Industrial design
Designs mass-produced products, taking care at the same time of how they work, how they are used, how they are made and how they look.
What it deals with
An object made thousands of times also repeats its successes and its mistakes thousands of times.
Principles
Use
The object has to work and make sense in the hands of the person using it.
Manufacturing
You design with production in mind: how it is made, in which materials and at what cost.
More than objects
Today the definition also includes systems, services and experiences.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Test physical prototypes with real people before manufacturing.
Avoid
Deciding the form without knowing how it will be made.
Don’t fall for it
Also think about the end of its life: how it is repaired, taken apart or recycled.
Especialidades
Furniture design
Designs furniture that supports the body, organizes space and can be made viably.
Transportation design
Designs the form, interior and use of cars, buses, trains, bicycles and other vehicles.
Color, material and finish (CMF) design
Chooses a product's color, material and finish so it looks, feels and lasts as intended.
Connections
Builds on
Related to
- Algorithmic design, Specialty
- Circular design, Specialty
- Computational design, Discipline
- Interaction design, Discipline
- Fashion design, Discipline
- Packaging design, Discipline
- Product design, Discipline
- Wearable design, Specialty
- Ubiquitous computing design, Specialty
- Sustainable design, Discipline
- Ecodesign, Specialty
- Food design, Discipline
- Tangible interaction, Specialty
Authors and works
- 1980
John Heskett
Told the history of industrial design as tied to mass production.
- 2015
World Design Organization
Redefined it as a strategic problem-solving process for products, systems, services and experiences.
Sources
Original sources
- World Design Organization (2015). Definition of industrial design. Adopted at the 29th General Assembly, Gwangju (South Korea). View source: World Design Organization (2015)
Secondary sources
- Heskett, J. (1980). Industrial design. Thames & Hudson.
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