ERGONOMICS IN DESIGN EDUCATION: THE CASE OF ROMANIA AND TURKEY

Abstract

In parallel with the economic, social, cultural, technological and environmental changes in the world, design education is undergoing a transformation. Design education has changed with this transformation, focusing on development of new strategies and tactics based on different areas.Today, with the rapidly developing technology, the problem of design education continues to be a current issue. Therefore, it is not enough to find a solution to the problems that are encountered by gaining different perspectives by looking at past experiences. Firstly, it is necessary to take different steps, develop different strategies and take advantage of different areas with developing technology. One of these areas required in design education is ergonomics.Having ergonomics in design education brings a different perspective that aims to increase students' awareness levels, their understanding and ability and suggests human-oriented movement in designs. Ergonomic design education offers the student an experience environment and education process that not only provides information but makes students think, questions them, develops their creative potential, reveals safe environments and designs, suggests productivity and targets human focus.In this context, what is the rationale for including ergonomics in design curricula? in this study, the changing conditions of formal ergonomics teaching in the design-related undergraduate curricula of Faculties of Fine Arts in Turkey and Romania were investigated, and the perceived importance of ergonomics teaching from the perspective of students was revealed. In this context, the study firstly examined the place of ergonomics in design education, and an analysis was carried out on how ergonomics is included in today’s training methods applied in modern design education in Turkey and Romania. At the same time, the perceived importance of ergonomics teaching from students' point of view was revealed.