As part of Edmonton Design Week 2026, MADE is convening a panel discussion on the future of design education, featuring representatives from Alberta's design programs speaking to their institution's past, present, and future direction.

Design is increasingly asked to help solve complex problems in health care, public services, and civic life, not only to shape products and visual communication. That shift is changing how design is taught. This Edmonton Design Week panel brings together representatives from four of Alberta's design programs to talk about where their institutions came from, where they are now, and how each sees design education evolving over the coming decades.

The programs take distinctly different approaches. The University of Alberta's Department of Art & Design is one of the oldest in the country. MacEwan University rebuilt its Bachelor of Design in 2019 around research-based practice and now offers a UX/UI major. Athabasca University's RAIC Centre for Architecture runs Canada's first fully online architecture program, serving learners across 26 countries.

Each panelist will speak for about 10 minutes on their program's direction, followed by a moderated discussion across all four institutions.

Featuring:

• University of Alberta — Tim Antoniuk, Industrial Design Program Coordinator
• MacEwan University — Dr. Adolfo Ruiz, Department of Design
• Athabasca University — Dr. Henry Tsang, Chair, RAIC Centre for Architecture

Each participating institution will present for approximately 10 minutes on its program's direction, followed by a facilitated discussion among all panelists.