Design by extension: Potentiating University-industry collaborations through active learning

Abstract

This paper introduces a Project-Based Learning (PBL) led collaboration between the BA Program in Design at the University of Aveiro and ‘Nexx’, an eminent brand of motorcycle helmets from Central Portugal. It delineates the main reciprocal advantages that are emerging from such interface between university and industry and discusses how projects that are framed to address specific industry needs can provide an enduring basis for knowledge and technology exchange.
The brand in question is among a handful of remaining European manufacturers of motorcycle helmets and riding gear, and its offerings cover a wide range of segments such as urban and off-road. Nexx’s’s global appeal means that 90% of its production is destined for export to 60 markets worldwide. Its interest in collaborating with universities, and specifically, design education stems from its commitment towards effectuating consistent innovation in products and processes, wherein external perspectives, and in particular, creative vision can prove strategic and impactful. Respectively, the paper specifies the context of the brand’s collaboration with design education, which concerns the conceptualisation of sustainable helmet packaging. It also reflects on how such collaborations present critical opportunities for educators to extend design classrooms beyond the university and into environments that are conducive to active learning. In this regard, the paper posits that such design challenges with the potential for tangible outcomes can stimulate further inquiry and exploration of methodologies and approaches which can aid in closing the gap between academic and empirical knowledge in the field of design.