An industrial design program trains designers of machine-made products. Colleges typically offer Associate of Arts degrees or Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. Other schools offer the course with an engineering or technical slant. This culminates in a Bachelor of Science degree. Many programs take an interdisciplinary approach to this field.
Machine-manufactured products are found in every aspect of human life. So professionals may specialize in appliances, furniture, office equipment, toys and other products. Students in an industrial design program usually choose a specific concentration.
The Prospect for Careers
Industrial companies continue to raise quality and safety standards for their products. As a result, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for industrial designers will increase. The BLS further forecasts that industrial design services will be required in the rapidly growing medicine and transportation fields, therefore increasing the number of industrial design jobs.
Components of Industrial Design Programs
An industrial design school curriculum combines visual arts with applied sciences, such as math and physics. Social sciences like psychology and business round off the program. All aspects of design are explored. These range from research to concept to manufacturing and end-user experience with the product.
The goal of an industrial design program is to provide a professional setting where students learn the technical skills to realize their design projects. Every industrial design program revolves around studio and laboratory work.
Industrial Design Studio Work
Students conceptualize, sketch and build three-dimensional computer models in a dedicated space. Studios are mostly where the aesthetic phase of the design process occurs. A studio works like the student's office. It is outfitted with computers, printing and scanning facilities.
Industrial Design Laboratory Work
Other special industrial design facilities are laboratories for modeling and testing. These laboratories are customized for specific materials such as wood, plastic or metal. In another laboratory, there are prototyping machines. To simulate a real-world environment, there are a mass-production laboratories.
A variety of tools are made available to fabricate and assemble studio projects. Technicians are on hand to assist students with procedures such as model making, vacuum-forming plastic or welding metal armatures. Labs remain open to students after hours.
Apart from hands-on training, an industrial design program also has classroom sessions. These may cover art history and the development of industrial design in America. Consumer design preferences are also discussed. How industrial developments affects culture is another course topic. Classes may focus on an in-depth analysis of social and business factors that make for successful design.
Employers prefer to hire industrial designers or design consultants who have had formal training. An industrial design program serves the needs of an exciting industry that runs on creativity and innovation. It may be what you need for finding better industrial design jobs.
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