Nagaoka Institute of Design (NID) was established in 1994 with support of Nagaoka City and Niigata Prefecture as the first public-private institution in Japan specializing in the field of design. NID changed its status and re-started as an institution operated by the Public University Corporation under Nagaoka City from 2014, but its philosophy was never changed. Students learn to design by exploring their creativities and collaborate actively with the communities. Although the composition of departments has been adjusted few times, there is one faculty in the Undergraduate School (4 departments in different fields of study) and the Graduate School (Master’s Program/Doctoral Program).

The educational goal of the institution since the beginning is to “produce designers with the ability to create and coordinate in response to the demands of society, as well as to grasp design broadly (beside color and shape)”. The curriculum is based on acquiring 3 abilities: the ability to design based on rich sensitivities, the basic ability necessary in society to think proactively, theoretically, and multifacetedly, and the ability to find problems and propose solutions conceptionally.

All NID students in their first year must take practical courses named, Basic Design Workshop, in the mixed classes of 4 different departments (Product Design, Visual Communication Design, Arts and Crafts, Architecture and Environmental Design), for learning the basic techniques and the theory essential to become a designer.

For general education, we aim to raise the awareness of students in the diverse career paths through subjects on career guidance, PC and information literacy. Also, cultivating the “broad understanding of design” that the society demands through compulsory subject such as “Introduction to Design”. Students can take the lecture type subjects offered for all the departments as elective subjects such as “Cross Practice” are also available. Students can take specialized subjects from other departments to have a more comprehensive understanding of design. The Regional/Social Collaboration type subjects are of utmost priority. We have the “Community Co-Creation Practices”, “Internships”, and “Volunteer Training” that allow students to conduct fieldwork to tackle issues with companies, governments and communities. Students participate in the project as mixed university teams that include graduate students. More than ten projects are carried out every year.

In 2018, Nagaoka City, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, four higher education institutions and one technical college (Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka Institute of Design, Nagaoka University, Nagaoka Sutoku University, National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka College) established the NaDeC Concept Promotion Consortium. The facility named “NaDeC BASE” also started its operative since then. The facility aims to create new businesses, develop human resources, support entrepreneurship, and retain young people in the city. Students, including graduate students from the university, can also participate. Various lectures, seminars, and presentations such as student-centered exchange projects, inter-university collaborative classes, and industry-academia collaborative projects have been held in open collaboration spaces. Most of these contents were not recognized by the public, companies or the universities before. As a next-generation design university, we will explore guidelines for education and research, including how to manage future collaborations between universities.

Student presentation at NaDeC BASE

Graduate class at NaDeC BASE

Basic Modeling Practice

Review meeting of Basic Modeling Practice “Color”

Review meeting of Basic Modeling Practice “Color”