Supplying the demand: aligning product design curricula and the professional practice of design
Year: 2013
Editor: John Lawlor, Ger Reilly, Robert Simpson, Michael Ring, Ahmed Kovacevic, Mark McGrath, William Ion, David Tormey, Erik Bohemia, Chris McMahon, Brian Parkinson
Author: Spruce, Jon; Evans, Martyn David
Series: E&PDE
Institution: 1: Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom; 2: Lancaster University, United Kingdom
Section: Best Education in Practice
Page(s): 660-665
ISBN: 978-1-904670-42-1
Abstract
Much research has been conducted into the content of design curricula yet limited research has been undertaken into how early career design professionals view their undergraduate studies, and in turn if this experience adequately prepares them for entry into the design industry. Research often discusses industry expectations of design education in the context of a lack of satisfaction with the skills and knowledge of recent graduates; while design industry professionals cite the over-supply of poor quality graduates as undermining the sustainability of the industry. Yet there seems to be little engagement by industry professions into the actual content and nature of design curricula. Building on and significantly extending prior research conducted by the authors, this paper explores the relationship between product design curricula and the professional practice of design. The authors consult with design industry employers to gain insight into both the perceptions and realities of contemporary design practice and identifies key issues that design employers feel design education are not addressing via a series of semi-structured interviews. The results of the paper provide a framework that can guide academics when developing design curricula within the UK to align to the needs of the professional practice of design.
Keywords: Product design curricula, design industry, professional practice