Design Department Research Articles

Resisters: An illustrated project addressing shame among women

This article presents a research-based illustration project titled ‘Resisters: An illustrated project addressing shame among women’ self-authored as a semester-long postgraduate project at the Department of Design, IIT Delhi. The project began with understanding shame and shameful experiences of women aged 18–30 years, including college students and working professionals, through qualitative data collection and interviews. Anchored in visual communication design, it evolved into publication design and related collaterals to support the design brief. The publication serves as a resilient voice to be heard, read, shared and understood, delving into complex themes of shame and belonging. The inquiry-driven project stands at the intersection of societal messages and creative practice, validated through public display and critical feedback. Illustration as a communicative practice is crucial in today’s visually overstimulating environment, with such projects challenging the status quo within academic illustration practice.

A Comparative Study on the VR Experience of Students in a Digital Documentary Game

VR technologies, which are used in many fields today, have also started to be used in education through the game platforms with the realistic and interactive environments they provide. The 'Following the Traces of Sedad Hakkı Eldem in Istanbul project, developed within the scope of a scientific project jointly carried out by the Architecture and Digital Game Design Departments at the host university, is an architecture-themed documentary game designed for educational purposes. Within the game's scope, three different projects of architect Sedad Hakkı Eldem, whose name is frequently mentioned in the history of the Early Republic period and in the modernization processes, were selected. The game's scenario was developed to perceive these architectural spaces by experience. However, this experience may vary according to the different department users due to their focal points and educational structures. According to this, this study conducted a research with the students at the host university to see how this documentary game was perceived and evaluated by students from two different departments. In order to conduct a comparative research, a questionnaire was directed to the students after their game experience. Especially the results of the third part proved the differences in the students' perceptions of different departments. On the other hand, although students from these two departments revealed some differences in their focus and approach to evaluating the game, the results also showed that the game provided an overall beneficial educational experience.

Curriculum Evaluation of the Textile and Fashion Design Department of Cameroon Opportunities Industrialization Center (COIC), Buea

Purpose: Although technical and vocational education is a viable solution to unemployment and other socio-economic challenges, there is a dearth of empirical data on the perceptions of various stakeholders. To close this gap, the study proposes a case study evaluation of the program of the Textile and Fashion Design (TFD) department in Cameroon Opportunities Industrialization Center (COIC).
 Materials and Methods: Tyler’s rationale was used as the evaluation framework. The in-depth exploration proceeded in three phases. The first phase was a desk review of relevant documents. The second phase comprised of in-depth interviews with four main groups of respondents: 2 administrators, 3 trainers, 9 trainees, and 6 alumni. For each group of the respondents, an interview guide was used for data collection. The final phase was classroom observation using an observation guide. The data collected was submitted to content analysis, and then reported using both thematic and narrative techniques following the evaluation framework.
 Findings: The findings show that the TFD department is achieving its overall objective notwithstanding the challenges at the level of the entrepreneurship aspects of the objective. The program is also implemented in ways that enhance the achievement of the objectives, but the gaps in specialization, duration, and resources indicate the need for policy reviews. The assessment policy was found to be consistent with the objectives, and the stakeholder generally perceive the program in a positive light despite the challenges raised.
 Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Recommendations were made to close the identified gaps in the program implementation. For one thing, more needs to be done in digital visibility and sensitization. The challenges faced by the alumni indicate that more needs to be done in achieving the entrepreneurial aspect of the objective. Finally, if the “no entry requirement” policy is maintained, there might be need to consider specialization to increase quality and relevance of the program.

