HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN

Mass production opened large markets and opportunities for companies, but it often delivers one-fits-all solutions. Paradoxically, these definitely do not always fit all users. Bad physical or cognitive product interactions may lead to misuse and disposal. New production technologies and digitalisation may resolve these issues. Product technologies like additive manufacturing allow for more customisation, while digital products bring new ways of interacting with products. Therefore we teach students to deal with ergonomics, both on a physical and cognitive level.

Students are taught to get to know the user and his/ her needs, thus leading to more useful products. Next, students evaluate their design ideas in interaction tests. Finally, students learn how products can deliver value as part of an ecosystem, where they think beyond the hardware product and deliver productservice-systems. ‘NEW TECHNOLOGIES MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO DESIGN PRODUCTS TAILORED TO THE USER’S NEEDS. THEREFORE WE INVESTIGATE PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE ERGONOMICS’

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USABILITY TESTS PERSONAS CULTURAL PROBES SURVEYS INTERACTION TESTS INTERACTION TESTS DAY-IN-THE-LIFE HEURISTICS TASK ANALYSIS JOURNEY MAPPING EXPERT INTERVIEW

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BASICS INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

This course is an important introduction to user-centered design, where the designer and the user interact throughout the development of a product concept. This courses brings the attitudes characterise a designer: emphatic handling, developing a work scheme, exploring ideas, visual communication, linear documentation of the design process and meeting deadlines. The learning material is trained via different design assignments. 32

The topics and problem statement are well defined here. This means that the product itself is well known and does not have much unknown variables such as technological feasibility or user acceptance. The road towards a successful end result is not defined or certain however. Here, the student must tackle the problem in a methodological way to create a quality end product.

1I0

USER-CENTERED DESIGN

This is a one-year course which integrates design skills around human-product interaction and trains students to place humans at the center of the design process. In this course, students learn the theories in product ergonomics and interaction design, and apply the knowledge in a complete, integrated design project to evaluate, analyse, and (re)design a tangible, physical product and an interactive product for a specific target user group in a specific context of use.

The first part, product ergonomics, aims that students have the understanding and knowledge of ergonomics and human-centered design, and are able to apply the principles of ergonomics and human-centered design when designing and evaluating a product. In the second part, interaction design, students are expected to have the understanding and knowledge of interaction design and user experience, and are able to carry out the interaction design process from establishing requirements, designing alternatives, prototyping to evaluating.

2I0

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CO-CREATION

What do sociologists, computer scientists, biologists, sport scientists and economists have in common? At first sight, not so much.

An important goal of Ghent University is to stimulate multi-perspectivism. Transdisciplinary research is an appropriate method to bring motivated stakeholders form different education programs and disciplines together. Transdisciplinary collaboration is so interrelated that the individual disciplines cannot be distinguished. Problems are no longer solved by using elements of 34

all disciplines but by collaboration and integration. Interaction and mix are essential parameters of transdisciplinarity.

This transdisciplinary project wants to break barriers by merging expertise of different research domains. In addition, a co-creation methodology is adopted in which all stakeholders out of different disciplines get an equal role and interact with each other accordingly in order to integrate all results appropriately

3IO

INNOVATION AND MARKETING ORIENTED ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The student will get acquainted with the development, commercialization, and production of an innovative product for a specific target group. This will be applied as a real business case. During this process, attention is paid to stimulating entrepreneurship, management skills, communication skills, marketing research, developing innovation strategies and developing a business plan.

In particular, student groups of 3-5 people will start a company and operate from a specific business function and activity and take responsibility for it. As a team, they will develop and commercialize an innovative product. They will develop an innovative product concept (inclusive analysis of competitors, market analysis, initial cost setting, and working prototype). Extra attention is given to developing the product (branding, styling, technical development, production plan, marketing plan, financial plan) and finally a business plan (mission statement, goals and targets) ‘WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. HENCE, THE DESIGNER BECOMES A FACILITATOR, AT THE CENTER OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS’

4I0

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