Designing Belonging: Community Branding as Experiential Learning in Graphic Design Education

Heniel Fourie

In Publications Posted June 30, 2026

doi: 10.21125/edulearn.2026.0683

1. Introduction

Experiential and community-engaged learning have become well-established pedagogical approaches in higher education, emphasising learning through real-world engagement, reflection, and socially situated practice [1][2][3]. These approaches aim to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application by positioning students within authentic contexts where learning is shaped by interaction, participation, and problem-solving.

Within design education, studio-based teaching has traditionally provided a framework for learning through making. However, studio projects are often simulated and may not fully expose students to the complexities of real-world contexts, stakeholder engagement, and the broader social implications of design practice. As a result, there is increasing interest in integrating community-engaged and industry-based projects into design curricula to create more meaningful and impactful learning experiences.

At the same time, contemporary design practice has shifted towards more participatory and socially embedded approaches, where designers engage with communities as co-creators rather than passive recipients of design solutions [4][5]. This shift highlights the potential for design education to move beyond isolated studio production towards models that connect learning with real societal contexts.

This paper presents the Sibanye-Stillwater Mining Community Node/Hub project at North-West University (South Africa) as a case study of experiential learning embedded within a fourth-year graphic design curriculum. The project formed part of a broader transdisciplinary initiative aimed at exploring sustainable post-mining futures in the Far West Rand through community development, heritage, and education.

The aim of this paper is to examine how an industry–community collaboration can function as a pedagogical environment in which students develop professional competencies while contributing to community place identity and belonging.

2. Experiential and Community-Engaged Learning in Design Education

Experiential learning is grounded in the premise that knowledge is constructed through experience, reflection, and active engagement with real-world contexts [1]. Rather than positioning students as passive recipients of information, experiential approaches emphasise participation, problem-solving, and the application of knowledge within authentic situations. Within higher education, community-engaged learning extends this model by situating learning within socially relevant contexts, where students engage with external stakeholders and address real societal challenges [2]. Such approaches have been shown to enhance student motivation, deepen understanding, and foster a sense of social responsibility [3].

While these pedagogical frameworks are widely applied across disciplines, their integration within design education presents specific opportunities and challenges. Studio-based learning already incorporates elements of experiential practice through iterative making and critique. However, many studio projects remain hypothetical or simulation-based, limiting students’ exposure to the complexities of real-world design contexts, including stakeholder negotiation, socio-cultural considerations, and the consequences of design decisions beyond assessment environments.

Contemporary design practice increasingly emphasises participatory and collaborative approaches, where design is understood as a socially embedded activity rather than an isolated creative act. Co-creation frameworks position users and communities as active contributors in the design process, enabling more contextually responsive and inclusive outcomes [4]. Similarly, design for social innovation highlights the role of design in addressing complex societal issues through collaborative and community-driven processes [5]. These approaches align closely with the aims of community-engaged learning by foregrounding participation, dialogue, and shared ownership.

Within this context, integrating industry and community partnerships into design education offers a means of extending studio pedagogy into real-world environments. Such partnerships create conditions in which students engage directly with external stakeholders, allowing them to experience design as both a professional and socially situated practice. This shift not only enhances technical and conceptual development but also enables students to understand the broader impact of their work within specific social and spatial contexts.

3. Methodology

This study adopts a qualitative case study approach to examine the integration of an industry–community collaboration within a fourth-year graphic design curriculum. Case study methodology is appropriate for exploring complex educational interventions situated within real-world contexts, where the boundaries between teaching, practice, and social engagement are not clearly defined [6].

The case under investigation is the Sibanye-Stillwater Mining Community Node project, implemented at North-West University (South Africa). The project formed part of a broader transdisciplinary initiative aimed at exploring sustainable post-mining futures in the Far West Rand region. Within this context, senior graphic design students were tasked with developing a visual identity and communication system for a proposed community node/mining hub intended to serve surrounding communities.

The study focuses on a cohort of fourth-year graphic design students enrolled in a studio-based module. Participation in the project was embedded within the curriculum as part of a structured design assignment. Students engaged with the project over a defined period, during which they were required to respond to a real-world brief informed by both industry requirements and community needs.

