Abstract

This paper proposes a design framework, which examines the communication process between a female user and the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a medical device to enhance her health matters; in particular, understanding their underlying needs and responses toward to the use of the device. The emphasis of the paper is to investigate the role of designer and health message within the communication process, in addition to identify appropriate GUI attributes relevant for the design of medical devices; aspects of response from the female user and other probable users are gathered. To broaden the framework, the role of existing visual references is examined, and the effects of moderating influences are discussed. Remaining cognizant of these different elements of response, and conceptualizing them as part of the framework presented, will assist further attempts to understand female user response to the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) domain; transferring key ideas to further product design and development for female-centered medical devices. In conclusion, implications for future design practice, usability engineers of medical devices, and design research are presented.Education, and industrial design education in particular, is affected by changes in the economy, industry and society. This paper will show how the strategic choices made in education and the affinity of the curriculum to the dominant markets contributes to its ability to adjust to these changes and to benefit from them. The Finnish case will be used to illustrate this, and the empiric findings thereof will be studied through existing literature on professionalisation. Industrial design education in Finland had to gain status and differentiate from a strong tradition of arts, which led to the emphasis of a scientific cognitive basis. Then, striving for a cognitive basis resulted in new areas of design theories, such as ergonomics and design management, which changed the role of the designer and the education. This in turn made them better aligned with the industry and economy. As Finland experienced a structural change from forest industry to new high technology industries, which needed increasing amounts of industrial design professionals, the number of institutions offering design education exploded. This paper will show how industrial design education was able to adjust to these changes successfully.

Keywords

visual communications; medical technology and innovation, e-health; usability of informationindustrial design, design education and research, technological and social change, professionalism, educational strategies

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Nov 1st, 12:00 AM

Strategies for Surviving in a Changing Environment The History of Industrial Design Education in Finland

This paper proposes a design framework, which examines the communication process between a female user and the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a medical device to enhance her health matters; in particular, understanding their underlying needs and responses toward to the use of the device. The emphasis of the paper is to investigate the role of designer and health message within the communication process, in addition to identify appropriate GUI attributes relevant for the design of medical devices; aspects of response from the female user and other probable users are gathered. To broaden the framework, the role of existing visual references is examined, and the effects of moderating influences are discussed. Remaining cognizant of these different elements of response, and conceptualizing them as part of the framework presented, will assist further attempts to understand female user response to the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) domain; transferring key ideas to further product design and development for female-centered medical devices. In conclusion, implications for future design practice, usability engineers of medical devices, and design research are presented.Education, and industrial design education in particular, is affected by changes in the economy, industry and society. This paper will show how the strategic choices made in education and the affinity of the curriculum to the dominant markets contributes to its ability to adjust to these changes and to benefit from them. The Finnish case will be used to illustrate this, and the empiric findings thereof will be studied through existing literature on professionalisation. Industrial design education in Finland had to gain status and differentiate from a strong tradition of arts, which led to the emphasis of a scientific cognitive basis. Then, striving for a cognitive basis resulted in new areas of design theories, such as ergonomics and design management, which changed the role of the designer and the education. This in turn made them better aligned with the industry and economy. As Finland experienced a structural change from forest industry to new high technology industries, which needed increasing amounts of industrial design professionals, the number of institutions offering design education exploded. This paper will show how industrial design education was able to adjust to these changes successfully.

 

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