A new stake for students: learning to share

Not that long ago in design schools, it wasn’t uncommon to see students hiding their drawings from their neighbor. Protecting an idea was probably a sort of prerequisite to proving its value: the revelation of a unique talent.

This pretension makes us smile today for you only need to travel to a few international institutions to take stock of the “polygenesis” of ideas, to realize that the moment an idea is planted somewhere, it simultaneously takes seed in thousands of other places. The original idea is a decoy or a diversion which often hampers the creator’s responsibility to develop it. It is other people who give an idea its relevance and validity or not. It is the very fact of sharing it which gives it its value.

But this is how students are “raised” and, from nursery school onwards, individual work is rewarded more readily than collective and shared work. L’École de design Nantes Atlantique is no exception to the rule, even if the teaching programs have changed significantly to encourage group work. The organization of the Bachelor’s degree programs bears witness to this transition towards a more transversal approach to disciplines and ideas.

However, the Master’s degree programs are still taught individually and I have yet to see a group of students suggest a common subject for their degree project. It will soon happen.

Rather than feeling compelled to protect, let’s share. An idea is only worthwhile if it is shared, and the reclusive approach only leads to setbacks instead of working together to achieve progress for all. A “good” idea must be communicated, for designers must work together towards a common goal. They are responsible for disseminating their work and making it known to as many people as possible. This confrontation with reality, with other people’s judgement, is vital for confirming its pertinence.

We are proud to present you the work of students from L’École de design Nantes Atlantique. It’s a way of congratulating them and thanking them for working to create a better world for tomorrow.

To them, a thank you, to you – an opportunity to learn, be amazed, challenge yourself, question beliefs… and be a slightly better person thanks to their ideas and creativity.