The Field of Industrial Design

Brandan Boesch

English III Standard Pd. 2

Mr. Piatak
March 25, 2015

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Industrial designers can produce just about anything someone could dream up. From cars
to clothes, if someone has an idea of what they want, an industrial designer will be able to draw
up a plan and potentially build the design into a reality. Industrial designers develop products
and systems through collection analysis and synthesis of data guided by the special requirements
of their client and manufacturer (idsa.org). Everything produced in the world ia a result of
industrial design, and in order for that to continue and for people to have advances in technology
and equipment, students must keep perfecting this career.
When starting in the field of industrial design one must choose specific classes in order to
be successful. Certain art classes will assist someone attempting to get into the industrial design
career. Designers use special technologies and computer resources to start the design process of a
product. If the school or university offers computer program classes, it would be in the persons
best interest to enroll in one or more of those classes and become familiar with programs and
technology.The 6-credit Advanced Design studio category offers second semester juniors and
seniors the opportunity to continue their focus on various curricular topics including innovative
product design through production and fabrication (risd.edu). During the college courses one
must be highly committed to that sort of job. Many hours outside of the class will be spent
working on projects, products, and development. The amount of time spent in the class does not
equal the preparedness level that someone needs to be in the industrial design field. A person
cannot be successful in that field without being involved in extra time outside the class to better
assist themselves in the job. Hands on experience is a must. Without having your own idea for
what this potential career has in store, you cannot make a life choice based on only in class

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experience and what professors tell you. When someone has a hands on experience involving the
creation of a new product and seeing it come together, it makes them understand better and
decide if this is what they would like to do with their lives.
To become an industrial designer, computer skills are necessary. You must know how to operate
certain software and computer applications. Most products that are made nowadays use mostly
computer generated graphics.Computer Graphic DesignPrint Degree (CGD) provides
students with the visual design, communication, and computer graphic skills necessary to obtain
an entry-level position in this field or to continue their education at a four-year college or
university (mwcc.edu). As technology advanced, the ability to create specialized products grew
substantially. Prior to any technology advances, a designer could not get a physical image of
what he or she was going to produce. They had drawings and sketches, but once three
dimensional images were supported by computer programs the whole game changed. Now that
designers are able to see what they are producing before the products go into production, they
can adjust and tweak certain parts and pieces to create the best product possible.

To be an industrial designer you have to like to build things and draw things. If a person
wanted to get into the field and had absolutely no experience drawing, building, or any
experience with computers, they would be dead in the water. You cannot just expect to be a
master at something without any experience or practice. College courses are the best ways to get
knowledge and experience in a field of your choosing. A bachelors degree is usually required
for most entry-level industrial design jobs (bls.gov). Courses somone would look at whom is
trying to get into the industrial design field would be; computer software, art classes, and certain
math classes. Classroom experience is not nearly enough to be able to enter the industrial design
field. They must go outside the box or classroom. The students must go to third party projects,

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whether its a successful industrial designer or a friend building something from scratch. These
experiences may seem small and insignificant, but they prepare the people for anything they
might experience in the real world, and in their future career.
During a student's senior year they need to think about internships where they can go and
get the best hands on experiences. In order to get in contact with a designer to attempt to set up
an internship research needs to be done. Find a local designer and explore what it is they
specialize in.We welcome interns in all areas of the company: industrial design, design research,
engineering, communication design, interaction design, marketing, accounting, project
management and studio administration (smartdesignworldwide.com). If any of their products
interest you try sending them an e-mail and wait to see what they have to say. When the student
secures the internship they are setting themselves up for a successful career in their field. During
this time period prior to graduation a student should also be searching for potential jobs.
Once you get involved in a steady job in the field, start asking the people you work with
how they enjoy their career. Ask questions about how to properly maintain a job and how to
perfect it. Industrial design is one of those fields where a person attempting to get into it and be
successful in it needs to take criticism very well. They can't be angry when a co-worker tries to
help them and give them better ideas for future products. While working in a company it is good
to know your higher ups. If there is an issue with the attitude of a co-worker or a small
mechanical problem, you should not be hesitant to go to your boss and request assistance.
Industrial Designers produce the "future" in a sense. Employment of industrial designers
is projected to grow 4 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations.
Consumer demand for new products and new product styles should sustain the demand for
industrial designers (bls.gov). They create the newest products before the consumers are aware