Data informing the design process was derived from multiple sources. Primary input included qualitative data collected through focus group discussions conducted with members of the local community as part of a parallel research initiative (Maree, 2023). This data provided insight into community perceptions, needs, and aspirations, particularly in relation to identity, heritage, and the future of the region (Maree, 2023). Additional contextual information was drawn from project documentation, stakeholder input, and ongoing engagement with the industry partner.

The analysis presented in this paper is interpretive in nature and draws on three main sources: (1) student design outputs, including visual identity proposals and communication materials; (2) observations of the teaching and learning process during the project; and (3) reflections on student engagement and learning outcomes within the studio environment. Rather than seeking to produce generalisable findings, the study aims to provide an in-depth account of how experiential and community-engaged learning can be operationalised within a design curriculum and the types of outcomes such an approach may generate.

4. Project Context: The Mining Hub Initiative

The Sibanye-Stillwater Community Node/Hub project is situated within the Far West Rand (FWR) region of South Africa, an area historically shaped by deep-level gold mining. For over a century, mining has played a central role in the economic and social development of the region. However, as mining activities approach decline and eventual closure, the region faces significant socio-economic challenges, including unemployment, reduced economic activity, and the need for sustainable post-mining futures.

In response to these challenges, a transdisciplinary research initiative led by North-West University, in collaboration with Sibanye-Stillwater and other stakeholders, was established to explore alternative development strategies for the region. The broader project focuses on sustainability through heritage, tourism, education, and community development, with particular emphasis on creating opportunities that can support long-term economic resilience and social cohesion.

A central component of this initiative is the conceptualisation of an educational and community-focused node/hub located on mining property. This “community node” is envisioned as a multifunctional space that integrates elements of heritage preservation, tourism, skills development, and community engagement. The node/hub is intended not only to serve as a physical site of activity but also as a symbolic anchor for the region’s transition from a mining-dependent economy to a more diversified and sustainable future.

Community engagement has been a key aspect of the broader research initiative. Qualitative data collected through focus group discussions with local residents revealed a strong need for inclusive development processes that recognise community identity, heritage, and lived experience (Maree, 2023). The findings emphasised the importance of fostering a sense of belonging, ownership, and participation in shaping the future of the region.

Within this context, the development of a visual identity for the community node/hub became an important component of the project. Beyond its functional role in communication and branding, the visual identity was positioned as a means of contributing to the formation of place identity and collective meaning. This created an opportunity to integrate graphic design education into the broader initiative by involving students in the development of identity proposals grounded in community-informed insights.

5. Pedagogical Implementation

The Sibanye-Stillwater Community Node/Hub project was implemented within a fourth-year graphic design studio module at North-West University as part of a structured design assignment. The project was positioned as an experiential learning intervention in which students were required to engage with a real-world brief derived from an active industry–community collaboration.

At the outset of the project, students were introduced to the broader context of the Far West Rand initiative, including its focus on post-mining sustainability, community development, and the establishment of a community node/hub as a future-oriented civic space. The brief required students to develop a visual identity and associated communication materials for the proposed hub, with the aim of creating a design system that would be both contextually relevant and responsive to community needs.

A key feature of the project was the integration of community-informed research into the design process. Students were provided with qualitative data collected through focus group discussions conducted within the local community. This data offered insight into community perceptions of place, identity, and heritage, as well as aspirations for the future of the region. Students were required to engage critically with this material and translate these insights into visual strategies that could inform their design outcomes.

The design process followed a structured yet open-ended approach. Students engaged in iterative development, moving through stages of research interpretation, conceptual development, visual exploration, and refinement. Studio-based critiques played a central role in this process, allowing for ongoing feedback and reflection. However, unlike traditional studio projects, the presence of a real client and a defined social context introduced additional layers of complexity, including the need to consider stakeholder perspectives, cultural sensitivity, and the potential real-world implications of design decisions.

The project emphasised the role of design as a socially situated practice. Students were encouraged to move beyond purely aesthetic considerations and to consider how visual identity can function as a tool for communication, representation, and place-making. Through this process, the studio environment shifted from a simulated learning space to a context that more closely resembled professional practice, while still maintaining its pedagogical structure.

6. Results and Discussion

6.1 Student Learning Outcomes

The integration of the Sibanye-Stillwater Community Node/Hub project within the graphic design curriculum produced a number of notable learning outcomes for students. Most significantly, the project shifted students’ understanding of design from a primarily studio-based activity to a socially situated practice embedded within real-world contexts.

