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E&PDE 2026 - 28th International Conference on Engineering & Product Design Education
The Conference will bring together representatives from education and industry interested in sharing new perspectives on design education.
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METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE INGENUITY OF LOW-TECH DESIGNERS IN THE CONTEXT OF A STUDENT HACKATHON
GIRARD, Ulysse; REYES, Tatiana
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
University of Technology of Troyes, France; Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, CNRS, France; Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, France
Page(s):
7 - 12
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
In response to socio-ecological challenges, various alternative design approaches have emerged, bringing with them a variety of pedagogical practices to pass on to future designers. Among the most recent of them, the Low-Tech approach is characterised by the ingenuity shown by designers in creating solutions under constraints. However, the capacity for ingenuity in this context has not yet been studied, and there is no method for assessing it, which hampers its transmission to future designers. Within the framework of emerging teaching practices to introduce the Low-Tech approach, this work proposes to study and characterise 2 components of ingenuity as factors in the success of a design project: the influence of handyman-engineer logics and the self-imposition of ethical constraints in the design process. The experiment consisted of tracing the evolution of the components of ingenuity in students over the course of 2 Low-Tech hackathons. Data was collected from students and coaches using questionnaires and semi-directive interviews. An evaluation grid was also sent to the hackathon jury to assess the Low-Tech characteristics of the solutions. The aim of this research work is to characterise and evaluate the components of ingenuity in a Low-Tech context as part of an innovative educational approach, and to offer initial prospects for facilitating its transmission to future designers.
Keywords:
