Department History
The key to maximizing the impact of creativity and design lies in “integration.” In our department, we offer a curriculum that cultivates a wide range of skills, including hand-drawing, aesthetic modeling, prototype production, 3D modeling, visual arts, technology application, and user interface and experience design. These are all ultimately integrated into marketing strategies.Founded in 2011 (the 100th academic year), our department was originally named the Department of Creative Product Design. To align with future trends, it was renamed the Department of Creative Design and Management. What sets us apart from traditional design departments is our focus on developing the ability to integrate both virtual and physical elements, extending from product design to comprehensive service design, and from physical creation to digital content in the metaverse.
Teaching Facilities and Spaces
Our department is equipped with specialized facilities including woodworking tools, 3D printers, laser cutters, and vacuum forming equipment. Additionally, the university‘s Makerspace offers CNC wood carving machines and sewing equipment. Students can sell and market their products at the Sales and Exhibition Center, with opportunities for further fundraising and entrepreneurship.
In addressing the demands of marketing in virtual worlds and metaverse content creation, it‘s essential to integrate elements such as themes, scenes, characters, stories, events, contexts, and interactions—connecting all elements of the metaverse like people, places, and events. This requires collaboration with skilled programmers familiar with game engines and artists across various disciplines, which also means mastering related equipment.
Recently, our college established a Metaverse Center for Technology, Arts, and
Design .The center is well-equipped with facilities for producing and experiencing VR/AR content. This space will serve as a primary training ground for our students, enabling them to bring their product design concepts to life and practice digital marketing in virtual environments.
Curriculum Focus
The core concept of our department‘s curriculum encompasses three key areas: aesthetics and artistic expression, model-making and digital technology integration, and creative services and marketing applications. These can be divided into three main pillars:：
- Creative Integration in Cyber-Physical Design: This pillar focuses on developing practical skills ranging from hand-drawing to 2D digital illustration, 3D modeling, and physical model-making. Courses are taught by experienced faculty specializing in aesthetics and product design, who demonstrate creative techniques firsthand. The curriculum emphasizes color and form, supported by facilities like woodworking workshops and 3D printing labs to materialize designs.
- Creative Integration in Product-Service Design: This pillar covers user interface (UI) design, including digital icons, typography, color contrast, and layout configuration. It also addresses user experience (UX) design, exploring aspects such as functionality, experience, and emotional engagement. The goal is to create an integrated design that combines physical systems with innovative services.
- Creative Integration in Technology-Art Design:This pillar delves into understanding the metaverse ecosystem, which includes bionic devices, artificial intelligence, and digital twins. It nurtures imagination and creativity to design interactive virtual spaces and characters. Students learn to utilize AR/VR technology and equipment to plan and execute integrated exhibitions blending virtual and physical art forms.
Developing International Mobility
In addition to aesthetics as a core, future designers must possess a range of diverse skills, including basic programming concepts, foundational electromechanical integration, and knowledge of material processing and selection. At I-Shou University, the curriculum allows design students to take 15 elective credits from other departments. This enables them to broaden their expertise by studying courses such as programming, AI, and electromechanical integration, applying various sensors to their innovative design concepts.
Furthermore, designers need strong project management skills, with a focus on cost analysis, big data, and other interdisciplinary knowledge. This cross-domain learning equips designers to effectively integrate design into project execution, enhancing their adaptability and mobility in international contexts.
Cross-Domain Learning
In the future, collaborative product and service development across disciplines will become the norm in design. Beyond design and software operation skills, effective communication is essential, with language proficiency being a critical component. Our department offers a variety of courses taught in English and has successfully secured funding from the Ministry of Education for the “Dream-Building Project” for seven consecutive semesters (107-1, 108-1, 109-1, 110-1, 110-2). This initiative allows selected students to intern with Japanese design companies and local revitalization groups, enhancing their international design communication skills.
Career Development
We employ experienced faculty who have received prestigious international awards, such as the Red Dot Award, and have backgrounds in the industry. This strengthens our core competencies in aesthetics and design techniques, fostering skills in hand-drawing, digital illustration, 3D modeling, and UI/UX design. Our students benefit from access to comprehensive facilities, including 3D printing, UV printing, laser cutting, and CNC machining.
We also facilitate internships at domestic and international companies (including those in Japan), enabling graduates to pursue careers in product design, 3D prototyping, metaverse content creation, and creative integrated marketing. The Department of Creative Design and Management aims to cultivate versatile international design talents equipped with creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills.