Strategic Pathways for Interdisciplinary Design Education

Pathways for understanding critical components of interdisciplinary design education are necessary in the expanding universe of design. As the design of interactive products, environments, systems, and services expands, the shift has been profound for an academy historically immersed in product design education. New disciplines think and work differently. Facilities are often outdated and are not well-designed or equipped for interactive learning. Some collaborative partners are overly bureaucratic, isolated, and often have low budgets. Understanding the critical components of interdisciplinary design education is key to the development of new and more effective models. The author draws from over four decades of experience in education conducting interdisciplinary product design studies for industry.