Teaching Industrial Design - web.fe.up.ptfalves/Teaching Industrial Design.pdf · TEACHING...

II Conferência Internacional de Design, Engenharia e Gestão para a inovação Florianópolis, SC, Brasil, 21-23, Outubro, 2012

TEACHING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AT FEUP

CARLOS AGUIAR1, JORGE LINO2, XAVIER CARVALHO3, ANTÓNIO TORRES MARQUES4

1Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, Porto, Portugal, [email protected]




Abstract: The teaching of Industrial Design at the Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto (FEUP) started in the academic year 2000/2001, with its first Industrial Design Master Program, sponsored by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management. This degree was the result of a partnership with the School of Arts and Design (ESAD) in Matosinhos. It was a course meant to join designers and engineers, supported by a syllabus sought to "transfer" know‐how between those two backgrounds. In 2008, under the EDAM (Engineering Design and Advanced Manufacturing) frame, the MIT Portugal Program at FEUP hired a teacher with effective training and professional practice in Industrial Design, a background so far non‐existent in the Institution. This contract allowed the strengthen and structuration of the activities carried out by the Design Studio and FEUP´s subsequent release, in the academic year of 2010/2011, of both a Specialization and an Advanced Studies Courses in Product Design and Development, which were based on assumptions somehow opposite to the previously existent degree. This paper presents the experiences that occurred during this process as well as the reached conclusions. Moreover, FEUP´s vision concerning today´s Industrial

Design teaching will also be addressed, from a scientific, educational and economic perspective, regarding the methodological options behind learning by projects (project‐based learning) and strategies for continuous connection to business and industry. We will also address the different lines of research that have enabled both the creation of a theoretical core and professionals more engaged with an Industrial Design´s vision that meets the real needs of society, emphasizing the respect for the human being rather than the mere economic function of the consumer´s. Keywords: design, project‐based learning, product design and development, teaching.

1. Introduction

In 2000, the launch of MDI ‐ Master in Industrial Design,

developed in partnership by the Department of

Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management

(now Department of Mechanical Engineering ‐ DEMEC),

FEUP (Porto, Portugal), and the School of Arts and

Design (ESAD, Matosinhos, Portugal), resulted from the

realization by both schools that the given training in the

II Conferência Internacional de Design, Engenharia e Gestão para inovação- IDEMi 2012 Florianópolis, SC, Brasil, 21-23, Outubro , 2012

field, until then, was not professionally fulfilling the

desired expectations for designers graduating in

Portuguese schools. The more or less consensual

difficulty in integrating these graduates in industrial

companies and the evident lack of good practices´ and

success cases in the launch of innovative products with

relevant design, led to consider additional training to

remedy the gaps that were thought to be causing this

situation.

It was clear, at that time, that this situation stemmed in

part from poor training in matters related to a certain

ability to realistically address the pragmatic aspects of

production and that this resulted from a deficit of

"technical" knowledge by the designers. This implies

that the solution would be to give them additional

training in the engineering field. The designed syllabus

reflected this option, devoting a total of 45 ECTS to

technical matters of engineering, while

"complementary" knowledge in design courses only

numbered 12 ECTS. The Project course represented 21

ECTS and Dissertation 42 ECTS. Table 1 shows the

curricular plan of the program (two years).

