CONFERENCES
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.
Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
DESIGN THINKING IN PRACTICE: AN INTERNATIONAL CROSS-CASE EDUCATION COMPARISON OF PEDAGOGICAL PATHWAYS
Berglund, Anders; Kim, Jisun
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
Mälardalen University, Sweden; Aston University, UK
Page(s):
534 - 539
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
This paper presents a comparative educational case study examining how two differently framed design education projects contributed to student learning and innovation-oriented outcomes within the context of sustainable agricultural technology. The study compares two parallel university courses conducted in the UK and Sweden in collaboration with the agricultural technology company DeLaval. Rather than claiming broad pedagogical generalisations, the paper focuses specifically on how differences in project structure, technological framing, user access, and collaboration influenced student learning processes and design outcomes. The first case involved 11 individual projects completed by Advanced Design Management students at Aston University, where students developed user-centred product–service concepts informed by field visits, interviews, and market analysis. The second case involved five engineering design students at Mälardalen University who developed a virtual reality (VR) assembly-training prototype for the DeLaval VMS V300 milking robot. A cross-case qualitative analysis was conducted using design thinking framework dimensions including scope definition, degree of user engagement, working structure, contextual familiarity, and iteration practices. Findings indicate that open-ended projects encouraged broader conceptual exploration but created challenges in contextual understanding, while technology-constrained projects supported technical depth but limited conceptual diversity. Across both cohorts, limited access to users and unfamiliarity with agricultural contexts affected iteration quality and confidence in decision-making. The findings support a more cautious conclusion that international thematic alignment can enrich reflection and expose students to complementary design approaches when supported through structured interaction and contextual access. The study contributes practical insights for educators designing cross-institutional sustainability-focused design projects.
Keywords:
