Indigenous Design Thinking and Relationality | The Possum Skin Cloak Project

Indigenous Design Thinking and Relationality—offered within the Monash University, Master of Indigenous Business Leadership (MoIBL)—is a reconfiguration of design thinking from an Indigenous position, based on relationality and Indigenous ways of knowing. It offers a more flexible and relational approach to problem-solving to harness opportunities in the business world. In it the students examine the reconfiguration of colonial systems in order to regain value from an Indigenous positioning within a design thinking paradigm, and posits how this contributes to unique ways of approaching problem-solving and harnessing opportunities.

The Design and construction of a Possum Skin Cloak forms a pivotal component of the program. The one in this exhibition was created by the 2023 MoIBL cohort. We acknowledge the boundless energy of the students and the generous support of Maree Clarke, Indi Clarke and Desiree Ibinarriaga in the delivery of this unit and the making of the Cloak.

For DIA Accredited Designers, attendance at this event is worth 1 informal CPD Point.