Table 1: Curricular plan of the MDI program

FEUP

Project Design Engineering

Design and Communication 3 3

Design Management 3 3

Materials and Manufacturing Technologies 6 6

Product Developments Methods I 4,5 4,5

Project I 9 9

Hystory of the Design (for Engineers) or

Resistance of Materials (for Designers) 4,5 4,5 4,5

Design Culture 4,5 4,5

Ergonomics and Interface 4.5 4,5

Marketing Elements 3 3

Models and Prototypes 6 6

Project II 12 12

Information Mnagement 3 3

Product Developments Methods II 4.5 4,5

Psichology and Sociology of Product

Development 4,5 4,5

Materials Selection and Technology

Development 6 6

Thesis/Project 12 12

4,5 4,5

21 12 40,5

4 Thesis/Project 30

2nd Semester

3rd Sem

ester

Total ECTS without Dissertation

Opcional

1st Sem

ester

ESAD

ECTSCurricular Unit

This Master´s degree had several editions until 2012,

and from the students who attended it, a total of 70 got

a master's degree, having the majority of the students a

previous degree in Design. With some frequency, and

despite the commitment and work of students and

teachers, the fact that students had a non‐technical

scientific background together with a lack of certain

knowledge, namely in the area of mathematics, the

results obtained by this master did not reach the

expected depth. This fact somehow corroborated the

fears of those who regard knowledge and the training

process as a specially holistic and mature one, being

impossible to merely complement it on a sporadically

basis, by practices and models of reasoning, if not

referred to the student´s structural, cultural and

projectual approach matrix.

Based on the experience provided by the various

editions of this master's degree, the results of other

Design degrees available in Portugal and abroad, and

especially the experience in the project field of one of

the authors (Carlos Aguiar), it was proposed to FEUP the

reformulation of the design education, taking into

account a whole systemic framework that intends to

frame this type of degree. It is precisely on this topic

that this article focuses.

2. Today’s industrial design

Portugal is a country with little tradition in launching

products with innovative design and quality. The

Industrial Design (ID) and subsequent product

development (PD), upholds and determines the

industrial activity, at the beginning of the entire

business strategy, in the production segment of

consumer goods, daily more difficult at the local level,

due to the hegemonic presence of globalized products,

often produced in a minimization logic of prices as an

almost single strategy of increasing sales.

Despite all this, teaching this activity often remains

hostage to myths and preconceived ideas, resulting

from insufficient information from media, which only

value elite and expressionless practices at the expense

of recognizing the design of everyday products that

actually consubstantiates the presence of persons.

Many of the available courses in Portugal are still built

on these values, which has led to backgrounds and

professionals that hardly integrate the national

industrial sector that, as it is well known, lacks dynamics

and has very limited market horizons.


The urgent consideration of environmental factors,

social and human rights in the design of products to

meet the needs of populations and streamline both

economic activity and employment, means that it is

urgent to reinvent this model disseminated by the

consumerism societies´ media. In these, the design is

mainly linked to image and branding strategies aiming

to increase the added value of products, without

necessarily contributing to an overall systemic

improvement of neither people’s lives nor the social,

environmental and productive sustainability. Besides,

the teaching models beneath this reality must be

questioned, reinventing processes, methodologies and

values, to face a new economic and social reality that is

no longer possible to hide (Aguiar and Carvalho 2010).

Aware of this scenario, FEUP decided to start, in

2010/2011, in the Design and Product Development

field, two new degrees (Specialization Course and

Advanced Studies) taking into account a strong

approach to project‐based learning, but encompassing a

close integration of all the valences at stake, within a

cooperative and complementary knowledge approach

and not on the additional training of designers (Aguiar

et al. 2011, Lino and Duarte 2011).

This commitment stems from the understanding that

the design of new products, from capital goods to

consumption ones, the so‐called tradable goods, is a

cooperative project‐oriented business that must

emerge from the intersection of three cultures:

Engineering, Design and Management.

For a new product to born and then survive in the

market, it needs to contain values of attractiveness

(emotional), viability (economic) and feasibility

(technical).

In the project‐oriented process model that we

advocate, the actors from these three cultures

cooperate from the beginning of the process and, if

possible, in real time, ensuring the products, the values

of Feasibility and Performance (Engineering),

Profitability and Logistics (Management) and Usability

and Meaning (Design). Figure 1 shows the cooperative

vision of the courses that were implemented.

Figure 1: Overview of cooperative industrial design and development

In the Portuguese context, where the offer of 1st and 2nd

cycles in Design is wide and varied, and 3rd cycles very

limited, FEUP chose to focus its activity in a

Specialization Course and in the Advanced Studies

Course in Design and Product Development, that would

allow to develop increased professional know‐how,

especially in the area of cooperation, according to the

paradigm above, aiming at graduates from other

training paradigms.

