Is it appropriate to introduce real client projects to first-year design students?
Hua Dong, P. Turnock, Human Centred · 2007
Industry based projects play a vital role in engineering and design education. It is common practice to introduce such projects to senior students after they have studied in the university for a couple of years, but is it appropriate to introduce real client projects to first-year students? This paper provides an answer to this question based on a case study at Brunel University where first-year design students were challenged to redesign earplugs for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). The project yielded successful results and satisfied all the parties involved: the client, the tutors and the students. Factors contributing to the success of the project are analysed and recommendations are made on how to effectively use real client projects to motivate and to enhance learning of the first-year students.