By reflecting on my experience as a Masters degree graduate, a university lecturer and a design mentor on a youth
training programme in South Africa, I will provide evidence of how different pedagogical methods can either nurture
or hinder a student’s personal growth, therefore directly impacting their approach and ability as designers. I will
discuss the importance of creating awareness among students about how their values, opinions and goals can affect
their design decisions and influence what impact they make on the world around them. Moreover, this paper calls
for a global teaching philosophy that recognises empathy and respect as devices for sustainable world making.

Authors: Laskarina Yiannakaris