BIM-based approach to manage Basra Oil Company projects

PurposeThe oil and gas industry form the main resource of economy in Iraq and constructing any project in such sectors requires a huge amount of expenses due to the unique requirements that oil and gas facilities required in such projects. Therefore, adopting an appropriate technological approach such as building information modeling (BIM) which is unfortunately not adopted yet in Iraq is essential to successfully deliver these projects. Thus, this paper aimed to introduce BIM to Iraq through Basra Oil Company (BOC) which is one of the biggest public oil and gas companies in Iraq.Design/methodology/approachThe related literature of journals articles, conference proceedings and published reports have been reviewed. As a result, firstly: a hypothesis has been derived that is “If Basra Oil Company (BOC) adopts and applies BIM approach instead of the 2D approach currently used to manage its projects, the company can overcome several constraints in managing its projects that associated with such 2D traditional approach”; secondly: homogenous, consistence and reliable web-based questionnaire has been designed as its Cronbach’s alpha equal to 0.897 and 0.711 for BIM benefits and barriers, respectively. This questionnaire distributed to the BOC related professionals to test such hypothesis by investigating their readiness and accepting of BIM approach and to rank BIM barriers based on five-point Likert scale.FindingsBased on the analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 of 115 responses, almost 50% of the respondents had experience 11–15 years, while 22.6% had experience more than 15 years in oil and gas industry construction projects. Those participants were from diverse engineering majors that are: 4.3% Architectural Engineers, 31.3% Civil Engineers, 20% Mechanical Engineers, 22.6% Electrical Engineers and 21.7% from other engineering majors. The respondents’ departments demography was 16.5% of design department, 12.2% of construction department, 20.9% of Project Management Department, 12.2% of Maintenance department, 4.3% of HSE Department, 13% of Production Department and 20.9% of “Other Department.” The study resulted in 1: accepting BIM approach to be an alternative of current 2D-traditional approach used by the company to manage and construct its projects, since mean of collected data is (4.4332), Kruskal–Wallis H test significance values were 0.398 and 0.372; and ANOVA test significance values were 0.433 and 0.599 among Engineering Majors groups and Company’s Department groups, respectively. 2: Disclosed and sequenced BIM barriers in the company based on their criticality. 3: verifying reliably how BIM attributes are important to oil and gas construction projects in Iraq, 4: the company top management and company policies are the most critical potential factors to hinder or adopt and implement BIM in the company, 5: while cost is not seen a critical barrier to implement BIM in the oil and gas sector.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this study is the excluding of decision makers of BOC, thus more profound future studies need to be conducted where top management and decision makers are involved, particularly the present study demonstrated that support of company top management is the most critical factor which can help the company to adopt (BIM).Originality/valueThe study concludes that BIM approach is valuable for managing projects in oil and gas sector in Iraq and identify the originality in output by using the research method. This noble study provides a leverage for enhanced research to adopt and implement building information modeling (BIM) in Iraq as the study originally demonstrates benefits and identifies the critical barriers in BIM implementation to push the boundaries toward adopt Digitalization and reduce CO2 emission in Iraqi oil and gas sector. The study can be used as evidence and platform to encourage professionals and practitioners to present more sophisticated tools of BIM in the oil and gas industry, especially for facility and operation management. These findings achieved via oil and gas experts, and it is first time to achieve such findings from a case study in Iraqi oil and gas sector.

An Investigation of Drawing Skills' Role in Art And Design Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Academies

This study investigated the relationship between drawing and design skills in higher education academies specialising in art and design. Contradictory views -spread among the faculty members and transferred to the students- over the role of drawing skills in supporting designers' abilities and skills are presented and discussed. One viewpoint asserts that the ability to draw is equal to the ability to design. On the other hand, others believe that drawing does not equip design students with appropriate skills, especially in light of modern technology tools, including art and design computer software. This contradiction in ideas and visions between those in charge of the educational process directly impacts achieving design programs' learning outcomes. This research discussed this issue by examining the correlation between students' drawing and design abilities. Therefore, the marks achieved by female students in the Design Department, majoring in graphic design, at Al Zahra College for Women in the Sultanate of Oman were studied with a focus on graduation project grades and drawing courses. A statistical analysis of this relationship using a t-test found a strong positive correlation between graduation project grades and the average grades of three drawing courses (r=0.79, R2=0.62, p>0.05). Moreover, the statistical data supports accepting the null hypothesis, meaning no difference exists between the data obtained for the representative drawing and design courses. Consequently, it is evident through this study that drawing courses positively and strongly support students' performance in the graduation project, representing the highest level of design abilities. The results of this study could be adopted by design programs to focus on freehand drawing skills and courses besides other skills, such as technological skills, including using drawing and design software programs.

Investigation of the Relationship of the Educational Content of the Visual Communication Design Department with Art and Communication Technologies in Turkey

Investigation of the Relationship of the Educational Content of the Visual Communication Design Department with Art and Communication Technologies in Turkey

On the Importance of Service Parts When Taking Commonality and Reliability Decisions

