Abstract:

Industrial designer’s profile is highly creative, which means that requires the implementation and simulation of real projects to face their career, for improving their chances of integration. The actual Degree program in Industrial Design and Product Development, according to Bologna Plan directives, is carried on four years training, in which they learn about methodology, techniques of market research, technical design and engineering and technical knowledge.

From the Nebrija’s University is laying for various design strategies that simulate real projects and involve the different abilities of students. Thereby, there have been different strategies in planning the degree.
On the one hand, continuing with methodologies that are more traditional can be distinguish between vertical and horizontal projects. The vertical projects involve students of different courses, so that the senior students can meet the concerns of lower course students. In the same way that these students can learn the projective methods of students more trained, running as a stimulant pill in their training. The horizontal projects are linked in the same context, joining the content of different subjects developed during the same course, encompassing subjects difficult to assimilate by students, such as Materials or Manufacturing Process, with other more specific and practical as Ergonomics Basis or Design Methodology. These type of projects shows students the importance of different training supplements.

On the other hand, we believe essential to incorporate in the training work the transversal projects, according to a current methodology as opposed to the traditional methodology. It is a reality that the designer profession is highly interdisciplinary, with an important part of their work in integrated teams. Instead, is required the ability of the designer to extract patterns that need different profiles involved in their field of work. The transversal projects are those in which students from different courses and disciplines work in a common briefing; for example, students of industrial design working with students of Fine Arts, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering or Architecture. The main objective of these projects is to achieve the student adaptation to teamwork, to promote the extension of knowledge among students; the achievement highlights the various skills acquired by students. Work on the different forms of projects, allow students to obtain an overview of their profession and a better adaptation in future work projects, where all aspects and skills acquired put into practice during their academic training.

The present work analyze some examples, performed at the University, of the different types of projects discussed above, showing achievements and results obtained from the proposed teaching methodologies.

Keywords:

Industrial design, Innovation, Projects, Strategies, Education.