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T+ Designers: A Case for Transdisciplinarity in Design Higher Education by Way of a South African Case Study

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Title: T+ Designers: A Case for Transdisciplinarity in Design Higher Education by Way of a South African Case Study
Language: English
Authors: Fatima Cassim (ORCID 0000-0002-4222-3697), Kyle Rath (ORCID 0000-0001-8336-849X), Shakila Dada, Alecia Samuels, Susana Castro-Kemp
Source: International Journal of Art & Design Education. 2026 45(2):362-378.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Interdisciplinary Approach, Design, Higher Education, Intercollegiate Cooperation, College Students, Student Projects
Geographic Terms: South Africa, United Kingdom
DOI: 10.1111/jade.12602
ISSN: 1476-8062
1476-8070
Abstract: In recent years, the term 'transdisciplinarity' has been widely applied to collaborative design approaches ranging from inter- to multi-disciplinary co-production. While each of these approaches have their place, many of them are labeled, tokenistically, as transdisciplinary. A transdisciplinary model of collaboration, as defined by Toomey et al. (2015) extends beyond academic boundaries to engage in the co-production and use of knowledge from within and outside of the academy. In design, the term 'T-shaped designers', championed by IDEO's Tim Brown, is often used when promoting design thinking to tackle complex problems. The vertical leg of the 'T' represents disciplinary depth, and the horizontal bar suggests the application of these skills across a breadth of contexts. For this paper, we extend the interdisciplinary nature of the T to a transdisciplinary one: we propose how transdisciplinarity can be used not only to deepen disciplinary design skills but to foster empathetic, reactive designers with a keen sense of inquiry. In this way, as the vertical stem extends upwards, it transforms the T-shape into a plus. We exemplify this transformation by presenting a curriculum-related design project. As a collaboration between [the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa (SA), and the University of Roehampton (UR), United Kingdom] the project was delivered in a transdisciplinary way, whereby students co-produced a series of accessible and engaging infomotions (information visualizations in motion). The infomotions, which disseminate strategies for effective partnership amongst early childhood intervention practitioners in South Africa. At its core, the project presents transdisciplinarity as one approach to future-proof design education.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506819
Database: ERIC
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  Data: T+ Designers: A Case for Transdisciplinarity in Design Higher Education by Way of a South African Case Study
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fatima+Cassim%22">Fatima Cassim</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4222-3697">0000-0002-4222-3697</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kyle+Rath%22">Kyle Rath</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8336-849X">0000-0001-8336-849X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shakila+Dada%22">Shakila Dada</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alecia+Samuels%22">Alecia Samuels</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Susana+Castro-Kemp%22">Susana Castro-Kemp</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Art+%26+Design+Education%22"><i>International Journal of Art & Design Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 45(2):362-378.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 17
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interdisciplinary+Approach%22">Interdisciplinary Approach</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Design%22">Design</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intercollegiate+Cooperation%22">Intercollegiate Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Projects%22">Student Projects</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom%22">United Kingdom</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/jade.12602
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  Data: 1476-8062<br />1476-8070
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  Data: In recent years, the term 'transdisciplinarity' has been widely applied to collaborative design approaches ranging from inter- to multi-disciplinary co-production. While each of these approaches have their place, many of them are labeled, tokenistically, as transdisciplinary. A transdisciplinary model of collaboration, as defined by Toomey et al. (2015) extends beyond academic boundaries to engage in the co-production and use of knowledge from within and outside of the academy. In design, the term 'T-shaped designers', championed by IDEO's Tim Brown, is often used when promoting design thinking to tackle complex problems. The vertical leg of the 'T' represents disciplinary depth, and the horizontal bar suggests the application of these skills across a breadth of contexts. For this paper, we extend the interdisciplinary nature of the T to a transdisciplinary one: we propose how transdisciplinarity can be used not only to deepen disciplinary design skills but to foster empathetic, reactive designers with a keen sense of inquiry. In this way, as the vertical stem extends upwards, it transforms the T-shape into a plus. We exemplify this transformation by presenting a curriculum-related design project. As a collaboration between [the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa (SA), and the University of Roehampton (UR), United Kingdom] the project was delivered in a transdisciplinary way, whereby students co-produced a series of accessible and engaging infomotions (information visualizations in motion). The infomotions, which disseminate strategies for effective partnership amongst early childhood intervention practitioners in South Africa. At its core, the project presents transdisciplinarity as one approach to future-proof design education.
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