Design thinking methodology over industrial design education

Design education encompasses a multifaceted, iterative process, including research and application studies. The organisation in a design studio focusing on idea generation and product concept development requires sequential steps within the appropriate design methods. This study examines the applicability and effectiveness of design thinking (DT) tools at the educational level by considering the project's target audience with the human-centred design (HCD) approach that puts the user at the centre of the design process. Correspondingly, a selected virtual design studio (VDS), handled by Industrial Design second-year students at Istanbul Beykent University, serves as a case study. The project process was planned weekly by selecting the DT Toolbox templates as a reference source. During the process, the submissions of students’ templates, their active participation, and feedback were observed by lecturers in detail. In conclusion, various positive effects were determined, such as the fact that the stepwise study through DT tools increases the focus of design students, the awareness of the importance of process followup in design education, and the learning of the DT and HCD methods provided effectively.