Application-based mobile devices in design education

Abstract

This paper researches the rise of application-based mobile devices and their effect on product design education. Information was obtained from design students and design professionals regarding applications-based mobile devices they use and in what ways they use the devices. A niche market was shown to have been created by smart devices as a large section of the population would like cheaper, simpler devices. The most common use of applications were sharing and presenting work as opposed to creating it directly on the smart devices. The findings of this work reveal the limitations of an 'all-in-one' smart device as currently they can only combine simpler and cheaper product functions but will have to work with the top-of-the-range technology. In conclusion, smart devices have developed into multifunction devices and have therefore made certain areas of product design obsolete.