Design education in Ukraine: competency development and European integration in artistic-project training of future design professionals

Oleksandr O. Musiienko

doi:10.31812/ed.1112

Authors

Oleksandr O. Musiienko Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3673-5039

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31812/ed.1112

Keywords:

design education, competency-based learning, European integration, artistic-project activity, higher education reform, Ukraine, curriculum development

Abstract

Design education occupies a distinctive position at the intersection of artistic creativity and technical proficiency, presenting unique challenges for competency-based curriculum development. As Ukraine continues its integration into the European Higher Education Area following its 2005 accession to the Bologna Process, design education programs face the imperative of aligning national standards with European competency frameworks while preserving the distinctive pedagogical traditions of artistic-project training. The Ukrainian higher education standard B2 Design establishes competency requirements for design professionals, yet the theoretical foundations connecting these requirements to European frameworks and effective pedagogical approaches remain underdeveloped. This theoretical paper examines the conceptual foundations of design education competency development within the context of Ukrainian European integration. It addresses three interrelated questions: (1) How do the competency structures embedded in Ukraine's B2 Design standard correspond to European qualification frameworks and international design education models? (2) What pedagogical approaches offer the strongest theoretical grounding for developing artistic-project competencies in design students? (3) What conceptual considerations emerge from analysing European integration challenges and opportunities for Ukrainian design education? The study employs a theoretical analysis approach, synthesising international scholarship on design education, competency-based learning, and European higher education policy. Through a systematic analysis of the Ukrainian B2 Design standard and a comparative examination of European competency frameworks, the paper develops an integrative conceptual model for understanding the development of design education competencies. The analysis draws on reflective practice theory, constructive alignment principles, and design cognition research to establish theoretical foundations for enhancing the curriculum. The analysis reveals three principal insights. First, while the Ukrainian design standard demonstrates structural alignment with the European Qualifications Framework's tripartite categorisation of knowledge, skills, and competence, significant gaps exist in articulating design-specific competencies related to critical reflection, interdisciplinary collaboration, and sustainable design practices. Second, studio-based and project-based pedagogical approaches, when grounded in reflective practice theory, provide robust frameworks for developing the integrated competencies required for professional design practice. Third, European integration presents both challenges - including resource constraints, faculty development needs, and assessment harmonisation - and opportunities for curriculum innovation, international collaboration, and enhanced graduate mobility. The paper contributes a theoretically grounded framework for understanding competency development in design education within the European integration context. It proposes that effective design education reform requires simultaneous attention to three interconnected dimensions: alignment with international competency frameworks, adoption of pedagogically sound approaches to artistic-project training, and strategic engagement with European integration mechanisms. The framework offers implications for design educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers in Ukraine and other countries navigating similar integration trajectories. Future research directions include empirical validation of the proposed model and comparative studies across post-Soviet design education systems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Abstract views: 47 / PDF views: 7

References

Alvarez-Icaza Longoria, I., Suárez-Brito, P., Alvarez, J. and Molina Espinosa, J.M., 2024. Relevance of objective and subjective profile: creative behavior assessment in higher education students. Frontiers in Education, 9, p.1387150. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1387150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1387150

Ardington, A.M. and Drury, H., 2017. Design studio discourse in architecture in Australia: The role of formative feedback in assessment. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, 16(2), pp.157–170. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch.16.2.157_1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch.16.2.157_1

Atman, C.J., 2019. Design timelines: Concrete and sticky representations of design process expertise. Design Studies, 65, pp.125–151. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2019.10.004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2019.10.004

Aynsley, J. and Cleven, E., 2022. Introduction: The Bauhaus Centennial and Design History. Journal of Design History, 35(3), pp.209–226. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epac036. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epac036

Biggs, J., 1996. Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher Education, 32(3), pp.347–364. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138871. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138871