Engagement with a live industry–community brief required students to navigate complexities not typically encountered in simulated assignments. These included interpreting stakeholder needs, responding to community-informed research data, and considering the broader implications of design decisions beyond academic evaluation. As a result, students demonstrated increased levels of critical engagement, moving beyond formal and aesthetic concerns towards more conceptually and contextually grounded design solutions.

The use of qualitative community data as a starting point for the design process proved particularly impactful. Students were required to translate abstract insights related to identity, heritage, and future aspirations into visual forms. This process encouraged deeper reflection on the role of design as a communicative and interpretive practice. Rather than designing in isolation, students engaged with narratives and perspectives external to their own, fostering a greater awareness of design as a relational activity.

Furthermore, the presence of a real client and the potential for implementation contributed to a heightened sense of responsibility and motivation. Students approached the project with a stronger sense of purpose, recognising that their work extended beyond assessment requirements. This shift aligns with experiential learning principles, where authentic contexts enhance both engagement and depth of learning.

Overall, the project supported the development of professional competencies, including research interpretation, stakeholder awareness, and contextual sensitivity, while also reinforcing the role of design as a form of socially engaged practice.

6.2 Community Impact: Place Identity and Belonging

In addition to its pedagogical value, the project contributed to the broader aims of the community node/hub initiative by supporting the development of place identity within the community. The visual identity proposals produced by students were not merely aesthetic outcomes but functioned as symbolic representations of the hub and its intended role within the region.

Drawing on community-informed research, students developed design concepts that reflected local narratives, cultural references, and shared aspirations. This process aligned with broader strategies identified within the Far West Rand initiative, where sense of place, place identity, and place branding are recognised as key components in shaping sustainable futures for the region. By engaging with these themes, the design work contributes to the articulation of a collective identity for the proposed node.

The concept of belonging emerged as a central dimension of the project’s impact. In contexts characterised by economic uncertainty and social transition, such as post-mining regions, the creation of shared spaces and identities plays an important role in fostering community cohesion. The visual identity developed for the node provides a means of representing the node as a site of gathering, participation, and future possibility.

Importantly, the project illustrates how design education can contribute to community development initiatives in meaningful ways. While the primary aim of the project was educational, the outcomes extended beyond the classroom by offering design propositions that could inform real-world implementation. This dual impact highlights the potential for design students to participate in processes of place-making and identity formation, thereby linking learning with broader social value.

7. Conclusions

This paper has examined the Sibanye-Stillwater Community Node/Hub project as a case study of experiential and community-engaged learning within a graphic design curriculum. By embedding an industry–community collaboration into a fourth-year studio module, the project created a learning environment in which students engaged with real-world contexts, stakeholder perspectives, and socially situated design challenges.

The findings demonstrate that such pedagogical approaches can extend the scope of studio-based learning beyond simulated assignments, enabling students to develop a more nuanced understanding of design as both a professional and socially embedded practice. Through engagement with community-informed research and a live industry brief, students were required to interpret complex contextual information and translate it into meaningful visual communication strategies. This process contributed to the development of key competencies, including critical thinking, contextual awareness, and a sense of professional responsibility.

At the same time, the project illustrates the potential for design education to contribute to broader community initiatives. The visual identity proposals developed by students supported the articulation of place identity for the proposed mining hub and contributed to the symbolic construction of belonging within the community. This highlights the capacity of design to function not only as a disciplinary practice but also as a tool for social engagement and place-making.

Rather than proposing a new pedagogical model, the paper contributes to existing scholarship on experiential and community-engaged learning by providing a situated account of how such approaches can be implemented within design education. The case demonstrates how industry–community partnerships can generate reciprocal value, benefiting both student learning and community development.

Future work may explore the long-term impact of such interventions, including the implementation of design outcomes and their role in sustaining community identity over time.

References

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

[2] J. Eyler and D. E. Giles, Where’s the Learning in Service-Learning? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

[3] M. Healey and A. Jenkins, Developing Undergraduate Research and Inquiry. York, UK: Higher Education Academy, 2009.

[4] E. B.-N. Sanders and P. J. Stappers, “Co-creation and the new landscapes of design,” CoDesign, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 5–18, 2008.

[5] E. Manzini, Design, When Everybody Designs: An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2015.

[6] R. K. Yin, Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2014.