PATRICIA CHANDRA

ON BEING A TRANSDISCIPLINARY PRACTITIONER.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A “TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGNER”.





    YOU WILL PROBABLY BE OBSOLETE SOON.

    It’s a terrifying thing to be told when you’ve barely started your career. Study shows that nearly half of all skills will soon be outdated, thanks to AI (McKendrick, 2023). Transdisciplinary practices sit in the intersection of change, between the now and the not-so-distant future. It’s especially relevant now, more than ever, to have the capabilities to change, adapt and be open to learning new skills.

    Three years ago, I decided to pursue my studies in Design and it's terrifying out here, seeing how competitive the field is and how quickly everything I came to know changes.  I swear it was only a couple of months ago when I was learning how to correctly use InDesign, and now they’re already rolling out new tools, new software and I’m having to relearn everything all over again! We operate in a constantly evolving industry—the need to keep up with new technologies, the latest trend, or the newest version of Claude AI can all become very quickly, extremely overwhelming. But hey, that’s just the reality of working in the Creative Industry, right?



 SO, WHAT DO YOU DO?
It sounds really complicated when I’ posed with the question and my answer is; “Oh, well, I’m a Transdisciplinary Designer”. We Designers often ask each other: “what’s your niche?” And our niche is what makes us stand out as a Design Practitioner. Being able to say: “I specialise in Branding!” Or “I do Video and Motion Design” it’s how we were taught to put value, and market our work. So how is it I’m supposed to confidently say that; I don’t have a niche—and that’s what sets me apart from others.

I’m currently in my final year of studies, pursuing my Bachelor’s in Visual Communication Design, and Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) at the University of Technology Sydney’s Transdisciplinary (TD) School. It’s been a couple of years now since I’ve decided to walk down this path, and it hasn’t gotten easier explaining what it is exactly that I bring to the table. So for all of my peers, and all the hiring managers out there: here’s why Transdisciplinary Designers are crucial for the future of our industry.

A TRANSDISCIPLINARY ATTITUDE.


Employers yield better results when hiring for attitude over experience (Schooley, 2023). Skills can be taught, but your attitude towards learning probably can’t. The original model of the TD School when it was first introduced at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), was building graduates that are not yet done learning. Learning is a life long journey, and we recognise that here.

Transdisciplinary practitioners specialise in addressing the most pressing complex issues of our time in creative, strategic and sustainable ways (University of Technology Sydney, 2019). Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is what we’re all about. By investing time in reflecting on the issue, while examining, questioning, and challenging our current beliefs, this leads to more profound insights and significantly better results!

HAVING TRANSFERABLE SKILLS.


Employers are looking for graduates who can think beyond the boundaries of their disciplines, adapt quickly, and tackle problems from multiple angles (University of Technology Sydney, 2025). Transdisciplinarity is knowing that your experience, and your skills are applicable in various contexts. I believe that being part of the TD School—as we frequently engage with different industry partners spanning various industries, tackling complex problems within a span of two weeks, wherein a real-world setting, would typically take weeks or even months to uncover the root-cause of. I developed this stubborn resilience, to learn fast and execute well.

I was working on a project for a live client with a team of other designers at university. Our client worked in the health sector, and despite having worked in a completely different environment. Our group was able to apply the Transdisciplinary knowledge I acquired at the TD School seamlessly into our design practice. Having the ability to delicately navigate an entirely new challenge space, combined with critical thinking skills to address any complex challenges. As well as having comprehensive research skills, and the confidence to present and articulate complex ideas and concepts. These skills are relevant in any setting, and are good to have regardless of the nature of your work. However, most significantly, I would attribute most of our success to our amazing collaboration and teamwork.

BEING COLLABORATIVE BY DESIGN.


Transdisciplinary is: When great minds don’t think alike (University of Technology Sydney, 2019). I love working with people! Design at its core, is a service industry. And it thrives off of community and collaboration. Yet despite this, I find that it often feels lonely doing a design job. The most rewarding experiences I've had in the BCII, as well as throughout my academic journey (and life), have come from collaborating, working, and designing with others. Each individual possesses a wealth of knowledge that can build upon and expand your own creativity. My best work always comes when I am able to harness that collaborative spirit, where we draw inspiration from each other's excitement and energy. I’ve said this before to a friend of mine. But I believe it to be true–at least for me, that we are at our best when we are with people. And it shows.