Michael Graves College, Kean University
Efecem Kutuk is a multidisciplinary design academic and designer specializing in social design, sustainability, design entrepreneurship, Internet of Things, furniture, lighting and commercial products. Kutuk's well-rounded design background and informed aesthetic come from his diverse and international experiences.
Kutuk’s current portfolio includes award-winning furniture designs and table top designs, as well as commercial and residential interiors. He has taught industrial design courses at Drexel University, Montclair State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Parsons School of Design. His work and student projects have been exhibited in design shows and published in prestigious design magazines and blogs.
Currently, Kutuk is an Assistant Professor and the Program Coordinator of Industrial Design at Michael Graves College, Kean University. He earned his BFA in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey and his master’s degree in Industrial Design from Scuola Politechnica di Design in Milan, Italy.
Design Ethics, Planned Obsolescence, and Product Liability in Industrial Design Education
Lately, more so than ever, consumers experience product failures on multiple levels—from welds breaking off ice cream scoopers during the second use, to deteriorating components that either require long labor hours to replace or force consumers to buy new. On occasion, poorly designed consumer goods cause major accidents. In recent decades, product design has turned into a “fast fashion” model: expedited product development with minimal testing prior to market launch, inexpensive material substitutes that cause declining performance or malfunctioning, calculated life span of products, and many more unethical practices.
Recalling the words of Victor Papanek, “There are professions more harmful than industrial design, but only a few,” how can ID faculty deliver the message without negatively affecting morale? ID curriculums typically focus on developing hard and soft skills, but what about ethics?
More needs to be done to educate the next generation of industrial designers on how poorly made and/or poorly designed products may cause major issues in the long run. Ultimately, we must encourage students to practice and apply ethical design.
Healing Trauma Through Design
Digital 3D modeling and fabrication tools are used in myriad sectors from education to industry, enabling the creation of prototypes and low or even high-volume production. Given their wide usage, can CAD and CAM be considered to support the transition from a military mindset to a student and eventually to a civilian? Around 20% of veterans adjust just fine, but the majority require support services during and through their transitions. Veterans undergo different stressors that can trigger episodes of PTSD. In addition to traditional counseling, the use of CAD and CAM can help with stress management. Veterans can benefit from design therapy – imagining and creating whatever they want through digital modeling and fabrication. In this ongoing case study, design is a medium used to aid veteran students in stress management, academic continuity, and accomplishing career goals. After the design brief introduction and initial ideation, veterans have been assisted in using 3D modeling software and CAM platforms to create and fabricate their designs. In some cases, assistive devices have been produced to help veterans regain freedom, if suffering from a physical injury. The project is not intended to replace traditional therapy, but rather provide a new type of therapy. The long-term goal of the project is to introduce a remedy for those veterans who are at risk of being placed on probation or dismissed, where solely traditional methods of counseling are not working. The project will be evaluated by reviewing veterans’ grades and timelines for graduation. This data will determine whether this project is having an impact on veterans’ transition to higher education.
