Abstract
This paper reports an experimental study with a purpose to investigate and compare the design thinking processes between final-year industrial design (ID) and mechanical engineering design (ME) students. Two types of conceptual design activities were observed and analyzed. One was to solve a realistic problem for the current market and the other was to generate “blue-sky” visionary concepts for the future. A qualitative method, derived from design protocol analysis, was proposed to explore the structure of observed design processes. The preliminary result demonstrated the disciplinary difference, between ID and ME students, on formulating and approaching design problems. In contrast with the previous perception that ID process is more solution-led while that of ME is more analysis-oriented, ID students were observed to spend much more time on systematically analyzing target-users and possible contexts of usage, in order to establish new design goals and requirements with regards to the above analyses. Whereas ME students were more dedicated in solving the problems identified from the given design brief and conducted little analytic work before concept development.
Keywords
Variations Of Design Thinking, Design Protocol Study, Structure Of Design Processes
Citation
Jiang, H., and Yen, C. (2010) Understanding Senior Design Students’ Product Conceptual Design Activities: A Comparison Between Industrial and Engineering Design Students, in Durling, D., Bousbaci, R., Chen, L, Gauthier, P., Poldma, T., Roworth-Stokes, S. and Stolterman, E (eds.), Design and Complexity - DRS International Conference 2010, 7-9 July, Montreal, Canada. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2010/researchpapers/53
Understanding Senior Design Students’ Product Conceptual Design Activities: A Comparison Between Industrial and Engineering Design Students
This paper reports an experimental study with a purpose to investigate and compare the design thinking processes between final-year industrial design (ID) and mechanical engineering design (ME) students. Two types of conceptual design activities were observed and analyzed. One was to solve a realistic problem for the current market and the other was to generate “blue-sky” visionary concepts for the future. A qualitative method, derived from design protocol analysis, was proposed to explore the structure of observed design processes. The preliminary result demonstrated the disciplinary difference, between ID and ME students, on formulating and approaching design problems. In contrast with the previous perception that ID process is more solution-led while that of ME is more analysis-oriented, ID students were observed to spend much more time on systematically analyzing target-users and possible contexts of usage, in order to establish new design goals and requirements with regards to the above analyses. Whereas ME students were more dedicated in solving the problems identified from the given design brief and conducted little analytic work before concept development.