UW–Madison’s Tamara McLean, an MFA candidate in the School of Education’s Art Department, has been accepted to present at the 2025 AIGA Design Educators Community’s Design Education Conference, taking place June 12–13 at Illinois State University.
McLean will present a case study titled, “Beyond the Brief: Teaching Design as a Tool for Social Change.” Her presentation explores how design education can engage students in using visual communication as a method for examining and addressing social issues.
The theme of this year’s conference, Weave, focuses on connecting diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration, and building inclusive and transformative futures in design education.
McLean is an interdisciplinary artist, graphic designer, educator, and researcher. Her work, which includes large-scale environmental design installations and new media, examines the role of visual communication in the built environment.
Through immersive experiences, McLean encourages reflection on historical and cultural contexts and explores the relationship between people and place.
More information about the conference is available on the 2025 AIGA Design Educators Conference website.