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of them. Designers can work on a single idea anywhere from three weeks to three months, trying
to get a design perfect. The first step in creating a product is having a solid idea/base. If the idea
is good and has no flaws it will be easy to build upon. Drawing and sketching are the first
components to a good design. Once the designer have an idea they can start projecting that idea
on to paper in drawing form. Many variations of the products are drawn. A favorite and most
usable and reliable design is picked for pre-production. This "prototype" is made to get a feel for
what the actual product will look and feel like. If the designer and team are happy with the
outcome they will pitch it to a production company and then it will be decided whether to mass
produce this product.
The inventions thought up are to be made into large quantities. The products are mostly
mass produced and are sold in large shipments. The objects are usually smaller handheld
products such as daily use items. Designs include cell phones, pocket knives, wallets, and
clothing. Product development is a process of creating new things. The things are usually
products to be sold to companies to sell.
The beginning of industrial design took place during the industrial revolution. During the
industrial revolution it became easier to produce things. Many companies were able to produce
hundreds of products daily. This opened up a whole new era of mass production. Designers were
able to invent things to aid in the mass production field. Industrial designers had the job of
inventing prototypes and ideas for mass production. Some had the job of re-evaluating designs
and making them work better, and be more cost effective for production. The designers made
minor alterations to the designs, but in result the production companies saved large sums of
money from the cutbacks.

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Industrial designers work with all sorts of materials. Models and prototypes can be
produced from materials such as modeling clay and wood. Various metals and plastics are used
in the field. Aluminum is the most used metal, to produce anything from soda cans to car doors.
It is the most malleable metal and is very strong when formed correctly. New materials are being
developed to be lighter and stronger. These new metals are being called super materials. In
order to create a super material engineers take to metal alloys and fuse them. This allows one
property of a metal to show while having the strength or malleability of another. Companies such
as Rolls Royce and Ford are experimenting with new super-alloys, to create lighter, stronger
cars and car components.
Airlines, car companies and other production incorporations, are experimenting with the
new super metals. Companies are also using carbon fiber to reduce weight. Large plane
manufacturers are making plane components out of larger, stronger one piece designs. BMW has
experimented with major car components and are in the process of producing as many parts as
possible with carbon fiber to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency.
The office life of an industrial designer is very laid back. Like any other job there is room
for work and room for play, but the style of work is a little bit different. Designers are very
meticulous people, they have to go by their own rules. Your work is going to fill a large part of
your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the
only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't
settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it (Steve Jobs, CEO Apple). If
someone does not enjoy their job they are going to dread going to it everyday. Industrial design
is a fun environment that people would look forward to.

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The office life is very casual. Industrial design firms are all teamwork based, and in order
for ideas to be made the designers must talk to one another and take constructive criticism in
order to make better ideas and plans.
The designers go through a large process after they have created an idea. The materials
must be selected in order to produce the efficient product. They select everything from the colors
for the final product to the packaging.
The research and development takes place in the office. The designers go through hours of
research to determine where they need to go next in the market place. Industrial designers work
in offices in a variety of industries. Although industrial designers work primarily in offices, they
may travel to testing facilities, design centers, clients exhibit sites, users homes or workplaces,
and places where the product is manufactured (bls.gov). They travel to stores and ask the sales
team what the highest selling items are right now. They go through social media to see what
people are talking about in the internet.
The ideas for new products usually come from old products that are out of date and not
used by many. The designers job is to remake a product that people want to be seen using and
want to show off to others. The products are made to fulfil the needs of the users that the
previous version could not. The designers research the first version of the product and see what
consumers liked and disliked. They attempt to keep the functions that were a large hit while
trying to get rid of the unliked options.
When a new market for a product opens up, designers take that opportunity to create designs for
their take on what that product should look like and function like. The marketplace in which a
final good or service is bought and sold. A product market does not include trading in raw or

