This paper discusses the ways in which the long-established tradition of the design "practicum" continues to structure teaching and learning in undergraduate programmes. It draws on an in-depth empirical study of one degree course in graphic design and accompanying research in a small number of professional graphic design studios; this dual focus enables identification of shared practices and discourses across the two contexts. Examination of its distinctive modes of teaching and learning indicates the effectiveness of practicum pedagogy in promoting design understanding and the professional preparation of students. The study's insights into the design classroom are illuminated by situated theories of learning, particularly the idea that knowing equates to participation in the specialist knowledge community of graphic design. A key feature of the learning situation is identified as the practicum discourse shared by tutors and learners, which is characterized as metaphor-based rather than analytical and abstract. The strengths and limitations of this practice-oriented discourse are discussed in the light of the recognized difficulties in articulating art and design knowledge, and its consequent problematic status in the academy. The paper's focus on metaphorical discourse offers a different view of design pedagogy, and suggests a means of researching it that may also be relevant to other practice-oriented domains.