An investigation into the commercialisation of final year projects within Creative Design courses

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify and investigate the barriers to commercialisation of Final Year Projects within Creative Design courses. The term Creative Design refers to Creative Design, Product Design and Industrial Design courses in the Republic of Ireland. How do Design courses in ROI address the issues of commercialisation? Failure to incorporate key course elements such as entrepreneurship, intellectual property law and business studies, as core studies, results in long term loss for both Institution and student. Research related to design education will be collected and organized through interviews with educators, students and practitioners of Creative Design. The research will be qualitative and quantitative. It will include a study of product identification and development methods within industry. The development of student product designs through to commercialisation will be monitored through ten Case Studies. It will also include statistical research of student major projects over the last five years. This research is important as there is a low rate of students successfully commercialising their work. Having completed their Degree, students will have acquired the necessary skills and capabilities of designing successful products yet these often fail to realise their full potential. There is a need for a system that encourages and supports students entering the professional world of design; in the current economic situation there is a clear need for such entrepreneurship. This research is aimed at identifying and recommending best practice for overcoming obstacles to students commercialising their college work. The aim of this study is to raise awareness of the issues and challenges facing undergraduate students in the transitional period between college and professionalism, as they attempt to commercialise their work. This research will consider the communication of complex ideas, and the difference between successful or unsuccessful products through a series of case studies.