Competitive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) do not only sell equipment, but also provide service contracts that ensure proper functioning and uptime of equipment after the sale. This makes OEMs responsible for a large part of an equipment’s life cycle. Therefore, OEMs aim to minimize the total life cycle costs of their equipment, in particular by commonality and reliability level decisions during the design phase. We consider these decisions for one component occurring in a family of systems. The commonality decision is about choosing a common component or dedicated components for the systems. The life cycle costs consist of design and production costs of all components, repair costs, inventory holding costs of service parts, and logistic downtime costs (i.e., downtime costs due to insufficient spare parts inventory). At many OEMs, the design department tends to exclude service parts considerations for the commonality and reliability level decisions. Excluding service parts leads to a simpler decision model, however, this may lead to non–optimal decisions. We compare two approaches for the commonality and reliability decisions: the anticipating approach, which includes inventory holding costs of service parts and logistic downtime costs, and the nonanticipating approach, which excludes these costs. Since the cost function under the anticipating approach is intractable, we first derive a cost function that approximates the actual costs via an asymptotic analysis. Next, we show that the anticipating approach selects the common component more frequently in comparison with the nonanticipating approach. For many problem instances, the nonanticipating approach leads to decisions that have a much higher overall cost than using the anticipating approach. The relative cost difference can become arbitrarily large when the family of systems consists of many systems. Funding: J. Driessen was funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research [Grant 407-12-001].

Guqing Music Recognition by Machine Learning Methods

The guqin is an ancient Chinese stringed instrument that is an important part of Chinese culture and history. Guqin notation is a unique form of tablature known as jianzi pu that is notoriously difficult to understand. Even now, several hundreds of pieces of music remain un-played because the notation is indecipherable to modern day players. In order to access this important cultural artefact and play the guqin as it was intended in ancient times, it's essential that new methods of translating and understanding the notation are developed. Professor Takashi Kuremoto leads a team at the Department of Information Technology and Media Design, Nippon Institute of Technology, Japan, that is using AI and machine learning methods to uncover the music of the past. The researchers want to utilise deep learning to automatically recognise guqin notation. This involves collaboration with academic experts from a broad range of different fields. The goal of representing guqin notation through AI and machine learning is particularly challenging because elements of music that we recognise, such as rhythm, speed and harmony are not given in jianzi pu and the title and the words of the songs needs to be considered and arranged by musicians. The researchers created a database of single jianzi pu lines which was composed of multiple handwritten images and augmented data and adopted multiple machine learning models, such as VGG16 and SVM to increase the accuracy of classification.

Flexible thickness control of hydroforming by forced lubrication method in arbitrary region and time

The elastic and plastic properties of metal can be used in various applications. Junior Associate Professor Hiroaki Kubota is working to improve manufacturing design through the application of elasto-plastic mechanics. He is particularly interested in hydroforming; a process in which steel tubes are inflated by water pressure. This can be used to produce hollow, lightweight automobile parts. Kubota previously worked in the body design and advanced development department of a car manufacturing company, learning of the importance of thickness distribution of vehicle components. It was this that inspired his current work. At the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokai University, Japan, where Kubota is based, he is conducting research on hydroforming technology and applied research on the optimisation of plastic working using finite element analysis (FEM) and artificial intelligence (AI). Through their research on lubrication hydroforming, the team developed a forced lubrication technology that supplies high-pressure lubricant between a die and a tube during tube hydroforming, leading to even distribution and uniform wall thickness. The researchers want to expand the application of high-strength steel tubes to contribute to more lightweight and rigid cars. In their work the team confirmed that when a high-pressure lubricant was injected between the die and the steel tube, uniform wall thickness was achieved and cracking prevented. This was the very first time that forced lubrication was found to be effective in hydroforming. The team also discovered that by managing the forced lubrication, the thickness of parts can be freely controlled.

Systemic-Relational Design to Enhance Empathy Processes

The chapter investigates the role that design discipline can have in the field of human affective relationships. For this role to be effective, the designer will have to elaborate strategies, tools, and methods for the development of a new generation of relational and interactive artefacts that, through innovative analogue and digital solutions, are proposed as active mediators of interpersonal emotional relationships. Mediation can take place through the decoding of signals with a high emotional component and the management of multisensory interaction modes. The paper proposes some projects developed in this direction within the Hybrid Design Lab, a laboratory born in the Department of Architecture and Industrial Design of the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", from 2022 placed in the Department of Architecture of the University of Naples Federico II.

Design Exhibition opened on the 100th Anniversary of the Republic

'Design Exhibition on the 100th Anniversary of the Republic ' was opened by Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Department of Visual Communication Design.

