An educational and commercial product design symbiosis: a case study
Year: 2010
Editor: Boks W; Ion, W; McMahon, C and Parkinson B
Author: Dyer, Bryce Thomas Jeffrey; Glasspool, Chris; Terry, Simon
Section: INDUSTRIAL CONTEXTS
Page(s): 408-413
Abstract
Product design education has been one of the most exciting and vibrant study paths in the last two decades. It presents students the opportunity to develop their skills and talents to create innovative and effective product solutions. However, should a design student wish to obtain greater experience within the university curricula, their experience could be improved by an engagement with industry during their studies. This in turn enhances portfolio diversity and employment prospects. Discussed in this paper is a case study whereby a large scale commercial input to undergraduate students over a two year period allowed them to create products which were innovative yet highly sensitive to the needs of industry. The projects also saw students from two different years of academic study engage with each other in a team working format to enhance the learning experience. By engaging student cohorts from different levels of study, this created peer assisted learning opportunities. Any company which chooses to undertake an engagement with a body of design students not only gains creative input to their organisation but also the ability to help influence and inspire product design students of the future. This paper demonstrates through discussion of a case study conducted from 2008 &2009 how an ongoing industrial engagement not only provided the means for a large scale creative input but also provided a massive peer assisted learning exercise between multiple year design students. Ultimately, the engaged company, the academic institution and most importantly the students all gain from this symbiosis.
Keywords: Design, education, industrial partner