This paper is an attempt to illustrate how design education could take place outside of the classroom. I went out into a real world context and observation became my teacher. I came across several codes of communication. Some were related to advertising and promotions (label design for dairy products) and others were related to environment (grassland) and animal health (practices of animal branding and misuse of Oxytocin).

I studied these codes in depth and chose to focus on communication codes of environment and health, because I saw a reflection of Ken Garland’s manifesto in them. I feel design education could focus on addressing wicked problems. In Banni’s context it would mean interventions like anti-Oxytocin advocacy, a redesign of ownership identity codes for livestock, to prevent scarring them with heat or acid. One could also work on communication design interventions that create awareness about women’s reproductive health and hygiene.

Can there be a communication design curriculum which will equip individuals with methods they can use in field, which will instill in individuals empathy and dignity for those around them?
Perhaps, this is the new code of thought and conduct for a communication design student that needs to be built into the future curriculum.