The program consists in identifying prominent professors at the University of Alberta and inviting them to our campus in order to share their knowledge and experiences with the students and professors of our many different programs.
On this occasion, Robert Lederer, Associate Professor of Industrial Design at the University of Alberta, visited ITESM Campus Guadalajara in order to share his knowledge with our design community, and to discuss the University of Alberta's achievements in terms of design, technology and health.
Prof. Lederer had a weeklong schedule from August 15th to 19th, interacting with students in both the Bachelor's and Master's in Design.
During his visit, Prof. Lederer lead a workshop within the Advanced Human Factors course of the Master's in Industrial Design students, a course which demonstrated his past and current work at the University of Alberta. The students were able to identify new and innovative aspects of design to which they previously had not been exposed, developing their panorama and skills.
Prof. Lederer lead an activity in which students had to create a product for the elder members of society, and at the end of the week students presented their projects receiving feedback from the Academic Leader.During the sessions, Prof. Lederer reviewed the current research The University of Alberta's Center of Design is conducting in terms of broadening medicine students' operation skills, showing ITESM students the technological advances being applied in health.
On Monday the 15th and Thursday the 18th, Prof. Lederer delivered two intensive sessions for the Bachelor's of Industrial Design students. These students, in their first semesters of study, used Canada as an example to identify the demand for design for a specific emerging population in developed countries. They were able to see what some of the students at the Academic Leader's university are doing towards solutions to the problems for the elder, using design to ease their lives at an age where reduced mobility can make even simple tasks more difficult.
Prof. Lederer presented the "Condos" project that is being carried out by his students in Alberta that creates an environment and a lifestyle that strives to make life easier for the elder generation, portraying a real life case that encourages students to create innovative and useful devices and products.
On Thursday the 18th, the Academic Leader held a talk with the Bachelor's in Industrial Design advanced students about ergonomics. He provided information and hints about how to create products for people with disabilities, another sector of society in urgent demand of products with rational and aesthetical design which would effectively set them apart from the cold steel hygienic devices normally offered.
Prof. Lederer also had the opportunity to visit Teletón's Center for Child Rehabilitation. Led by Campus Guadalajara's Director of the Master's in Industrial Design and the Director of the Bachelor's in Industrial Design, Prof. Lederer was able to see the efforts being made towards public rehabilitation technology centers in Mexico.