Industrial Design Students Research Articles

From Designing Houses to Studying Architecture: Did Those Who Study Design Share Any Similarities in Playing the Sims Game?

Wright’s famous game The Sims, and its sequels; The Sims2 (2004), The Sims3 (2009), and The Sims4 (2014) are computer based digital games that provide digital settings to simulate virtual dollhouses (Martey and Stromer-Galley, 2007). They are one of the most played games of all time, which is why it has been the focus of academic studies since its first release. Within the scope of this research, a comprehensive survey was conducted. The first phase of the survey was conducted with 54 participants and the participants who graduated from different departments were asked whether there is a relationship between The Sims game experiences, interest in playing SIMS and choosing a profession. The following phase was conducted with the focus of architects, interior architects and industrial design graduates and students, who are called design faculty members. In this study, the effects of playing The Sims on the profession and their professional achievements were questioned.

Performance and eye movement patterns of industrial design students reading sustainable design articles

Sustainable design education plays a crucial role in cultivating sustainability awareness and competencies among students studying industrial design. This research investigates their sustainability levels, reading performance when engaging with articles, and fixation patterns during reading. 60 industrial design students participated in the study. We evaluated their sustainability levels using the Sustainable Consumption Measurement Scale. After reading both theoretical and case article, they completed tests assessing their recall and perspective scores. We collected eye-tracking data to analyze fixation duration and conducted lag sequential analysis on fixation transitions. Students were categorized into higher and lower sustainability groups based on their sustainability scores. Female students demonstrated higher sustainability levels, and students with design experience performed better in the higher sustainability group. While recall scores did not differ significantly, the higher sustainability group exhibited elevated perspective scores in theory article. Perspective scores were generally higher for case article compared to theory article. The higher sustainability group exhibited longer fixation durations in theory article, while the case article had longer fixation durations on images. Fixation transition patterns varied between theoretical and case article, with the former featuring transitions from images to texts, and the latter demonstrating transitions between images. This study provides valuable insights into sustainable design education for students studying industrial design.

A generative toolkit to help raise industrial design students’ awareness of low metal recycling rates

AbstractEducation for Sustainable Development requires raising individuals' awareness of problems relevant to the environment. We designed a Generative Toolkit that supports industrial design students carrying out a Speculative Design task and through this process initiates greater problem awareness of low metal recycling rates. In this paper we give insights into the Toolkit's theoretical derivation and the design process. Findings from testing suggest that there are several opportunities for improvement, such as considering further content-related competencies in the Toolkit's design.

Inclusive Design Capabilities of Diploma-Level Industrial Design Students: An Empirical Investigation

This research delves into assessing diploma-level industrial design students’ proficiency in employing design thinking in their projects in Malaysia. The study addresses the difference between practical skills and design thinking, comprehensively evaluating the students’ capabilities. Malaysia’s industrial design diploma program is designed to equip students with the requisite skills and knowledge for a successful career, emphasising creating functional and aesthetically pleasing products that enhance lives. The research seeks to gain insights into the student’s ability to apply design thinking principles throughout the product design process, mainly focusing on their comprehension and implementation at each stage. The study involved observing students working on a project themed “Redefining Local Culture,” which aimed to breathe new life into local traditions through design. The research also incorporated industry mentorship to enhance the student’s practical application of design thinking, highlighting the significance of integrating industry insights into the curriculum. The findings underscore the importance of integrating design processes and design thinking into the curriculum to produce well-prepared graduates for the demands of the design industry. The study proposes curriculum enhancements that focus on aligning academic knowledge with practical application, ultimately aiming to bridge the gap and better prepare diploma students for the industrial design sector in Malaysia.

Creating Methodological Design Processes for Empowering Artisans of Cali, Colombia

This paper describes how, from an academic exercise, Industrial Design students assume the role of social intrapreneurs (Cabana, 2018: 90-91) to become aware of the potential of design and the richness in non-academic learning that this type of dynamics can generate. In Colombia, there is sometimes a dependency between the artisan and the designer, because some professionals hired by state entities or third-sector agencies carry out design processes for the artisans, considering their skills, but these designs are not generated in a participatory manner. What is sought with this exercise is to empower artisans through the search for a design process according to their needs, where collectively the designer facilitates the artisan the incorporation of elements of the design process proper to the design into the empirical exercise of the artisan. This way, the artisan meets the creative requirements of customers and the local market, which allows them to increase their competitiveness and not depend on the designers to achieve a product portfolio that guarantees economic, cultural, and social sustainability.

