Goal
The goal of this trip is to give our members insight into the world of Industrial Design Engineering in other parts of the world. Leading up to the trip, participants will attend guest lectures and/or symposia to gather background information to kick-start the research. During the trip participants will visit companies on a daily basis to see how Industrial Design is implemented in those places. What makes this trip special, apart from the research, is the fact it is an awesome and inspiring experience they will only have once during their time as a student.
THE STUDY TOUR IS A ONCE IN A STUDY TIME OPPORTUNITY, AND OFFERS AN AWESOME, INFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE
Case study
A great deal of money is needed to financially accommodate this trip for students. Participants will all fulfil a case study for a company. A case study is an assignment in which they get to put their knowledge into practice. Participants spend approximately 120 hours on case studies. Financial support for the trip is asked to compensate for the student’s time.
Industrial Design Engineering students have completed assignments for multiple companies. These students are broadly oriented and can serve as an important addition to companies within different branches. They are creative and love visual work, have great insight into production methods and development stages as well as having experience with a large amount of software packages.
A few examples of completed case studies:
- The analysis of economic and ecologic consequences of the use of the plastic product Bolideck instead of teak wood for the deck of ships in the leisure industry. To this end a product life cycle analysis was carried out.
- The graphic design of a template for a foundation’s documents. This had to fit with the corporate identity and employees had to be able to implement it easily.
- Redesigning an open space in a printer. Research was done as to what kind of product related functionalities could be carried out within this space that would add to the users’ value of the product. This research was carried out as to how these functionalities could be realised. The result was a final report which included one or more concepts.
If the case is strongly connected to some part of the course, a professor can involve himself with the project. The professor will then supervise the assignment. If a case is large enough it is possible to have multiple students work on it at once. Apart from the case itself, cooperation has a few other pro’s, such as exposure within the University of Twente, especially towards students looking for internships. A tour of the university is also possible, if wanted.
Case Studies are independent of the research that will be carried out during the actual trip. The cases are meant to provide participants with practical experience and support the trip financially. In this way, participants contribute to the realisation of their trip.
Sponsorship
There are more regular ways to sponsor the trip apart from providing a case. Most of this has to do with the final report that will be distributed amongst students, lecturers and external parties that have to do with Industrial Design. The final report will be published as a nice printed book which holds many sponsor possibilities from small mentions to a full-colour centre fold. Digital sponsorship on the website is also possible. Apart from this, we’re always open to more fun manners of sponsorship; like symposia or a guest lecture. We always love new ideas!