Bohlinger, S., 2012. Qualifications frameworks and learning outcomes: challenges for Europe’s lifelong learning area. Journal of Education and Work, 25(3), pp.279–297. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2012.687571. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2012.687571

Bowen, G.A., 2009. Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), pp.27–40. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027

Brockmann, M., Clarke, L. and Winch, C.A., 2008. Can performance-related learning outcomes have standards? Journal of European Industrial Training, 32(2-3), pp.99–113. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590810861659. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590810861659

Castillo, J., Caruana, C.J. and Wainwright, D.W., 2011. The changing concept of competence and categorisation of learning outcomes in Europe: Implications for the design of higher education radiography curricula at the European level. Radiography, 17(3), pp.230–234. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2010.12.008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2010.12.008

Chen, F., Lin, Z. and Li, X., 2025. Research on the emerging technological intervention models in design education from a strategic perspective of global design education institutions. Scientific reports, 15(1), p.41366. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-25272-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-25272-1

Chon, H. and Sim, J., 2019. From design thinking to design knowing: An educational perspective. Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education, 18(2), pp.187–200. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch_00006_1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch_00006_1

Council of the European Union, 2017. Council recommendation of 22 May 2017 on the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning and repealing the recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning. Official Journal of the European Union, C 189, pp.15–28. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32017H0615%2801%29.

Cross, A., 1983. The educational background to the Bauhaus. Design studies, 4(1), pp.43–52. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/0142-694X(83)90007-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0142-694X(83)90007-8

Cross, N., 2018. Developing design as a discipline. Journal of Engineering Design, 29(12), pp.691–708. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2018.1537481. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2018.1537481

Cross, N., 2023. Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work. 2nd ed. Bloomsbury Visual Arts. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350305090

Davis, M. and Dubberly, H., 2023. Rethinking Design Education. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 9(2), pp.97–116. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2023.04.003. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2023.04.003

Duchatelet, D., Cornelissen, F. and Volman, M., 2024. Features of Experiential Learning Environments in Relation to Generic Learning Outcomes in Higher Education: A Scoping Review. Journal of Experiential Education, 47(3), pp.400–423. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/10538259231211537. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10538259231211537

Fursa, O.A., 2014. Tendencies of development of design-education in Ukraine (the second half of the XX th and the beginning of the XXI st centuries). The thesis for Doctor’s degree of Pedagogical sciences on the speciality 13.00.01 – Pedagogics and History of pedagogics. Zhitomir Ivan Franko State University, Zhitomir. Available from: https://eprints.zu.edu.ua/12481/.

Gehmlich, V., 2009. “Kompetenz” and “Beruf” in the context of the proposed German qualifications framework for lifelong learning. Journal of European Industrial Training, 33(8-9), pp.736–754. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590910993607. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590910993607

Goldschmidt, G., Hochman, H. and Dafni, I., 2010. The design studio “crit”: Teacher–student communication. Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing, 24(3), p.285–302. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/S089006041000020X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S089006041000020X

González, J. and Wagenaar, R., eds, 2003. Tuning Educational Structures in Europe: Final Report. Phase One. Bilbao: University of Deusto and University of Groningen. Available from: https://tuningacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/TuningEUI_Final-Report_EN.pdf.

Hameed, U. and Mimirinis, M., 2023. How does digital reflective practice in textile design education relate to creativity? Reflective Practice, 24(3), pp.310–323. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2023.2194623. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2023.2194623

Haupt, G., 2015. Learning from experts: fostering extended thinking in the early phases of the design process. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 25(4), pp.483–520. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-014-9295-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-014-9295-7

Hwang, Y. and Wu, Y., 2025. Graphic Design Education in the Era of Text-to-Image Generation: Transitioning to Contents Creator. International Journal of Art and Design Education, 44(1), pp.239–253. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12558. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12558

Jaakkola, E., 2020. Designing conceptual articles: four approaches. AMS Review, 10(1-2), pp.18–26. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-020-00161-0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-020-00161-0