3. New courses of FEUP in Design and Product Development

The training is based on a core unifying Course,

Laboratory Project, where students, under the

workshop frame (extended stay in school that can go, in

total, up to 40h/week, between tutorial hours and

individual work) successively developed several

products, process in which other teachers from

converging courses also participate, reflecting the

aspects that relate to their subjects.

The evaluation of these courses takes into account a

portion resulting from the application of knowledge

acquired to the projects developed.

Each project has the cooperation of a partner company

that launches, monitors and validates the results

obtained, however without participating in the

assessment, which remains the sole responsibility of the

Faculty.


In the first semester, "Laboratory Projects I",

sequentially addresses three projectual exercises (for 4,

6 and 10 weeks) of increasing complexity, and it focus

on products that can be developed to the real scale,

with a strong link with the hand and ranging from

something like "single piece", "single‐material" to a

system with a very limited set of components (<5).

In the second semester, in "Laboratory Projects II", with

an interval of 15 days, three projectual exercises are

placed simultaneously (lasting 20, 18 and 16 weeks), of

greater complexity, and focusing on products that need

development at scale, connected to the body, the

housing space and the public space, formed by systems

with a larger number of materials and components.

In the first edition of this course (2010/11) we found

that, despite the generally positive results, the ECTS

assigned to each UC were not matching the actual

volume of work required for students, which distorts an

equal weighting of the average ratings and introduced

some deviation from the model of project‐based

learning.

It was therefore requested and approved a change in

the curriculum, with an increased relevance given to

project, occupying 15 of the 30 ECTS available each

semester. This option forced slight rearrangements of

other fields in order to give a greater importance to

subjects previously addressed only by cycles of

conferences (like the Semantics of Products

Development and Products Certification and

Validation). Table 2 shows the curriculum of the

Specialization Course in Design and Product

Development (EDDP) and the new syllabus started in

the academic year 2011/12.

The 2010/2011 edition of the course tried to

immediately put into practice the pedagogical model

and the outlined relationship with the companies. These

were contacted and selected depending on the

suitability of its manufacturing range to the topics

intended to address at all times.

Students visited their plants and contacted with

manufacturing processes and installed capacities (Figure

2). The company made them acquainted to their market

and more relevant needs. During the project (held at

FEUP), companies technicians monitored twice the

results under development. At the end of each

semester a public presentation of the work was made.

Table 2: Specialization Syllabus

Totals Contact Week

Product Design and Development 3 81 28 2

From Market to Design 6 162 56 4

Materials and Processes 6 162 56 4

Project Lab. 1 9 243 84 6

Usability and Experience Design 6 162 56 4

Design Detail 6 162 56 4

From Design to Business 6 162 56 4

Introduction to Design Research 3 81 28 2

Project Lab. 2 9 243 84 6

3D Digital 6 162 56 4

Totals Contact Week

Project Lab. 1 15 405 126 9


Advanced Modelling and Prototyping 4 108 42 3

Semantics of Product Development 3 81 28 2


Design Detail 4 108 42 3

From Market to Design and from Design to

Business 5 135 56 4

Introduction to Design Research 3 81 28 2

Project Lab. 2 15 405 126 9

Validation and Certification of Products 3 81 28 2

Specialization in Design and Product Development

Actual Curricular Plan, started 2011/12 ECTS

Hours

1st Sem

ester

2nd Semester

2nd Sem

ester

Specialization in Design and Product Development

Hours

1st Sem

ester

ECTSCurricular Plan for 2010/11

Figure 2: Visit to Cifial, sanitary appliances factory (Santa Comba Dão)

Six projects have been developed following this

approach:

1st Semester (sequential projects):

• Range of accessories for cookware (Silampos and

Eumel);

• Kitchen knife (Sicoeste);

• Door hardware (Cifial)

2nd Semester (parallel projects):


• Toaster (Flama);

• Classroom furnishings (Nautilus);

• LED base system for outside illumination (Cleverbox).

