Aims and Fit of Module

The module introduces students to a variety of business activities related to the professional practices of industrial design and articulates the value of design from a design management perspective. Students should be aware of the changing role and responsibilities of an industrial designer leading to the notion of a T-shaped designer, who possesses the general knowledge of how design is situated in the wider business, social and cultural context in addition to the expertise in a design-focused area. Due to the advances and availability of prototyping technologies, crowdfunding initiatives and innovative ways of distributing products or services, the module emphasizes the diverse opportunities for designers to engage in entrepreneurial activities situated in a design consultancy, an in-house design department or as a freelancer designer. By simulating a new product development project, students are exposed to the practical aspect of business planning and project management.

Learning outcomes

A. Relate the value of professional practices to business and design.

B. Demonstrate project management skills related to planning, budgeting, coordination, design brief writing and communicating with clients.

C. Develop a personal style that is a manifestation of a designer’s own philosophy distinguished by creative capability, visual appeal and technological execution.

D. Integrate concepts from design and related disciplines in order to formulate a design project proposal and present the final work in the format of a “portfolio.”

E. Outline entrepreneurial activities including market identification, ideas development, business model generation, concept presentation in order to formulate a viable business plan.

Method of teaching and learning

Classroom lectures and tutorials; Company visits; Case studies; Guest lectures from practitioners and industry experts; Project-based learning