Power, Bias, and Legitimacy in Design Pedagogy: Who Gets to Define ‘Good Design’?

Design pedagogy is frequently positioned as a neutral and skill-oriented domain, focused on creativity and problem-solving. However, this study argues that it functions as a deeply political, cultural, and technological system that governs aesthetic legitimacy. Introducing an original theoretical contribution - The Theory of Aesthetic Governance in Design Education - this paper examines how power operates through institutional structures, cultural conditioning, and algorithmic systems to define what counts as “good design.” This paper further develops the Power Triangle of Design Pedagogy, a conceptual model illustrating the interdependence of institutional authority, cultural capital, and algorithmic mediation. Through a theoretically grounded and analytically rich discussion drawing on Foucault, Bourdieu, and Escobar, it critically examines Western dominance, critiques systems and institutional hierarchies, and explores the emerging role of artificial intelligence in shaping design standards. Using India as a critical analytical site, this study explores the tensions between global design frameworks and local epistemologies, such as jugaad and craft traditions. It introduces key concepts such as Algorithmic Pedagogy and Cultural Compression, demonstrating how contemporary systems do not merely exclude but reshape and dilute diverse design expressions. The paper concludes by proposing a pluriversal and posthuman model of design education, along with policy-level recommendations for decentralizing authority and democratizing design legitimacy.