Methodological Principles of Teaching Drawing in the Process of Preparing an Animation and Computer Graphics Artist

The subject of the study is the fundamental methodological principles of teaching students graphics, animation and computer graphics artist by the Department of Graphic Art and Communicative Design of the Institute of Media Communications, Media Technologies and Design: the principle of step-by-step creation of a drawing, its implementation from integral to elementary and vice versa, the principle of structural analysis of the transfer of form in drawing, active methods of attracting to strengthening mental activity, manifestation of creativity; in-depth study of the depicted nature; the use of visualization, problem statement, systematic organization of full-scale productions, joint discussions of completed works, comments of the teacher, spatial thinking, compositional construction; independent work. Purpose of the study is the application of methodological principles in working with students. Methods of the study are scientific, historical experience of development, application of methodological principles. Results of the study: the methodological principles of teaching drawing are partially implemented in the course of training an animation and computer graphics artist. Some shortcomings in working with applicants and first-year students have been identified. Not all stages of training of students from applicants to the last courses, their professional formation in the field of drawing are considered yet. The scope of application of the results: students of the field of training graphics, animation and computer graphics artist. The novelty is that these principles are applied specifically to this field of study. Conclusions: The methodological principles of teaching drawing for university students are investigated. The necessary methods and methods of education are highlighted. The necessity to trace the application of these principles from the first course to the last is revealed.

ИЗУЧЕНИЕ ФОЛЬКЛОРНЫХ ТРАДИЦИЙ РОДНОГО КРАЯ В КОНТЕКСТЕ ПРИОБЩЕНИЯ СТУДЕНТОВ К ИСТОКАМ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ

Upbringing the younger generation on the basis of national traditions contributes to the spiritual and moral enrichment of society. The article is devoted to the problem of introducing students — future teachers — to the origins of national culture through folklore, which has a great educational potential. The author focuses on the study of folk tales in the educational process as a direction related to the preservation of traditional folk culture, the formation of a meaningful attitude to the national artistic heritage. Karelian fairy tales are valuable folklore material with educational potential in the development of aesthetic and moral qualities, instilling love for the native land, glorifying its beauty and unique traditions. The author pays attention to the artistic representation of the characters of Karelian fairy tales, reveals their mythological basis and artistic traditions of embodiment. The article describes the experimental work carried out by the author in the academic year 2023/2024 at the Department of Technology, Fine Arts and Design of the Petrozavodsk State University and the Petrozavodsk Specialized School of Arts. Plunging into the world of folklore traditions of their homeland, the students comprehend the need to implement a national and regional component in university and secondary education. The study of folklore traditions helps to introduce students to the origins of national culture, the formation of ethno-cultural and civic identity, and the ability to carry out practical activities.

Morphology of Exhibition Spaces for Designing a Water Museum

The main objective of this article is to identify the architectural image of a new type of museum and exhibition complex associated with the use of water as one of the design components. The subject of the study is to identify the morphology of exhibition spaces in the architecture of the object "Museum of Water". The article contains a brief overview of already implemented objects related to water, as well as a description of its own project proposal for the introduction of water and its aggregate states into a three-dimensional architectural structure. The material for analysis is the research results of the author's group as part of the design studio under the guidance of Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Design of the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU) Kolodin Konstantin Ivanovich and Bachelor Skurlatova Ekaterina Anatolyevna in the framework of the final qualifying work. As a basis for the developed research methodology, an overview analysis of architectural, urban planning and compositional principles of designing multifunctional complexes of complex structure was chosen, and a list of promising design and construction tasks was compiled. The relevance of this study is to consider the scientific novelty in creating a fundamentally new approach to the design of a multifunctional complex based on the morphology of water conditions. Based on the results of the main sections of the study, conclusions were formulated concerning the potential of water use in spatial and planning structures, as well as recommendations for the design of multifunctional complexes of a new type.

Analysis of service quality in engineering design department through SERVQUAL framework

This paper aimed to explore the application of SERVQUAL in assessing the performance of in-house detailed engineering design in an engineering management firm. The goal is to evaluate service quality and identify gaps between customer expectations and perceptions across the five service quality dimensions. Results show that customers are dissatisfied with the department's service quality, and negative gaps exist across all 22 questions. Improvements in reliability, assurance, and responsiveness are recommended to enhance customer satisfaction. The study demonstrates a strong correlation between service quality dimensions and contract retention, highlighting the importance of improving service quality for long-term business success.

Strategic Business Model Development for Architectural Services: Analyzing Competitor Designs

This study employs a convenience sampling method to investigate the design services industry in Shi Jiazhuang City, focusing on a construction company’s design department employees in senior or middle management roles. Utilizing SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces, the study identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the industry, shedding light on crucial factors like quality, communication, and differentiation. The Porters Five Forces analysis reveals challenges from new entrants, supplier bargaining power, client influence, and substitutes. Subsequently, a comprehensive strategic business model is derived, emphasizing dimensions such as finance, response, enterprise, learning, firm, and innovation. This model addresses specific challenges like expertise shortages, brand recognition, and project setbacks, providing a holistic framework for sustained growth and competitiveness. The study encourages adaptability, proactivity, and preparedness in navigating dynamic market conditions. Overall, the research contributes valuable insights for the design service company, offering a strategic guide to position itself effectively within the industry and ensure sustainable success. The findings underscore the importance of efficient financial practices, skill enhancement, brand development, continuous learning, firm optimization, and innovation in navigating challenges and leveraging opportunities. This study provides a nuanced understanding of the industry’s dynamics and offers practical recommendations for the company to thrive in the ever-evolving market landscape.

