Industrial Design

Industrial Design determines the look and the function of new mass-produced consumer items and branded spaces. With a concentration in Industrial Design, students learn a wide range of techniques and methodologies in design research, prototyping, visual communication / presentation techniques, and more. Students learn a broad set of skills to perform successfully as industrial designers, design researchers, and in emerging interdisciplinary design fields like service design and experience design. Our design faculty teach complex ideas like object appropriateness; product personality and brand essence; accessibility and diversity; material culture; and the impact on individual lives through the creation and use of meaningful objects and spaces.

Career opportunities

• Consumer product designer
• Consumer electronics designer
• Transportation designer
• Toy designer
• Exhibit designer
• Package designer
• Footwear designer
• Furniture designer
• Tabletop designer
• Home accessories designer
• Fashion accessories designer
• Sporting goods designer
• Design researcher
• Experience designer
• Service designer
• Digital product designer

Facilities

• Small class sizes and hands-on, dedicated faculty 
• Student collaborations with university research teams and external partners / local entrepreneurs
• Studio courses that encourage building (proof-of-concept model-making and prototyping)
• Small batch production and retail / market activities 
• Design process / design thinking 
• Design research methods / design anthropology 
• 3D modeling with a targeted focus on Fusion 360 
• Digital labs, rapid prototyping, woodshop (fully equipped and staffed)
• Yearly portfolio reviews
• Designer Dialogue presentation series