Conference Aim

The E&PDE conference will bring together representatives from education and industry whom have an interest in sharing new perspectives on design education. The conference will provide a forum for educators, practitioners and students from product development, engineering and industrial design, together with industry to discuss current educational issues and the nature of design education now and in the future.
“Great Expectations: Design Teaching, Research & Enterprise” is this year’s conference theme. The challenge for Higher Education Academics to meet the expectations placed upon them, to succeed in design teaching, design research and the fostering of relationships with Industry toward collaborative design practice, places increasing demands on individuals.
Those to be educated, referred to as customers by some, provide the challenge of addressing ever-increasing expectations regarding the learning experience itself and their aspirations upon completion. Industry expects graduates who have been fully educated and primed to make immediate contributions without extended training post-graduation.
Design Research, when compared with research from established disciplines, has reached adolescence with significant challenges in both academic and practice contexts that need addressing.
Great expectations indeed and opportunities abound, but exploration and informed navigation will be required to manage expectations and delivery.
The aim of this year’s conference will be addressed through the following topics:

In keeping with the inclusive ethos of the E&PDE conference and to broaden the opportunities to link design and business by creativity and innovation other stream proposals are welcomed. We invite you to send your proposals for other relevant topics to ied@ied.org.uk

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