Kamalipour, H. and Peimani, N., 2022. Learning and Teaching Urban Design through Design Studio Pedagogy: A Blended Studio on Transit Urbanism. Education Sciences, 12(10), p.712. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12100712. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12100712

Kokotovich, V., 2008. Problem analysis and thinking tools: an empirical study of non-hierarchical mind mapping. Design Studies, 29(1), pp.49–69. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2007.09.001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2007.09.001

Kolb, D.A., 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Lawson, B., 2005. How Designers Think: The Design Process Demystified. 4th ed. Oxford: Architectural Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080454979

Li, S., Zhang, Y., Wang, Z. and Li, H., 2023. The influence of national policies on the evolution of industrial design education in China. Heliyon, 9(7), p.e17504. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17504

Maia, M., 2022. A Perspective on 21st Design Challenges Facing the Urgency of Solutions for Global Sustainability: The Emerging of an Education and Design Profession Alignment about Core Principles. Convergências: Revista de Investigação e Ensino das Artes, 15(29), pp.105–113. Available from: https://doi.org/10.53681/c1514225187514391s.29.137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53681/c1514225187514391s.29.137

Mewburn, I., 2012. Lost in translation: Reconsidering reflective practice and design studio pedagogy. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 11(4), pp.363–379. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022210393912. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022210393912

Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, 2018. Standard of Higher Education of Ukraine: First (Bachelor’s) Level, Field of Knowledge 02 “Culture and Art”, Specialty 022 “Design”. Order No. 634, 05 June 2018. Available from: https://mon.gov.ua/static-objects/mon/sites/1/vishcha-osvita/zatverdzeni%20standarty/2021/07/28/022-Dyzayn-bakalavr.28.07.pdf.

Oxman, R., 1999. Educating the designerly thinker. Design Studies, 20(2), pp.105–122. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-694X(98)00029-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-694X(98)00029-5

Razzouk, R. and Shute, V., 2012. What Is Design Thinking and Why Is It Important? Review of Educational Research, 82(3), pp.330–348. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312457429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312457429

Schön, D.A., 1992. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. London: Routledge. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315237473. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315237473

Sinico, M., 2021. Scientific Phenomenology in Design Pedagogy: The Legacy of Walter Gropius and Gestalt Psychology. International Journal of Art and Design Education, 40(1), pp.99–107. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12337

Song, F. and Abdul Rabu, S.N., 2025. Trends, Advantages, and Challenges: A Systematic Literature Review of Artificial Intelligence in Design Education. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 15(4), pp.401–417. Available from: https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2025-0147. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2025-0147

Srivastava, R. and Haghi, M., 2024. Embedding work-integrated learning in undergraduate college-level curriculum to enhance employability skills among students. Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 12(2), pp.305–312. Available from: https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP231206025S. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP231206025S

Sturgis, D., 2020. Bauhaus: To turn away from normality. Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education, 19(1), pp.9–18. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch_00010_1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch_00010_1

Sung, E. and Kelley, T.R., 2019. Identifying design process patterns: a sequential analysis study of design thinking. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 29(2), pp.283–302. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-018-9448-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-018-9448-1

Torraco, R.J., 2005. Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples. Human Resource Development Review, 4(3), pp.356–367. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484305278283. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484305278283

Tsai, C.A., Song, M.Y.W., Lo, Y.F. and Lo, C.C., 2023. Design thinking with constructivist learning increases the learning motivation and wicked problem-solving capability—An empirical research in Taiwan. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 50, p.101385. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101385. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101385

Weldon, F., 2009. On Assessing Creative Writing. New Writing, 6(3), pp.168–174. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790720903556734. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790720903556734

Yusuf, A., Mouas, S., Al-Khresheh, M.H. and Boudouaia, A., 2026. Individual vs peer support in the AI era: Investigating students’ cognitive dispositions in design education. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 59, p.101986. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.101986. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.101986