Sketching as a communication tool and a vehicle for exploring new ideas in Higher Education of industrial design. Implementation and analysis of new methodologies

Abstract

Freehand drawing is a basic tool to explore shapes and visualize ideas during the first phase of projective process in industrial design. Sketches, expressive and quickly executed, allow designers to highlight the most interesting aspects of the product to be designed and help to define its shape and general features. Due to the immediacy that characterizes the manual drafting industrial designers in training learn to become able to translate any ideas graphically and thus able to communicate with other designers, initiating a dialogue on the product to be designed. In the Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design and Product Development Engineering at the Jaume I University of Castellon (Spain), the subject 'Artistic Expression II' maintains and strengthens the knowledge gained in other subjects about the different graphic techniques, making drawing a means of expression for represent, synthesize and define the shape of objects. However, it has been found that the subject procedures were not adequate to achieve the learning results proposed, so it was necessary to apply a new approach. This paper describes the implementation of a new methodological strategy on this subject, adapting it to the European Higher Education Area, with the aim that students in Industrial Design acquire the four core competences of this matter. We describe the activities designed to achieve each of the competences and the implemented methodology for each of these activities. Finally, the results are analyzed and the overall positive impact of the measures taken is discussed.