|
History
The first attempt to start Industrial Design education at ITU goes back to the decision of the Executive Committee of Faculty of Architecture in 1982 to set up a committee for looking into the feasibility of establishing a Department of Industrial Design. During the 1980s, a number of committees worked for the establishment of the department. In 1989 a post-graduate program of Industrial Design was started within the Department of Architecture. In 1993 the Department of Industrial Product Design at ITU was established, and accepted its first students in the academic year of 1993/94.
The establishment of the Department of Industrial Product Design at ITU based on the idea that Turkey at her current level of industrialization requires industrial designers equipped with strong knowledge and skills in technology and management. With its leadership and experience in engineering, architecture and management education, ITU provides a solid background for the Department in Istanbul, the industrial and cultural capital of Turkey.
Industrial design is gaining importance as an integrative discipline which can communicate with and coordinate different disciplines. This integrative role requires knowledge beyond professional skills provided by a conventional design education. Therefore, in addition to professional design skills, ITU students develop knowledge and skills in engineering, technology, management and marketing. The ITU Department of Industrial Product Design program emphasizes management and technology to satisfy this need and differs from other Industrial Design departments in Turkey in this respect.
The Department aims to graduate creative design professionals who can collaborate with professionals from other disciplines and work in teams. Besides shaping the functional, visual and physical aspects of a product, the organization and management of design and production processes become more and more important nowadays. Considering this progress, the curriculum of ITU Dept. of Industrial Product Design contains seven groups of courses; design, computer skills, sciences, culture, art, technology & engineering, economy & business management. The Department has close contacts with industry and makes use of the expertise of professional designers and design managers. Students are required to take internships in companies in their 2nd and 3rd years to get familiar to industrial needs and problems.
ITU Department of Industrial Product Design is also the member of ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) since 2001 and in March 2002 hosted the ICSID Executive Board Meeting in Istanbul.
|
|
|
|
|
