The Future of Industrial Design Higher Education Driven by Models of Design Thinking and Reasoning

This conceptual paper argues that the future of industrial design education is determined by the ability of design programs to consciously position themselves according to higher education trends. Whether a design program chooses to be part of a scholarly University, or practice-oriented higher education system, depends on the choice of design thinking models and related processes and methods to be taught, researched and practiced. From a design thinking perspective, it can be argued that a positivistic approach towards problem solving is a typical trait of design programs, which have subjected themselves to a University system of research and education. These programs advocate problem solving and participative models of design thinking. Design programs, who are part of a practice-oriented higher education system, tend to support the reflective and hermeneutic design thinking approaches towards designing. However, a common dedication of faculty members towards mentorship and scholarship being able to promote learning and inquiry from a theoretical, collaborative and process perspective is also important, irrelevant what strategy has been adopted.