The goal of this course is to introduce the students with the formal, structural and functional components of product design. Students are encouraged to consider issues of manufacturing and use, such as efficiency, use of materials, and effective use of resources. The course introduces students to workshop-scale materials and manufacturing methods as models and prototypes. Basics of user factors in the context of industrial design are integrated in introductory level design projects.
Upon successful completion of this course, a student will:
1. Explain the relationship between structural properties of materials and functional aspects of products.
2. Examine designed objects in terms of their structural complexity, functionality, efficiency in manufacturability and use of resources.
3. Predict the impact of the physical and cognitive affordances of products on human-product interaction.
4. Associate form and function of product with users’ experience.
5. Apply material and manufacturing methods knowledge to design projects.
6. Create prototypes to communicate and gain feedback on design features.