Generation Z: exploring personalities, interests and influences in young designers

Conrad, Franziska and Underwood, Gary (2019) Generation Z: exploring personalities, interests and influences in young designers. Bohemia, Erik, Kovacevic, Ahmed, Buck, Lyndon, Brisco, Ross, Evans, Dorothy, Grierson, Hilary, Ion, William and Whitfield, Rober Ian (eds.) In Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, Strathclyde University, Glasgow: Towards a new innovation landscape. Institute of Engineering Designers; The Design Society. 6 pp . (doi:10.35199/epde2019.54).

Abstract

Product designers - whether students or professionals - are a diverse group of individuals with mixedabilities in a variety of skills. As an integral element of design education at undergraduate level, designprojects in particular appear to highlight this diversity of characteristics. At Bournemouth Universitythe level 5 and 6 design projects have proved noticeably enlightening in differentiating betweenstudents’ innate strengths and weaknesses. As a result, a number of personality types were identified;the Doers; the Dreamers; the Ideators; the Negotiators; the Visionaries; and the Whatevers.Personality analysis tools such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the NEO PersonalityInventory have become established in the workplace, and attempts have been made to apply suchsystems to the design studio. In addition, the identification of individual learning styles – andcorresponding teaching styles – has become a core feature in education. This paper investigates whetherthe identification of defined personality types and traits within project-based product design educationis justified, and to what extent such characteristics may be affected by external influences. Drawing ona survey conducted with undergraduate students at levels 4, 5 and 6 - as well as design professionals –the interests, inspirations and aspirations that may help to shape designer personalities are explored, andthe results shed new light on the emergent characteristics of tomorrow’s designers. In a world in whichthe role of team players is becoming more important, the authors discuss the differing student strengthsand weaknesses reflected in the survey, and whether a greater understanding of the influences andambitions of Generation Z could help to address the current and future skills shortage in product design.

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Contributors

Author: Franziska Conrad

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