy of Australian pre-service primary teachers. Her work continues to highlight the transformative potential of design in education.
