As part of our module, we took part in the Great PDT Debate. Although I found the idea quite intimidating at first, it turned out to be much more enjoyable than I expected. Everyone debated in pairs, either for or against a given statement. My teammate was Lenka, and we chose to argue against the statement that product design education prepares us for the real work environment because we were opposing the motion, our team went second.
Lenka and I had prepared our statements beforehand and printed them out, but
we realised we had written too much. We had to shorten everything quickly. During the debate we were running close to time, so I had to leave out some of my points. I got a bit of stage fright when it was my turn to speak, especially during the counter-argument section. Being put on the spot with only a minute to respond felt very exposing. However, thanks to my teammate Lenka, it all worked out well in the end. Her calm support and encouragement helped me steady myself and finish strongly. The counter-argument part was definitely my least favourite because you are heavily put on the spot. Even so, I did the best I could in the
moment.
The whole experience helped me step out of my comfort zone and improved my presenting skills. At the end of each debate we voted anonymously online, and the winners were revealed only after all debates had finished. It was fun to
watch the other teams once ours was over. Some motions were clearly easier to defend, while others were very difficult to argue against. Many people began by saying they did not personally agree with the side they were presenting. Our team did not win, but we came very close. Overall, it was a valuable and memorable experience.