Abstract
In response to the growing emphasis on design-driven innovation, this study explores the evolving mindset behind design industry–academia collaborations in Taiwan—particularly the shift from practice-oriented practices toward more exploratory, future-oriented practices. This study investigates two distinct collaboration models—practice-oriented and foresight-oriented—by analyzing differences in project execution while examining the types and needs of participating students and collaborating organizations. Based on in-depth interviews with 16 stakeholders—including participating students, participating advisors, collaborating organizations, design consultants, and project managers—the study proposes a comparative framework of three dimensions and ten aspects to characterize three collaboration types: practice-oriented, foresight-oriented (near-future), and foresight-oriented (distant-future). Results show that practice-oriented collaborations are often preferred by SMEs with established production capabilities but limited design capacity, as they enable quick, tangible outcomes that support product optimization and market-driven innovation. These collaborations emphasize practical skills and are well-suited to senior students with technical training. In contrast, foresight-oriented collaborations are typically more suitable for larger organizations or experienced SMEs in which key decision-makers are directly involved. These collaborations foster strategic thinking and broader exploration, encouraging students to develop interdisciplinary perspectives, cultural interpretation, and future imagination. This study highlights that strengthening co-creation mechanisms in practice-oriented collaborations and fostering inter-organizational, shared-topic approaches in foresight-oriented collaborations are key to advancing the future development of design industry–academia collaboration in Taiwan. The findings provide a clearer structure for future implementation and serve as a reference for stakeholders aiming to foster more balanced, innovative, and sustainable design industry–academia collaborations.
Keywords
Design Industry–academia Collaboration; Foresight-oriented Design; Practice-oriented
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.515
Citation
Hsueh, Y.T., Ma, M., Liang, S.N., Chiu, C.,and Lin, S.B.(2025) From Practical Implementation to Forward-Looking Vision: An Initial Exploration of Taiwan's Design Industry–Academia Collaboration Models, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.515
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 12 - Design Education
From Practical Implementation to Forward-Looking Vision: An Initial Exploration of Taiwan's Design Industry–Academia Collaboration Models
In response to the growing emphasis on design-driven innovation, this study explores the evolving mindset behind design industry–academia collaborations in Taiwan—particularly the shift from practice-oriented practices toward more exploratory, future-oriented practices. This study investigates two distinct collaboration models—practice-oriented and foresight-oriented—by analyzing differences in project execution while examining the types and needs of participating students and collaborating organizations. Based on in-depth interviews with 16 stakeholders—including participating students, participating advisors, collaborating organizations, design consultants, and project managers—the study proposes a comparative framework of three dimensions and ten aspects to characterize three collaboration types: practice-oriented, foresight-oriented (near-future), and foresight-oriented (distant-future). Results show that practice-oriented collaborations are often preferred by SMEs with established production capabilities but limited design capacity, as they enable quick, tangible outcomes that support product optimization and market-driven innovation. These collaborations emphasize practical skills and are well-suited to senior students with technical training. In contrast, foresight-oriented collaborations are typically more suitable for larger organizations or experienced SMEs in which key decision-makers are directly involved. These collaborations foster strategic thinking and broader exploration, encouraging students to develop interdisciplinary perspectives, cultural interpretation, and future imagination. This study highlights that strengthening co-creation mechanisms in practice-oriented collaborations and fostering inter-organizational, shared-topic approaches in foresight-oriented collaborations are key to advancing the future development of design industry–academia collaboration in Taiwan. The findings provide a clearer structure for future implementation and serve as a reference for stakeholders aiming to foster more balanced, innovative, and sustainable design industry–academia collaborations.