Assessing the Influence of Virtual Reality on Industrial Design Student’s Performance with Varying Levels of Spatial Ability

The rapid advancement of technology has introduced virtual reality (VR) as a transformative educational tool, particularly in fields like industrial design that demand high levels of spatial cognition and visualization. However, disparities in spatial ability among students present significant challenges to achieving equitable learning outcomes. This study aims to assess the influence of VR on industrial design students’ performance, with a specific focus on how varying levels of spatial ability moderate this relationship. By investigating whether VR enhances the spatial reasoning skills of students with low spatial ability and comparing the performance of students with high and low spatial ability in VR environments, the study seeks to explore VR’s potential as an equalizing tool in design education. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with 100 industrial design students in Malaysia participating in pre- and post-tests to assess their spatial reasoning and design performance. Students were divided into high and low spatial ability groups based on standardized test results. Following an immersive VR design task intervention, both quantitative data (paired t-tests and ANOVA) and qualitative feedback from surveys and interviews were analyzed to assess performance changes and students’ perceptions of VR. The findings indicate that VR significantly enhances design performance for all students, with particular benefits for those with lower spatial ability. VR serves as a compensatory tool, helping to bridge the performance gap between students with different spatial abilities. The study’s implications suggest that incorporating VR into design education can promote more inclusive learning environments, allowing students of varying spatial abilities to improve their skills. However, further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of VR on spatial ability and its applicability across different educational contexts and disciplines.

Research on the teaching mode of industrial design in local universities in China: from the perspective of professional ability appreciation

Focusing on local non-“Double First-Class” higher colleges in China, this study aims to explore the effects of classroom teaching, integration of industry and education, classroom involvement, interdisciplinary awareness and abilities, as well as teacher-student investment, on the increment of professional abilities of industrial design students, and explore effective teaching modes. Organizing questionnaire survey data, constructing a multiple linear regression model, and using the analytical method of sheaf coefficient found that student investment has the most decisive influence on low-order and high-order professional abilities, while other variables have their focuses. Teacher investment only has a direct impact on partial high-order professional capacities. The analysis of interactive effect regression models found that the interactive effects of significant influencing variables only mutually reinforce partial high-order professional abilities. The second-order factor structural equation modeling found that the professional capacities of industrial design have a strong endogeneity. The core mission of teachers is to promote “student-centered” teaching and integration of production and education and encourage students’ investment to improve their professional ability. This study provides an empirical basis for optimizing and reconstructing the conceptual framework of low-order and high-order professional capacities in higher education.

The Influence of Humanities on Art and Design Learning Performance: An Empirical Study

AbstractTheoretical studies and perspectives have argued that humanities positively influence art and design learning performance, yet little study has tested this argument empirically. Further than testing the impact of humanities on art and design learning performance, the present study explores how humanities influence art and design learning performance. The present study investigates the influence of humanistic knowledge (e.g., history and literature) and skills, capabilities (e.g., innovation and narrative) and spirits on art and design learning performance (e.g., professional course marks) empirically via a survey. The moderations of age and gender are also tested. The results showed that humanistic knowledge and skills and humanistic spirits increase the art and design learning performance of visual communication and industrial design students, respectively. Humanistic capabilities increase art and design learning performance for all subjects. Besides, we found the individual difference that the effects of humanistic capabilities and humanistic spirits are stronger in male visual communication students than in female visual communication students. The pedagogical strategy of humanistic education for improving art and design learning is discussed based on the results.

User Experience Evaluation of a Virtual Reality Tool Used for 3D Modelling in Industrial Design Education: A Study in the Indian Context

Virtual reality (VR) technology has recently been adopted by educators for use in the classroom. Currently, this educational model includes not only lectures with teachers in the online classroom but also practical sessions using online platforms. Few studies have explored the potential of pedagogical approaches to implementing VR in the classroom for the purpose of design education. The focus of this paper was to study the learning experiences of the 3D visualisation of products among industrial design students through the strategic implementation of virtual reality technology. A within-subjects comparative study was conducted to measure cognitive workload and engagement and enjoyment, while a 3D modelling task was given using two different set-ups (conventional 3D software versus VR-based software). The statistical results show that the NASA-TLX score was lower in the case of the VR-based 3D modelling exercise compared to the conventional 3D software-based exercise. On the other hand, the mean values were higher for the engagement and enjoyment and usability scores, which means that the VR-based experience for 3D modelling was better than the traditional modelling experience using conventional software. Hence, there are possibilities to implement VR-based 3D modelling tools for online industrial design education for 3D visualisation in the near future.

