Abstract:

The industrial design in Higher Education requires that students acquire theoretical knowledge and develop both manual skills and conceptual reasoning. One of the most necessary skills for developing a new industrial product is the ability to physically represent it during the early stages of conceptualization, in order to feel and understand its shape and proportions more directly. This requires that the students learn about the various industrial materials available in the market and personally experience its various tactile and mechanical properties. Similarly, it is necessary to know how to use the most appropriate tools for the correct manipulation of these materials in a professional manner. Therefore, the creation of a model (early prototype) requires some knowledge and skills that must be learned especially through the attendance to workshops. However, in the learning process of developing models, is it possible to also improve students' skills in the mechanical manipulation of materials through the use of online resources?
This paper discusses the effectiveness of various learning methodologies used in the development of models taking as a reference the teaching practice performed in the compulsory subject ‘Models workshop’, taught in the Degree in Industrial Design and Product Development at the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón. It analyzes the extent of complementarity between the various online resources and skills acquired by students through direct work in the workshop, in order to determine the strengths and disadvantages that these synergies have for current university teaching of industrial design.

Keywords:

Industrial design, models, prototypes, skills, laboratory.