Department of Education and Future Design, Tamkang University

Introduction

Have you ever “pretended” before?

In a treacherous jungle, a chameleon must constantly change its appearance to survive. And what about us? We pretend every day—sometimes out of altruism, sometimes as a shield against external pressure, and sometimes as a rapid adaptation to the social world.

As students from a newly established department, we, too, are pretending—pretending to be confident as we face the many unknowns of the future. But in truth, we are navigating fragmented courses and ever-shifting learning paths, experimenting and making mistakes along the way. We often ignore doubts and confusion on purpose, all while trying to find our way forward.

Yet maybe, pretending isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Every profession risks becoming obsolete; every industry talks about innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Integration is a challenge we all face. In this ever-changing design jungle, pretending becomes a survival strategy—like the chameleon, helping us adapt, gain time, and search for direction.

“Pretending We’re a Design Department” is not just an expression of confusion or self-questioning—it’s an exploration of how pretending can drive design. Coming from diverse backgrounds, we are like chameleons in different contexts, moving through ambiguity, discovering through action. Design thinking and futures thinking aren’t about finding the one right answer, but about evolving through change.

We invite you to fully pretend with us. Through different themes and the lens of “Pretending I am…”, we face the unknown with design and explore the possibilities for breakthrough.