A Suggestion for Integrated Design Education System: A Case Study on Domestic College Programs

Abstract

Background : With the growing emphasis on balanced, integrative thinking adaptive to today’s rapid socio-cultural changes, we observe significant needs for a multi-disciplinary design education system encompassing diverse fields of studies. In domestic college programs, however, a widely accepted design education system for cultivating multitalented students has not yet been established. The purpose of our study is to create guidelines for developing integrated design programs by performing a case study on integrated design programs in major domestic universities. Methods : We first extracted six criteria characterizing the integrated design programs via literature review: structure, method, target, operation, space, and communication. Using these criteria, we then conducted in-depth interviews with four professors to identify the present conditions and demands of domestic design programs. Results : In this study, we set new standards for the analysis of a design education system and understood the current demands of national education programs. We recognized the need for (1) a leader with a holistic way of thinking and a broad understanding of the different specialties, (2) the qualitative improvement of education methods, (3) education programs tailored to specific needs, (4) a government support system, (5) the minimization of physical distance, and (6) the need for being open-minded for effective communication. Based on these results, we suggested a future direction of the educational system suitable for the domestic education environment. Conclusion : The significance of our study lies in creating new standards for analyzing an integrative design education system, and suggesting a future direction of the educational system suitable for the domestic college education environment.