Globalisation and design education

This paper examines shifts in manufacturing related to globalisation and explores implications for design management and design education. It is that changing trends in manufacturing, and related changes in the organisation of product development, highlight the importance of equipping design students with skills for working in globally networked organisations. In the first part of the paper, broad transformations taking place in manufacturing industries are outlined, with a focus on concurrent engineering and agile manufacturing. Next, the ways how these have impacted on the organisation of product development teams are examined. Then, the implications of these shifts for design education, with a focus on the skills required by designers for working in globally distributed design teams are considered. This paper provides design educators with a better understanding of changes taking place in manufacturing with the aim of generating discussion around potential educational responses related to the field of design