How Innovation Affects Users’ Emotional Responses: Implications for Product Success and Business Sustainability

The market is experiencing an expanding range of products, prompting manufacturing companies to differentiate themselves from competitors by moving away from conventional concepts. However, these innovations often fail to meet consumer expectations, leading to product failure, and consequently, an unsustainable evolution of the market and the business. This unsustainability requires designers to adapt innovations to align with consumer needs and desires. Understanding and validating these adaptations can be achieved by examining users’ emotional responses to innovative products. The objective of this study is to assess the influence of innovation in the development of new successful products, sales performance, and, therefore, business sustainability. This evaluation is based on the perceptions of potential consumers through the analysis of users’ emotional responses to various new product concepts at different design stages. A case study presents the evaluation of 48 new interactive lamp concepts categorized into relaxation, study, and leisure topics. The target audience for these concepts is consumers aged 18 to 24. The designs were developed by 12 teams of final-year industrial design students using insights from a prior psychographic study involving over 800 potential consumers. The findings highlight differences in users’ perceptions of innovative and traditional products across topics. These differences relate to users’ interest, intuitiveness, and desirability toward a product. Generally, traditional product concepts are perceived as more intuitive, but users show greater interest and desire for innovative concepts, with some variations among the analyzed topics. The business environment is encouraged to share these data with new product-development teams to achieve sustainable market and business growth.

CHRONOBIOLOGY IN DIVERGENT THINKING: HOW DESIGNERS ARE AFFECTED BY TIME OF DAY

AbstractChronobiology is the science that studies the role of time in biology. The study of time in human bodies revealed the presence of internal rhythms related to the time of day. Considering divergent thinking as one of the essential cognitive activities of conceptual design, this paper presents the results of investigating the effect of time of day on designers’ brain activity while performing divergent thinking tasks. An experiment was run with a revised Alternative Uses Task, measuring brain activity with an electroencephalogram (EEG) device. Students with different educational backgrounds were recruited for this experiment, including engineering and industrial design students, to determine if the time of day affected them differently. The brain waves and related power results show significant differences with respect to the time of day and educational background. The differences are particularly evident considering the interaction of these factors. Further studies are required to understand the relationship between the differences detected and the designers’ behavioural performance and to identify which time of day is most effective for idea-generation activities for designers.

EXPLANATION OF “ORDER” AND “CHAOS” THROUGH “SEQUENCES”: ABSTRACT THINKING IN BASIC DESIGN EDUCATION

This study aimed to demonstrate high potential in using mathematics to facilitate the transmission of
 design principles in basic design education. It provided an example of how students’ previous mathematical
 knowledge could be utilized to assist them in understanding the initial design principles. In this respect,
 “sequence” as a mathematical concept was used to explain the concepts of “order” and “chaos” to the first-year
 industrial design students who had basic mathematics knowledge. The case was studied as part of a workshop
 in which students from a Karabuk University's basic design studio participated. As part of the workshop’s
 theme, waste materials were utilized in the design process. The purpose of this study was to provide a teaching
 method for improving the dialog between teachers and students in basic design studio without providing
 existing examples which can interfere the learning process and limit or hinder the students’ creativity. A
 similar methodology can be developed based on other mathematical concepts in order to clarify and teach
 design principles in the future.

Transdisciplinarity as a Learning Challenge: Student Experiences and Outcomes in an Innovative Course on Wearable and Collaborative Robotics

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This study provides evidence for the benefit of short online courses for the transdisciplinary competence development of graduate students. It shows the significant challenges students face while learning, and provides instructional recommendations to improve students’ learning quality and professionalism. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background:</i> Developing wearable and collaborative robots require industry collaboration and transdisciplinary competence. Industry’s involvement in long-term programs is becoming infeasible, and the nature of transdisciplinary learning has not been explored to inform instructional practices. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Intended Outcomes:</i> This study aimed to provide instructional recommendations based on an in-depth examination of a diverse group of graduate students’ learning and teamwork experiences as well as outcomes in a 5-day online transdisciplinary course. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Application Design:</i> Thirty-one graduate students of engineering, industrial design, and health fields from four countries participated in online mixed-discipline instructional sessions and teams to address a real industry challenge. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine students’ experiences and learning outcomes based on a competence measure, session participation data, student journal entries, team progress reports, team elaboration visuals, and final team presentations. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings:</i> Students’ knowledge of industrial design, medical considerations, ethics and standards, effective teamwork, and self-regulated learning were increased. Students’ high motivation helped them deal with the challenges involved. Daily student journals, team reports, and visual elaboration tools were found to be beneficial for determining the challenges and learning quality. The observed student progress within five days is promising, making it worthwhile to further explore the benefits of short online courses for increasing graduates’ readiness and establishing university-industry collaborations in <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">education.