Figures 3‐6 presents a few examples from 134 projects

implemented throughout the year by the 24 students

enrolled, from which one can assess the answering level

achieved and the effort to adapt to the productive

reality of companies and their specific needs that

guided exercises.

Figure 3: Accessories (Silampos), Cecilia Carvalho, Bruno Oliveira, Bruno Alberto Oliveira, Jaime Sarró, Mariana Rodriguez, Nina Costa,

Pedro Costa

Figure 4: Knife (Sico), Cecilia Carvalho, Bruno Alberto Oliveira, Pedro

Costa, Joseph Bruno Oliveira, Joao Rebelo

Figure 5: Door hardware (Cifial), Bruno Alberto Oliveira, Bruno José

Oliveira, Jaime Sarró, João Rebelo, Cecília Carvalho, Pedro Praça

Figure 6: Toaster (Flama) ‐ Liliana Figueiredo, Sofia Santos, Pedro

Costa


Figure 7 presents other type of products developed in

the first semester of 2011/12.

Figure 7: Sanitary products (Cifial) ‐ Diana Santos, Diogo Fula, Duarte

Lima, Tiago Gamboa, Tiago Teixeira

As stated before in the introduction, the teaching of

Industrial Design at FEUP led to an internal reflection to

identify the areas and interventions so that greater

synergies could be created with the national existing

offer, particularly in University of Porto. In this sense, in

2010/2011 a degree for Advanced Studies in Design and

Product Development (EADDP) started, also based on

an approach focused on a strong connection to a

company and a real context of development.

In the first edition (2010/11) three students developed

work in the following areas:

• Composite materials ‐ tradable carbon fibre goods (in

partnership with the company Idea M) (Figure 8);

• Ceramic tiles of porous nanocomposites with diffusing

capacity of flavourings (in partnership with Domino

company) (Figure 9);

• Study of ambulance interiors, in a particularly relevant

partnership with the structure of the INEM (National

Institute of Emergency Medicine), developing Co‐Design

and engaging in a systematic and decisive way the users

of these equipment’s, doctors and other health

professionals, in the definition of fundamental

constraints of the project (Figure 10).

Figure 8: Design in composite materials; Júlio Martins

Figure 9: Porous tiles to diffuse smells; Miguel Pessoa

Figure 10: Interior design for ambulances; Augusto Coelho

This first edition also allowed withdrawing conclusions

that came to be the basis for a readjustment of the

curriculum, like the one for the Specialization Course. In

this case, the UC Research Methodology was


anticipated to the first semester, together with

Semantics of Products Development.

The optional courses offered on Design and

Management were eliminated as well as the ones in the

Engineering that proved to be redundant. In the second

semester the Marketing course, replacing the Research

Methodology one. This plan was not tested in the

academic year of 2011/2012 because there weren’t

enough candidates. Table 3 shows the past (2010/11)

and current study plans (2011/12 and subsequent

academic years) of the course.

