The Future of Work: How design education is preparing students today.

As Experience Haus enters its 6th year of operations, it continues to be part of our mission as an educational team to ensure that our students leave prepared for the rapidly changing job market and the future of work.

The impact of technology on the future job market and workforce is undeniable (the last few weeks have been dominated by exciting conversations around the potential of ChatGPT for example), and it has become essential, if not critical, that we are providing our students the best design courses in London with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to succeed in the future.

It is important to recognise that the future of work, however, will not just solely be about technology. It will also be about unlocking creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. These are the skills that are at the core of what we like to call design education, and the pillars of the Experience Haus offering. By teaching our students to think differently and to approach problems from a design perspective, we are equipping them with the skills they need to succeed in the future of work, and to become the leaders of tomorrow.

But what does the future of work actually look like? What are the jobs of tomorrow, and what other skills will be in demand? These are important questions that we must consider as we prepare to further enhance our product set and course outcomes.

One thing is certain, the future of work will be highly dynamic and constantly shifting. The jobs of tomorrow may not even exist today. This is why it is crucial that we are teaching everyone who comes through our doors to be adaptable and to continuously learn new skills. The mindset of continuous learning must be embedded within each learner, and we must do our best as educators to ensure all students understand the now almost mandatory requirement to be lifelong learners. This will ensure that as they enter their careers, they can adapt and evolve as the job market and the world around them changes.

It will remain an important part of our mission that we design, develop and provide a holistic education that integrates design, business, and technology. The future of our society will require even more well-rounded designers who can ideate, design and create innovative solutions, and also plan how to deliver them successfully to market. Furthermore, they need to be able to understand the perspectives of others through empathy, and be able to sell the vision of their impact through effective storytelling.

By providing opportunities for hands-on experience, real-world projects (our students are matched up with live design challenges from startups led by passionate founders) and problem-based learning, product design courses can help students develop the skills they need to succeed confidently, and credibly, moving forward. We have always aimed to be uniquely positioned to foster these skills in students, and it’s a delivery challenge that the Experience Haus instructional team enjoys taking on.

I am excited about the future of work and the opportunities it presents for everyone. By providing the skills, knowledge and resources that students need to succeed in the future of work, we are not only preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow, but also for a lifetime of success.

Moving forward, I implore everyone to think about the following:

• How do you feel design education is preparing students for the future of work?
• What skills do you think will be in demand in the future of work and how are you yourself developing them?
• How do you see the impact of technology on the job market in the near future, and how are you preparing for potential challenges and changes?
• What strategies do you think design education institutions like Experience Haus should adopt to better prepare its students for the future of work?

I look forward to more conversations around this topic in the coming months. In closing, as an educator reading this, it’s your job to ensure you leave an impact on your students as they prepare for the future of work, and as a design student who may be reading this, it’s your job to think about how to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you today, in order to take advantage of tomorrow.