Experimental experience in design education as a resource for innovative thinking: The case of Bruno Munari

Design education in general includes various design fields such as product design, graphic design, communication design and design in engineering. Designing as an activity captures all these various fields. Design refers basically to a problem solving method, a creative problem solving approach and relevant processes. Design as an activity has always been considered as a creative tool. Design education mainly focuses on enhancing creative approaches with various 2D and 3D project based basic design studies. As the tools of designing developed in parallel with technology, the core structure of the education is based on a model with creative and analytical aspects: Designerly way of thinking aims at originality and uniqueness. Today the need for innovation has become more evident than ever. The main purpose of the paper is to explore and to identify the relationship between creativity, innovation and design related to design education. Bruno Munari(Milano, 1907-1998) as a designer and a design educator, is one of the prominent names reflecting innovation and creativity in the history of Italian Design. His innovative contribution to Italian Design is reinforced by his experimental design educator background in research for creativity. The paper aims at exploring the educational structures through history of design and design education that leads to creative thinking and nurture sustainable innovation through the case study of Bruno Munari's works as a designer and as an educator. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.