This study aims to discuss the adaptive challenge, and bridge the gap between theory and practice in design education. From now on, navigating design communities through the new era is a significant issue facing global competition and pluralistic society. First, this study reviews the essential evolution of design theories in the past few decades on man-machine system design, user-centered design, and user experience design. Second, based on three case studies of the REACH toothbrushes, an IEF wearable computer, and a LINNAK twin-cup, the research findings are offered to witness the advancement and transformation from hi-tech to hi-touch. Furthermore, this study summarizes three paradigms to interpret the adaptive evolution in design education. Finally, the authors propose three directions for the advancement of the creative industry and design education. The contributions of this study are to (1) clarify the interrelations between the theory and practice of design via the three foci of the human factors, human actors, and cultural aspects; (2) demonstrate the transformation of the archetypal model of user–tool–task employing illustrative paradigms; (3) identify the evolution of design education with contextual stages in the past decades; and (4) propose orientated perspectives for the personnel and institutes of the design industry and design education.

Employing cultural ergonomics concepts to product innovation for cultural education and sustainable development is the target of this study. Atayal culture is famous for its weaving craft and art. The Atayal tribe of Taiwanese aborigines weave on the Atayal loom. Traditional culture is disappearing rapidly due to colonial history and modernization. The Atayal people consider the weaving loom a cultural object when used as a weaving device. This study attempts to transform the ancient Atayal loom into a teaching device and extend Atayal weaving from execution in daily living to cultural experience and cultural heritage development. This study first explores and identifies the meaning of cultural objects and extracts their cultural features. Then, employing cultural ergonomics, a weaving box is redesigned from an ancient part of the loom into a modern weaving box. Finally, the new weaving device is evaluated and discussed. This case study examines a paradigm of how designers interact with cultural heritage and transform cultural objects into new instructional aids. Through cultural product design, it provides an intertwined experience in theoretical and practical approaches to accomplishing the development of cultural sustainability.

In response to the pandemic, many activities in human society have had to change, which has allowed us to re-examine past ways of getting along with the world