New Jersey Institute of Technology:

December 16, 2015 udcom

Prerequisite: Sophomore level or higher. Through lectures and “hands-on” experiments, this course will challenge the student to explore objects and environments as sensory and psychological experiences that effect human comfort, efficiency, function and emotion. Emphasis will be put on empathizing with the user with particular attention to those individuals with special physical, cognitive or occupational needs.

INT 350 History of Furniture

Survey course studying the history and characteristics of furniture design from antiquity to the present day. Study of social and design forces influencing furniture. Students will analyze furniture in terms of style, aesthetic intent, construction and materials, ergonomics, universal/barrier-free accessibility, sustainability, and technology. Major stylistic movements will be discussed.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.