İÇ MİMARLIK EĞİTİMİNDE GELENEKSEL TASARIMDAN DİJİTAL TASARIMA GEÇİŞ SÜRECİNDE; AKADEMİ SANAYİ ETKİLEŞİMİ

Abstract

Digital technologies, gaining momentum since the late twentieth century, have transformed design tools, teaching processes, modes of representation, and professional competencies in interior architecture education. This thesis examines the transition from traditional design approaches to digital design approaches in interior architecture education in relation to educational structure and professional practice. It examines how this transition is reflected in curriculum structure, course contents, the integration of digital design tools into teaching processes, graduate competencies, and sectoral expectations. The research is limited to selected universities in Türkiye offering interior architecture education where academy–industry interaction can be observed. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study is based on a multi-stakeholder structure consisting of 42 students, 9 academics, and 10 sector representatives. Participants were determined through purposive sampling, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis and evaluated in relation to digital design competencies, problem solving, academy–industry interaction, curriculum alignment, sectoral dynamics, and future technologies. The findings reveal that traditional and digital design approaches are not alternatives to one another, but complementary pedagogical components that should be considered together in interior architecture education. The results indicate a level of alignment in basic digital tools; however, partial alignment and gap areas persist regarding advanced technologies, practical experience, graduate competencies, and academy–industry interaction. In this respect, the study offers an original, multi-stakeholder, and holistic framework for evaluating the transition from traditional to digital design in interior architecture education through academy–industry interaction, curriculum, competencies, and professional expectations.