Seventeenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

This paper advocates for a greater degree of context in Design Education. This context that can begin with a single question: “How many units will you produce?” This simple question brings into focus the full range of considerations that a product will need to contemplate, from material sourcing to manufacturing methodology to market size and penetration to the ultimate disposal of the product. Too often, these concepts are dealt with in isolation, and the result is as disjointed as that presentation method: mismatched objectives, dead-end explorations, and greater degrees of waste. A more holistic context will be proposed, and its benefits enumerated.