History The department originated as the Department of Industrial Design (with a focus on shoe design) at United Vocational College in 1987. It admitted vocational high school graduates for a two-year specialized technical education. The first department chair was Jin Zhe. In 1999, the school was approved to upgrade to "National United Institute of Technology," and the department was renamed the Department of Industrial Design. In 2003, the school transitioned into "National United University," and the department was further renamed the Department of Industrial Design, accepting high school graduates.
Department Scale Currently, the department enrolls one class per grade in both the day and evening divisions, totaling eight classes across four grades. Additionally, there is a graduate program in industrial design.
Three Major Curriculum Development Directions In response to the transformation of Taiwan’s consumer industries and the rising demand for design professionals, the department has developed a comprehensive curriculum focused on consumer industrial product design. The curriculum has expanded from its original focus on shoe design to include a broader range of industrial and lifestyle products. Course content includes "Lifestyle Product Design" and "Cultural Product Design," supplemented by "Innovation and Entrepreneurship," all aimed at nurturing high-caliber design talents for the consumer and fashion industries, while aligning with the university’s overall development and integrating into the College of Design.
1. Lifestyle Product Design
a. Collaborating with other departments with practical technical expertise, the department integrates advanced technology and product design concepts to develop marketable inventions, supported by better aesthetic design, visual presentation, and intellectual property protection, to enhance invention marketing. b. The human-machine interface and digital visual communication – New faculty members in this field possess international academic presentation capabilities, enabling them to secure research projects and publish journal articles, setting this as a future feature of the graduate program.
2. Cultural Product Design
a. In line with contemporary fashion trends, the department researches and designs trendy footwear, combining 21st-century preventive medicine concepts to guide footwear design toward health and medical functions, with ergonomic considerations making the designs more user-friendly. b. The department also designs leather accessories for general consumer industries, developing bag and luggage products as another distinguishing feature. c. Precious metal jewelry design and other hardware designs, including those that complement shoes and leather products, are also a focus.
3. Innovation and Entrepreneurship
a. The department emphasizes the practical implementation of creative inventions, cultivating students’ ability to commercialize creative products through hands-on learning. b. By integrating entrepreneurial education, the department fosters design professionals with entrepreneurial ambition and technical skills to achieve business innovation. c. The department collaborates with the engineering and management teams at the university to integrate systems for developing future technology products.
Featured Courses
Shoe Design: The department has a professional shoe design studio.
Metal Craft Design: The department has a professional metalwork studio where students can learn various metalworking techniques.
Transportation Design: The department offers a professional classroom for transportation design.
User Experience Design: The department has a 3D manufacturing and VR laboratory.
