International Design Liaison Center
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Support for Continuing Human Resources Education
Design today is not so much a means of bringing about economic success as a specific methodology for pointing out new visions and bringing them to reality. One must consider an unusually large number of things down to the last details of the phenomena that arise from the economy as a whole. For that reason, it is fair to say that educational and research programs in design must be able to grow continually. We at the International Design Liaison Center believe education and research in design to be an ongoing concern, and we plan to develop educational and research programs for various objectives and stages.
Considering human resources training in design in terms of time, if we start from basic learning at the elementary level and move forward through time, we can imagine the structure illustrated below, with the areas of design broadening in various directions. The International Design Liaison Center uses these kinds of training concept diagrams as the basis for dividing the training area (horizontal axis) into the three directions of Engineering Design, Design Expert, and Management Design, and the time line (vertical axis) into Basic, Professional, Specialized, and Advanced. Based on these categories, the International Design Liaison Center can develop and provide support for a variety of human resources training programs. Below we present a general overview of the concepts behind the training areas and levels.
The Three Major Areas of Design
Engineering Design
This is an area in which designers take an engineering-oriented viewpoint in their design work. While it is a field that solves problems with an emphasis on integration of various technologies and innovations, it can be said that both innovation management and technology management fall within this area. It may be thought of as a field that makes use of imagination and creativity from a technological point of view.
Design Expert
This is an area that specializes in the essence of design, namely imagination and creativity. While it is a field that aims for the creation of a new culture centered on the psychology of various human behaviors and trends, it includes many other fields that are connected to human psychology and behavior, especially behavioral and social psychology. It may be thought of as a field that makes use of imagination and creativity to draw a new vision for the future.
Management Design
This is an area that works on design from an economic standpoint. While it formulates management policies with an emphasis on various social trends and economic trends, it might be said that it also includes many fields related to societal trends and lifestyles, especially behavioral and social economics. It may be thought of a field that makes use of imagination and creativity from an economic point of view.
The International Design Liaison Center supports human resources training based on the concepts described above. Moreover, the research and education carried out at the Center will deepen the underpinnings of these concepts year by year as we try to formulate new ideals for human resource training and design.
The Four Stages of Training in Design
Basic
This is a stage for learning the most basic, fundamental knowledge and concepts of design. At this stage, participants will learn methods, such as analytical methods and structural interpretation of technological or cultural backgrounds, which can help them to understand the problems that must be acknowledged when designing. They also learn the critical thinking methods and technology needed to bring forth design solutions. The objective at this stage is learning the design-oriented mindset that everyone involved in design needs, and includes everything from engineering to management.
Specialized
At this stage participants acquire the knowledge and technology needed to become an expert in a certain field. Specialized knowledge provides a base for joining together with professionals. The participants discuss problems on the basis of current conditions, create ideal visions for the future, and acquire even more specialized knowledge, while seeking out and researching relevant issues. The objectives at this stage are improvement of expertise and accumulation of specialized knowledge.
Professional
At this stage, participants acquire the knowledge and technology required for actual work as a design professional. At this stage, they acquire the knowledge and technology needed on the job, such as expertise required for the directions each participant has chosen, trends in their field up to the present, and future prospects. The objective at this stage is acquisition of the basic knowledge and technology for the directions each participant is pursuing.
Advanced
At this stage, experts in many fields come together to delve into future prospects. Experts from a variety of fields exchange opinions with one another, discuss ideal visions for societies of the future and for the future of design, and discover where the issues lie. The objective at this stage is to perform investigations and research concerning future visions for society and design, including the International Design Liaison Center.
