The Role of Biomimicry on Visual Design Education

The change and increasing diversity in communication tools with globalization have ensured the universal presentation of visual elements shaped by local cultural patterns. Today, design products have turned into a strategic tool for many countries in order to reach higher competitive power. As the visual design industry contributes as an important visual communication and marketing tool for different industries within and outside the creative sector, its role in ensuring sustainability becomes even more important. Graphic design is much more effective, direct, and fast than other means of information in order to develop environmental awareness and motivate desired behaviors. The biomimetic graphic is a design process and style that has been spread and passed along throughout today’s culture and society via various channels and networks of communication. In today's world, where globalization and associated social and environmental problems are increasing, design education plays an important role in the development of sustainable design products. In design education, the students should be taught the concepts of ecological material selection, environmentally friendly energy use, recycling, reconsideration, and reuse. In this study, the role of biomimicry in visual design education will be examined with sample applications. In addition to new skills and knowledge in design education, sustainability will emerge as an important feature sought in designers soon.

Integrating Diversity of Users' Human Factors Into A Cornerstone Engineering Design Course

<div>The instructors of the undergraduate cornerstone design course in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Ryerson University aim to integrate diversity and inclusion into students’ design education. Our goal is to provide resources that students can use to understand human capabilities and limitations, so their designs are better suited to a wide range of users. The project was broken down in four phases: Phase 1 consisted of scoping deliverables and background research; Phase 2 included courseware development; Phase 3 employed the courseware into the Fall 2019 offering of our cornerstone design course; and Phase 4 reviewed and analysed student’s work to determine the efficacy of the courseware.</div><div>To initiate this effort, we focused on three Human Factors: vision, hearing, and strength. We created a process whereby students could assess these Factors quantitatively for specific interactions and use the assessments to justify specific functional requirements and constraints of their own designs.</div>

Integrating Diversity of Users' Human Factors Into A Cornerstone Engineering Design Course

<div>The instructors of the undergraduate cornerstone design course in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Ryerson University aim to integrate diversity and inclusion into students’ design education. Our goal is to provide resources that students can use to understand human capabilities and limitations, so their designs are better suited to a wide range of users. The project was broken down in four phases: Phase 1 consisted of scoping deliverables and background research; Phase 2 included courseware development; Phase 3 employed the courseware into the Fall 2019 offering of our cornerstone design course; and Phase 4 reviewed and analysed student’s work to determine the efficacy of the courseware.</div><div>To initiate this effort, we focused on three Human Factors: vision, hearing, and strength. We created a process whereby students could assess these Factors quantitatively for specific interactions and use the assessments to justify specific functional requirements and constraints of their own designs.</div>

Investigating Current Sustainability Issues Through Play and Future Scenarios

The concept of sustainability has started to take place in researches in the current period. At present, where urbanization continues rapidly, the idea of sustainability has become a necessity rather than an option. At this point, it is critical to address these current problems in design education. Sustainability should also take its place in design education. Based on these concepts, a studio structure was created at Istanbul Technical University, Department of Interior Architecture with third-year students as participants in 2021. The project is about the scope of sustainability awareness in future scenarios by teaching children the idea of sustainability. The studio proposes future scenarios with play experience and develops the idea by using scenario-based design as a design methodology. Participants were asked to design a play that creates alternatives to discuss sustainability through their works. Using this potential, the studio aimed to convey the importance of environmental sustainability to new generations in future scenarios.