Effective student industrial designers: identifying formative factors

Those students who are most effective at gaining high grades at A’ level Design do not necessarily produce the best design at a university level. A small sample of first year undergraduate industrial design students with the highest performance in university design modules were interviewed to identify the factors they saw as formative in establishing them as good designers. In addition university staff teaching design to this cohort produced a reflective analysis of approaches to design they observed in new undergraduates; that is approaches developed during their school experiences. It was apparent that these high-performing young designers had their appetites for design formed in play with construction kits in pre-school years. The majority of their primary and secondary school design experiences were bland and uninteresting to them. However, when teachers ran extra-curricula experiences in design it was apparent that a far more positive impression was made. This discussion may inform the on-going debate as to the nature of design practice and teaching and learning the knowledge and skills required.