Abstract
With rapid globalization, designers are increasingly required to use creative integration of strategic thinking and design thinking to deal with complexity and uncertainty in an era of constant transformation. This study reviews the current status of design education to address the key question of how strategic thinking and design thinking can be enhanced creatively in undergraduate design students’ education in South Korea. Furthermore, it investigates the key drivers for and barriers to the enhancement of strategic thinking and design thinking; seeks insights from successful design education programs; and gathers perspectives about strategic thinking and design thinking from design students, educators, and strategists. By using qualitative (in-depth interviews) and quantitative (a questionnaire) research methods, the study offers significant insights: (i) design undergraduates’ short-sighted mind-set should be reshaped, (ii) additional practical, multicultural, and interdisciplinary applications of strategic thinking are needed to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical classes, and (iii) consistent stimulation is required to internalize strategic thinking and design thinking.
Highlights
With rapid globalization, the global market is becoming increasingly sophisticated, customers are demanding more product differentiation, and technologies are quickly changing through the introduction of new systems and concepts
Studies have indicated that design education in South Korea (SK) does not enable students to think in a strategic way, and undergraduate design students in the country seriously lack the ability to think strategically (DesignDB, 2020; Shin & Kim, 2012)
We present a case study of the Techno-Art Division (TAD) at Underwood International College (UIC, Yonsei University, SK)
Summary
The global market is becoming increasingly sophisticated, customers are demanding more product differentiation, and technologies are quickly changing through the introduction of new systems and concepts. Companies are pushed by the driving forces of innovation and globalization and seek strategic designers who can help them remain competitive (Woyke & Atal, 2007). It is difficult for companies and organizations to survive. Research on design thinking has been ongoing since the 1990s, and established from Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (HPID, Stanford University, United States (US)) in 2005. From the time, this useful solution for practical environment has been studied, such as design thinking toolkits for educators around the US (Brown, 2009a). Domestic companies are still urgent to introduce overseas cases, and startups occupy most of the design industry, but they still have a slow development of educational methodologies to improve designers’ design thinking ability
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