Department of Product and Media Design

Current Status of the Department of Product and Media Design
By Director Jiang-Long Lin

In response to Taiwan’s industrial transformation, the need to enhance innovative design and R&D capabilities, and to meet the demand for high-tech product and media design professionals in northern Taiwan, our university established the Department of Product and Media Design in the 2008 academic year (97th academic year in ROC calendar). Guided by the educational philosophy of “emphasizing humanities education and the integration of humanities, society, and technology,” the department officially began enrolling students that same year.

The department’s educational特色特色 lies in integrating technology with humanities and arts education. With humanities and design as the foundation, and computer and technology as media, the curriculum is guided by aesthetics and business. Courses are structured around three core areas: creative design, computer technology, and aesthetic marketing. The goal is to provide training in creative product design, multimedia computer animation, and integrated product-media applications, cultivating a new generation of design professionals who possess both artistic literacy and technological expertise.

Our educational objectives emphasize “Professionalized Teaching,” “Globalized Thinking,” and “Industrialized Design.” We aim for students to achieve both a graduation certificate and a professional license before graduation, enhancing employability. During their studies, students are encouraged to actively participate in competitions, exhibitions, and workshops to broaden their design perspective and boost creativity, ultimately nurturing design talent with a global mindset.

Additionally, through curriculum planning, industry-academia collaboration, and off-campus internships, students engage in interactive learning that enhances practical skills and competitiveness—effectively preparing them to meet industry expectations and social needs.

The department has defined the following core competencies for students:

1. Product Design and Cultural Industry Competence
   To cultivate the ability to integrate product design with culture, art, and science. Students are expected to combine design techniques, local cultural characteristics, and lifestyle concepts to create culturally enriched and innovative products. This fosters human-centered, culture-based product designers.

2. Digital Media and Web Design Competence
   To develop correct concepts and management skills in digital media and web design. Students will integrate various digital content to enhance media communication and application, becoming forward-thinking and globally competitive professionals in digital multimedia and web design.

3. Marketing Planning and Creative Design Competence
   To cultivate the ability to integrate marketing strategies with creative design thinking. Students are trained to realize marketing concepts through innovative design, becoming professionals who can implement both in the product and media design field.

Currently, the undergraduate program has 29 students enrolled, with an enrollment rate of 83%. Although there is only one first-year class in this initial phase, all lectures and teaching efforts are structured as if the department were fully populated across four academic years. This prepares for future student growth and ensures students’ right to a complete educational experience from the outset.

This semester’s "College of Science and Engineering Lecture Series" has invited several distinguished professors from the College of Design at National Taiwan University of Arts—Professors Lin Rong-Tai, Li Yu-Fen, Hsiao Ming-Feng, and Lin Bo-Xian—to speak on topics related to cultural and creative design, including design, craftsmanship, and aesthetics. These rich and diverse lectures provide a solid foundation for first-year students entering the design field.

Furthermore, to better understand and connect with local industries in the Yilan region, the department invited leathercraft artist Ms. Chen Hui-Mei from the National Center for Traditional Arts to conduct a leather carving workshop, which was met with great enthusiasm from students. A field trip to the National Center for Traditional Arts followed, giving students insight into the origins and methods of local cultural development—broadening their perspectives and helping them approach design topics with a localized mindset.

In the second semester of the 2008 academic year, the department will move into the Science and Engineering Building (Yun-Hui Hall). With expanded space, we will be able to fully implement practical courses in model making, creative product design, computer-aided design, and multimedia animation production. These engaging courses are sure to inspire our students to unleash their creativity.