Exploring the precedents retrieval styles of industrial and mechanical design students during brainstorming

Exploring the precedents retrieval styles of industrial and mechanical design students during brainstorming

Rise of the biomedical designer: engaging industrial design students in an advanced manufacturing neurosurgery project

The aim of this study was to prepare industrial design students for emerging roles in design and health through a 13-week, neurosurgery-centric design challenge. The study gathered survey data on their before and after perceptions on biomedical design, as well as their understanding of the role additive manufacturing plays in healthcare. At the conclusion of the project, nearly two-thirds of students had an interest in pursuing biomedical design after graduation. Prosthetics, implants and surgical planning aids were seen as the top applications of additive manufacturing in healthcare, while working with 3D models of human anatomy was seen as the biggest practical challenge. 3D printed prototypes exhibited at a major hospital showed a broad range of novel, modular, haptic and multi-material solutions that evidenced the value of biomedical design within healthcare, as well as the role advanced technology like additive manufacturing plays in solving real-world neurosurgical training challenges.

Designing for the Metaverse: A Multidisciplinary Laboratory in the Industrial Design Program

The design research and education landscapes are changing. The widespread development and use of technologies such as Mixed Reality (MR) and the diffusion of Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) available at low cost are causing a shift in design education toward the Metaverse. In this ever-changing scenario, there is a need to rethink design and teaching methods. However, scientific literature lacks the ability to provide contributions that include MR technology education in the industrial design program. We, therefore, present an innovative laboratory with an integrated multidisciplinary approach that starts from the fundamentals of interaction design and aims to teach students how to design next-generation MR interfaces for the Metaverse. The lab combines theory and practice within three courses: Information Design, Information Systems, and Virtual Design and Simulation. Industrial design students follow a precise multidisciplinary method consisting of five steps, from state-of-the-art analysis to the presentation of a final group design of an MR user interface. Thus, we introduce a class case study by presenting the outcomes of a semester project in the field of household appliances. Evaluation of the teaching method is conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire. Preliminary results show positive outcomes from students in terms of acceptance, effectiveness, usefulness, efficiency, and satisfaction with the teaching method adopted for the laboratory.

Biomaterials for change

One of the major environmental challenges of our time is plastic pollution. Motivated by this global environmental challenge, the authors launched a research program to investigate the development and application of natural fiber composites (NFCs) as potential substitutes for foamed plastics (e.g Styrofoam). In parallel, the authors also established a new research group and a capstone course in their industrial design program to engage undergraduate students in this research initiative. Between 2018 and 2021, the authors led a research program intended to explore the use of wastes from corn crops (Zea mays) and fibers from fique plants (Furcraea andina) for developing new NFCs and their applications. Throughout this program, the authors mentored five cohorts of undergraduate students in industrial design, who proposed and conducted their capstone projects in alignment with the program’s research agenda. This program was funded by internal grants and the investment of a private company interested in producing and commercializing some of the applications developed by the researchers. As results of this research initiative supported by undergraduate students, the research team developed a family of six new Natural Fiber Composites and a collection of near a dozen products that applied the new materials. These new products were aimed at the three industries that consume the most foamed plastics, that is, construction, packaging, and automotive. At an experimental level, these new materials have shown beneficial properties for these industries since they are highly resistant to impact, have low thermal conduction, have high acoustic insulation capacity, and have low weight. The preliminary findings from material testing and market validation show great promise for continuing developing and scaling up the production of these new NFCs and their applications with the ultimate goal of making significant contributions to the social, environmental, and economic welfare of rural communities that produce corn and fique in Colombia and other developing countries.