Table 3: Structure of the Advanced course in Design and Product Development

Totals Contact Week

Seminar/Project I 9 243 86 6

Design and Product Development 3 81 28 2

Criativity 6 162 42 3

Cognitive Psychology 6 162 56 4


Investment Project Analysis 6 162 28 2

From Market to Design 6 162 56 4

Introduction to Entrepreneurship 6 162 56 4

Total Quality Management 6 162 56 4


Finite Elements Method 6 162 56 4

Research Methodology 12 324 112 8

Seminar/Project II 6 162 56 4

Any CU of UP 6 162 UP UP


Totals Contact Week

Research Methods 6 162 42 3

Semantics of Product Development 3 81 28 2

Seminar/Project I 9 243 86 6

Criativity 6 162 42 3

Cognitive Psychology 6 162 56 4

Introduction to Entrepreneurship 6 162 28 2

Investment Project Analysis 6 162 56 4

Seminar/Project II 12 324 112 8

Marketing 6 162 56 4


Any CU of UP 6 162 UP UP2nd Sem

ester

Advanced Studies in Design and Product Development

Actual Curricular Plan, started 2011/12 ECTS

Hours

1st Sem

ester

Opcional Design ‐ 1 CU from the list

Opcional Management ‐ 1 CU from the list

2nd Sem

ester

Advanced Studies in Design and Product Development

Hours

Opcional Design ‐ 1 CU from the list

Opcional Management ‐ 1 CU from the list

1st Sem

ester

Opcional Engineering ‐ 1 CU from the list

ECTSCurricular Plan for 2010/11

These two formations provide students with,

respectively, 60 ECTS 2nd cycle Bologna and 60 ECTS 3rd

cycle Bologna, allowing the construction of curricula

cross‐enriched, to be articulated with other academic

degrees from FEUP, including the Master of Design

Industrial and Doctoral programs in various areas such

as Industrial Engineering and Management, Civil

Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, etc.

The curricular approach here presented has major gains

in the "variable geometry", making it possible to adapt

the syllabus to the interests and previous background of

the student besides enhancing the role of the Design

Studio FEUP as pivot infrastructure between courses

and departments, reinforcing the view of cross‐training

less focused on very specific sectorial knowledge and

more in the capacity of integration and cooperative

teams work and knowledge.

4. Core values

Although based in a school of great tradition in

technical courses, both EDDP and EADDP have been

conducted considering as base values of the practice of

design, aspects related to human values, more than

with the excellence of the technology that underlies the

products.

One can summarize in four structuring values the

projectual posture that has been valued, naturally

without disregarding eventual different approaches:

Primacy of the user ‐ as it should be the welfare the

ultimate goal of the product and not the mere

maintenance of the existing economic system;

Cooperative project ‐ to the extent that projecting must

be a team activity in which all partners have equal

value, thus denying the so widespread design idea of

the "copyright work";

Appropriate technology ‐ in that many of the daily life

problems can and must be solved using less devices and

simpler ones, more inclusive and sustainable, having in

mind a less hedonistic society and civilization, adjusting

the technological development to the economic and

social reality;

Consideration of the local scale as a counterpoint to

globalization ‐ to the extent that the promotion of

economic activities for local and small‐scale labour

dimension retrieves the labour human dimension, the

productive ethical and allows dynamic and profitable

cultural community valences.


5. Conclusions

The academic graduation offered in the Product Design

field in Portugal is still under a traditional view that

directs the teaching of all aspects of activities to schools

of Fine Arts (and Architecture) in Public Colleges, to

generalist High Education Institutions (usually named as

Technology and Management), or private institutions

with a strong offering, covering all areas (as IADE, ESAD,

etc.).

The partnerships between the schools of Industrial

Design and Engineering and Management,

complementing their action as part of the Strategic

Design, and the significant gains that it might

encompass, both for the quality of training as to the

operability of the professionals, have been very

punctual and difficult to implement.

If we look to international examples we see that this

approach is spread throughout schools, such as the

Rhode Island School of Design (USA), and the Sloan

School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology (USA).

The teaching of Industrial Design in Portugal, in order to

train professionals able to support the national industry

sector in the design of new products and tradable

goods, will only develop more solidly if it begins to have

a greater involvement of schools of engineering and

management in the existing 1st cycles or if it starts new

programs from scratch.

The degrees offered and addressed by this paper go in

that direction, and the results seem to validate the bet

that was in the origin of its creation.

References

Carlos Aguiar and Xavier Carvalho, 2010. “Aprendizagem baseada em projecto”. Tecnometal 188, Maio/Junho, p. 28‐34

Carlos Aguiar, Almeida, Rocha C. and N. Couto, 2011. “Flexibilidade do Design como resposta à variação de condicionantes tecnológicas durante o projecto”. Tecnometal 192, Janeiro/Fevereiro, p. 6‐14.

F. Jorge Lino and Teresa P. Duarte, 2011. “Research skill enhancement in future Mechanical engineers”. International J. Eng. Pedagogy 1, 1, p. 20‐26.

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