A changing multidisciplinary context and the digital world we live in, is deconstructing the present concepts of design confined to that of production through mainly engineering and technology juxtaposed in a binary relationship with design as aesthetic. This tends to make design a supplement to a dominant discourse, usually engineering or management and that in fact lends meaning to design as functionally efficient and experientially satisfying structuring of process and product towards a pre-determined end. But if Design aims at changing existing situations into preferred ones , then its pedagogy needs to shift from mechanistic views of production geared to a preconceived end to wicked problems that are explored in-reflection. There is a need to liberate the concept of design from narrow mechanistic world views and industrial motifs of production.

Design then is an epistemological concept and not just a technical, or perceptional issue involving certain skill sets. In fact the choice of forms, techniques and medium of design are determined by the episteme that the designer engages with. Deconstructing design should enhance the influence of the creative potential of cognitive processes. Therefore, we need to beware of the notion of design as the + of other educational forms as these have a reductionist effect on the creative potential of cognitive processes.

Finally, design embeds subtle assumption of human values. Design mirrors and in turn generates images of what society should value. Designs then are not neutral but have the potential to manipulate needs, manufacture desires, influence markets, economy and culture, aestheticize ideology and this makes design a complex epistemic.