Visual Communication Design students at the 42nd Graphic Design Exhibition...

Visual Communication Design Department visited the 42nd Graphic Design Exhibition prepared by the Graphic Designers Professional Organization (GMK) within the scope of the Design Workshop.

Industrial Small Data: Definition and Techniques for Data Augmentation in Manufacturing

Manufacturing companies are increasingly applying machine learning techniques for data-related engineering problems, e. g. in quality, maintenance, or product design departments. However, the successful application of machine learning is impeded by the lacking availability of sufficient data. Datasets are often small and imbalanced for industrial use cases. This research work defines the term “industrial small data” and provides a categorical overview of manufacturing processes in academia and industry characterized by it. Furthermore, this work summarizes related data augmentation techniques employed to enable the application and improve the performance of machine learning models for typical manufacturing use cases.

디자인 씽킹 프로세스를 적용한 디자인 프로젝트 수업 모형연구

In order to lay the theoretical foundation for a systematic education program on the social responsibility and role of design, this study developed a teaching model that applied a project-based design thinking process for solving human-centered social problems to the “Design and Ethics” course, which is a basic major class in the Department of Design at a four-year university in Gyeonggi-do. The project teaching method consisted of five stages: frame a question, gather inspiration, generate ideas, prototype, test to learn, and improvement of the design thinking process. The results of the class showed positive learning satisfaction in terms of learning comprehension, creative thinking, and problem-solving ability, and it was an opportunity to experience a human-centered problem-solving process. The systematic curriculum on the social responsibility and role of design was organized to effectively utilize specialized technology as a means for solving human social problems, and it is significant in that it met the demand for education of the times, which includes sharing various perspectives through team project classes and cultivating a new creative problemsolving skills. In the future, it is hoped that it will develop into a practical social design education program by linking it with multidisciplinary convergence, government agencies, private companies, and social enterprises.

The Use of ChatGPT Applications in Learning: Impact on Understanding and Student Engagement in TVET Institutions

In the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has the potential to enrich the learning experience. However, the challenge lies in determining the level of skills required by students to optimize the learning experience and enhance understanding of technical concepts and student engagement. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between students' understanding and engagement based on their skill levels in using ChatGPT application in the TVET education sector. A pilot study was conducted with 30 respondents for all 24 items to measure the reliability of the research instrument. The findings indicated a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.982, suggesting that all constructed items are suitable for use as a measurement tool in assessing the needs of the developed survey instrument. Independent sample t-test analyses were conducted to determine if there were significant differences in understanding and student engagement based on students' skills in using the ChatGPT application. A total of 173 respondents participated in this study, comprising 125 students from the Information and Communication Technology Department (ICTD) and 48 students from the Design and Visual Communication Department (DVCD) at Polytechnic Besut Terengganu (PBT). Data obtained from the survey were analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences version 26.0. Descriptive analysis of minimum comparisons showed a positive impact, indicating that students in TVET institutions agree that the use of the ChatGPT application in learning influences their level of understanding and engagement based on high minimum values. However, independent sample t-test analysis showed differing results. While there was no significant difference in understanding based on the skills of using the application, there was a significant difference in student engagement. This suggests that although students consider the ChatGPT application to have an overall positive impact, the benefits are consistent with students' understanding without making a difference to a specific group. Skills in using this application have a more significant impact on student engagement than on their understanding. Despite the overall positive impact of the application, a focus on student engagement may be a key factor in enhancing the effectiveness of this application in the TVET learning context. To improve the effectiveness of the ChatGPT application, further research on factors contributing to differences in students' engagement levels needs to be conducted. Further studies could also involve comparative research between TVET institutions to identify differences in perceptions and the use of the ChatGPT application. Long-term studies to measure the impact of the ChatGPT application on academic achievement could provide a deeper understanding of its long-term effectiveness in facilitating the learning process in TVET institutions. Opportunities and challenges related to AI in education should also be investigated to support and expand these findings in various technical disciplines and the TVET education context.