Design thinking competence as self-perceived by nursing students in Taiwan: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundCompetence in design thinking plays a pivotal role when undertaking innovative problem-solving. Our knowledge on nursing students' self-perceived design thinking competence, however, is noticeably lacking, particularly in Taiwan. ObjectTo examine Taiwanese nursing students' self-perceived competence in design thinking. DesignDescriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study. ParticipantsOne hundred and one nursing students enrolled in the interdisciplinary capstone courses, which were jointly offered to industrial design students, as part of a 4-year nursing program at a science and technology university in northern Taiwan. MethodsSelf-reported questionnaire data were collected from students, including their demographics and self-perceived competence in design thinking as measured by the Creative Synthesis Inventory and the Design Thinking Traits Questionnaire between January 2020 and January 2021. ResultsDistinctive and reliable individual differences were found in nursing students' self-perceived competence in design thinking. In addition, students perceived a significantly higher creative synthesis skill of discovery in developing an understanding of potential users and a significantly lower design thinking trait of optimism, not backing down from challenging problems. Finally, greater perceived competence in creative synthesis skills were significantly correlated with greater perceived competence in all design thinking traits, except the trait of optimism. ConclusionsResults indicated that significant individual differences exist in Taiwanese nursing students' self-perceived design thinking competence, suggesting opportunities for helping students with lower perceived competence. Overall, Taiwanese students believed themselves to be less skilled in visualization, prototyping, and evaluation as well as lacking an attribute of optimism when encountering challenging problems. Therefore, as informed by the design thinking framework, nursing schools should focus on developing strategies through training and practice to foster creative synthesis skills and designer traits in students, particularly targeting those who self-perceived as less competent and those skills and traits self-perceived as weaknesses.

Investigating the pathways between swift trust and team creativity among nursing student teams in Taiwan: A moderated mediation model

BackgroundConsiderable theoretical and empirical work indicates that a multitude of factors are associated with team creativity in an organizational context. The complex relationships between the contributors, however, are not well understood in nursing education. This study was to take a process view investigating the pathways from swift trust to creativity via collaborative interactions and to explore whether task conflict would further change the strength of the indirect effect.MethodsThis study utilized a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive design. Taiwanese nursing students (final n = 629), who enrolled in capstone courses of small interdisciplinary groups collaborating with industrial design students on designing healthcare products, participated in the study. Data were collected from students during 2018 and 2020. Questionnaires assessed their perceptions about teams' swift trust (including cognition- and affect-based), collaborative interactions (including constructive controversy, helping behavior, and spontaneous communication), task conflict, and creativity. SPSS PROCESS macro was used to test the proposed moderated mediation model.ResultsBivariate correlation analysis showed that greater team creativity was associated with increased cognition-based team swift trust and collaborative interactions. Results revealed that collaborative interactions serving as the underlying mechanisms mediating the effect of cognition- and affect-based swift trust on team creativity. Moreover, the indirect effect of collaborative interactions, specifically, spontaneous communication, on linking swift trust to team creativity varied as a function of task conflict. As task conflict decreased, the effect became stronger.ConclusionFindings suggest that nursing student teams’ spontaneous communication serves as the underlying mechanism in linking the relationship between swift trust and team creativity and that lower task conflict plays a crucial role in enhancing the indirect effect. The proposed pathway could provide guidance for nursing educators to promote creativity outcomes by promoting swift trust and collaborative interactions as well as preventing task conflict for interdisciplinary nursing student teams.

La propedéutica del diseño ecológico e implementación del programa dual “Ciencia – Educación – Producción

Introduction: This article presents material that reflects one of the constituent stages of the educational process, taking into account the principles of environmentally friendly and regional design, as an actual direction of innovative design practice. Materials and Methods: On the example of the works of students of the specialty industrial design, the options for solving problems based on the indicated principles are presented. In the modern educational process, which must take into account various factors, the concept of regional eco-design is becoming more and more popular. Results and Discussion: A future bachelor studying in the specialty “Industrial Design” must understand that the designed product must not only have aesthetics, but also bring real benefits to society, meeting modern environmental requirements. The design tasks of sustainable design should include creating a comfortable visual environment and microclimate, using natural materials with the possibility of their subsequent processing. Thus, the design and production of life support products, which allow, at a minimum cost of resources and energy, indirectly supports the development of earthly civilization in a safe way, preserving its natural resources. The state policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan supports the development of education in the field of industry and is interested in “bringing up a new generation of industrial engineers”. IEC (KazGASA Campus) graduates industrial specialists who are able to integrate into modern space, have mobility skills, but at the same time bear the identification of the national culture, which is rich in its experience and traditions. At present, the general cultural space in Kazakhstan is, in fact, a large field and platform for disclosure and careful immersion in the rethinking of heritage, which we need to study from new modern positions. Conclusions: The historical analysis of traditions and way of life is currently perceived as a kind of symbolic cultural code, as a new look at the nomadic model of the life order of our ancestors.