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other intermediate materials, and instead focuses on finished goods purchased by consumers,
businesses, the public sector and foreign buyers (businessdictionary.com). The smart watch is
a large category in the tech world right now. Companies from Apple to LG are producing their
own smart watches. Their design teams consist of hundreds of people all working together to
create a take on the product. The different companies have different designs but are all similar in
some way, shape or form. They are all built to accomplish the same task, and look good while
doing that. Apple has taken a strong approach on the aesthetics of the product, while LG has
made multiple prototypes and versions of their watch. LG continues to upgrade their designs and
software to compete with other companies.
Different designers travel to different places for ideas. Aircraft parts designers might
travel to large airports and the manufacturing plants where the planes are made. While in the
factory the designer will get a taste of what is made, how long it takes to make it, and what
materials are needed in order to create that product. From there the designer can put together a
plan on what he or she would want to do with their idea.
Through the process of creating a new and improved product, Designers meet a lot of
new people. These people could be anyone from retail sellers at small local shops to heads of
corporations. Meeting these people and working for them opens up a whole new window of
opportunity. Later down the road if a company is having trouble designing a new product and
they need assistance, they are going to call someone who they know and have had prior
experience with. If a designer does good work and in the time frame that the company needs the
project to be done in they will call that person first and ask if they want the job.
If a designer goes out on their own and decide to create their own products for
distribution and sale they are going to call the contacts they have made throughout the years and

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if they have made a good enough connection, will have no problems getting their product out to
the consumers.
Smaller scale designers who design hand held devices such as cell phones, tablets,
assorted tools, and many others do not necessarily need to travel to manufacturing plants. The
project consists of a program for the development of small (predominantly manufacturing)
industrial enterprises. Under this program, the Bangladesh Small Industries Corporation (BSIC)
invites and assists small private entrepreneurs to submit projects for its review (worldbank.org).
These designers only need the previous versions of the items they are attempting to improve
upon. The designers will go to stores and purchase the item. They will study the items and
disassemble them in order to better understand the construction of the product. Models will be
made, showing the new product in actual size. The designers will pitch the new product to the
manufacturer, and if the company likes the newly created product they will buy the product from
the design firm and attempt to put it into mass production and sell it to the public.
Industrial Design is a very selective career. A person must be able to have a creative
imagination and be able to hear and see what people want and desire. A designer cannot just go
and design something one day and expect it to be a major hit. Research needs to be done, and
unless the designer is a mind reader, they have no idea what the people want. All products
produced in large quantities are a result of industrial design and the design team surrounding that
product. All things used in an everyday life have been made from a previous version of that
product. The designers listen to the people and what they want to see in the next step of
production.

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Work Cited
Ana, Reena. "New, 'super' Materials Are Influencing Product Design." ZDNet. ZDNet, 25 Apr.
2012. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-new-super-materials-areinfluencing-product-design/>.

Cuang, Kliff. "Design 2014: 10 Lessons For A New Era." Wired. Ebscohost.com, 1 Oct. 2014.
Web. 2 Jan. 2015.http://web.b.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=5725e870-a6ac-449c-9fdaa235d3d6ad25%40sessionmgr112&vid=0&hid=102&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN1c3R1a
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Radford, Stuart. "Who Influenced You Most to Pursue and Stick with a Career in Design?"
Ebscohost.com. Design Week, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 Jan. 2015.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=392d32df-7ddb-41f0-a1db-20b8c03a871d

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%40sessionmgr4001&vid=1&hid=4204&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN1c3R1aWQmY3Vz
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Donnerberg, Jeff. "Engine Fabrication Project Teaches Materials and Processes." Ebscohost.com.
Nc Wiseowl, 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 2 Jan. 2015. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?
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"Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 08 Jan. 2014. Web.
24 Mar. 2015. <http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/industrial-designers.htm>.