Welcome

Welcome from the Head of the School of Design Innovation.

We've held for some time that the School of Design Innovation is a leader in New Zealand design education, with our cutting-edge programmes, the latest digital technologies, world-class educators and researchers, and strong partnerships with industry.

And now we can proudly back up that claim with the results of the TEC's recent ranking of New Zealand Universities. These rankings placed Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington as the number one university in Aotearoa New Zealand for research quality and the School of Design Innovation as first in design.

One of the reasons we have been able to establish a reputation for excellence is the distinctive role design holds at the University. As a school, we are committed to exploring innovative technologies and new modes and methods of design education and research—all in a context of culturally, socially and environmentally engaged practice.

We recognise that design thrives in an environment of porous boundaries and diverse teams. As such, we are fortunate to be a part of a vibrant research-focused university that facilitates collaborations with Health, Science, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Humanities, Social Sciences and Business, and many other disciplines.

This diversity—accessed through minors, electives, co-taught courses, and multi-disciplinary research—allows our students and staff to anticipate emerging trends in professional design practice.

We draw on diverse knowledge, advanced technologies and collaborative practices to achieve a collective vision for design. Holding Te Ao Māori to our heart, we are committed to the teaching, learning and upholding of tikanga Māori and nurturing students who, as arbiters of design, harness and celebrate the past, present, and future of innovation in Aotearoa. We prioritise criticality, creativity and inclusion as goals to guide us as we challenge the status quo. Our aim is to help craft a world enhanced not only by design, but one in which our 'future designers' are empowered to be more than just creative, but to be insightful and impactful, and to contribute to the creative, cultural, digital, social, and ecological welfare of Aotearoa and beyond.

While we can’t predict the future, we can prepare our students to be trailblazers as we walk into the unknown. "Ka mua, ka muri - Let's walk backwards into the future".

I invite you to join us on this journey.

Ngā  manaaki,

Nan O'Sullivan

Head of School, School of Design Innovation