Enhancing technical engineering education with industrial design: Consideration of professional engineering requirements
Year: 2010
Editor: Boks W; Ion, W; McMahon, C and Parkinson B
Author: Smith, Paul
Section: SYNERGIES BETWEEN PRODUCT AND ENGINEERING DESIGN
Page(s): 327-332
Abstract
Very few engineered products are judged purely on function, the primary focus of engineering, and industrial design contributes significantly to perceived product quality. The two disciplines must work concurrently and in collaboration to produce successful products and, in industry, this is common practice. However, many academic engineering courses in New Zealand focus on technical
engineering content and have few links with industrial design. Massey University is unique within New Zealand as its School of Engineering and Advanced Technology provides an academic course in Product Design Engineering, which is co-taught with the School of Design. In 2009, the course was reviewed for accreditation by the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ). While provisional accreditation was granted, the review highlighted a number of potential concerns around the reduction of technical engineering content required to accommodate increased industrial design content. This paper discusses the results and impact of the 2009 IPENZ review of Product Design Engineering at Massey University in the context of current academic engineering courses in New Zealand. The function of accreditation for professional engineering status for such courses is explored. A case study based review of international academic Industrial Design Engineering and Product Design Engineering courses is conducted to develop solutions to the issues raised. The insights are applied to a redesign of academic engineering courses at Massey University, which will establish a core Design Engineering course.
Keywords: Professional engineering, Product Design Engineering, Engineering education