For several years, Philadelphia University has offered a two-week study abroad course in the Dominican Republic to students from diverse design disciplines. These disciplines include graphic, industrial, fashion and textile design. Altos de Chavon School of Design, commonly known as the most prominent design school in the Caribbean and affiliated with Parsons, serves as home base to this endeavor.

While abroad, students gain cultural knowledge through various planned excursions and invited guest lectures. They return home with a broad understanding of the Dominican Republic’s history and present condition, contemporary triumphs and concerns. By the end of the trip, the students have also developed a project concept inspired by their new cultural knowledge base. The idea is then fully formulated and made tangible upon return to the US.

The project allows students to gain experience with the commonly expected goals of an interdisciplinary project such as fluid group function, division of labor, time management and improved comprehension of the knowledge base held by members of other design disciplines. However, there are several goals beyond that. Primarily, this includes stressing the power of the designer as a full author and generator of ideas. Students respond to a rather open project description in very surprising and innovative ways that empower them as leaders and prove that their individual experience is a valid foundation for creation. Additionally, there is a focus on creating respect for design as a positive social force that aids cross-cultural human understanding and improves the human condition.

Project: Viralata

While traveling through the Dominican Republic students noticed what to their eyes was an unusual amount of stray animals of all sorts- pigs, horses, chickens, etc. The primary animals wandering the streets were dogs- often half-starved or injured.Students became very interested in Dominican attitudes toward animals, their care and their population control. They decided to create a fictional organization called Viralata (translates to “dog of the street”).

Viralata is a non-profit fashion house that caters to the pet obsessed American. Colorful and playful canine attire inspired by Dominican fashion would be marketed to Americans. Profits from the sale of these clothes would support spay and neuter clinics in the Dominican Republic.

The graphic design students created a corporate identity, including a logo, tags and promotional materials. The textile design student created a series of fabric patterns, and the fashion design student constructed sample garments.

For more information about this course, please contact:
Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel kradelm@philau.edu
EJ Herczyk herczyke@philau.edu