Digitizing innovative ways in the curricula of innovative industrial design

Abstract

The objective of this research is to rethink the relationship between modern digital technology and product design approaches in general, and the relationship between creative methods and digital tools, in particular. To rethink this relationship it is imperative to consider at first, the current employment of digital technology in the design process in order to find out about its effectiveness in enhancing creativity, all along the design operation. In this context we raise the following issue/ question: To what extent digital tools are creative tools? We also intend to demonstrate that digital tools exceed their role as a means of display, execution and implementation of a design solution. They rather become a whole process and approach on the one hand, and an effective pedagogical method for creativity enhancement on the other hand. At last, we suggest an educational alternative for product design teaching involving both creativity and digital tools, that will be brought together to constitute a creative digital reaching method.