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Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical products that are to be manufactured by mass production.

It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advance of the manufacture or production of the product. Industrial manufacture consists of predetermined, standardized and repeated, often automated, acts of replication, while craft-based design is a process or approach in which the form of the product is determined personally by the product's creator largely concurrent with the act of its production. Industrial design, as an applied art, most often focuses on a combination of aesthetics and user-focused considerations, but also often provides solutions for problems of form, function, physical ergonomics, marketing, brand development, sustainability, and sales.

The division of labour that underlies the practice of industrial design did have precedents in the pre-industrial era.

The emergence of industrial design is specifically linked to the growth of industrialization and mechanization that began with the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain in the mid 18th century. The first use of the term "industrial design" is often attributed to the industrial designer Joseph Claude Sinel in 1919 (although he himself denied this in interviews), but the discipline predates 1919 by at least a decade. The Practical Draughtsman's Book of Industrial Design by Jacques-Eugène Armengaud was printed in 1853. The subtitle of the (translated) work explains, that it wants to offer a "complete course of mechanical, engineering, and architectural drawing." The study of those types of technical drawing, according to Armengaud, belongs to the field of industrial design.

Industrial design studies function and form—and the connection between product, user, and environment. Generally, industrial design professionals work in small scale design, rather than overall design of complex systems such as buildings or ships. Industrial designers do not usually design motors, electrical circuits, or gearing that make machines move, but they may affect technical aspects through usability design and form relationships. "Industrial Design is a strategic problem-solving process that drives innovation, builds business success and leads to a better quality of life through innovative products, systems, services and experiences."

Industrial design and product design overlap in the fields of user interface design, information design, and interaction design. Various schools of industrial design may specialize in one of these aspects, ranging from art colleges and design schools (product styling), to mixed programs of engineering and design, to related disciplines such as user experience design. Industrial design can also overlap significantly with engineering design, and in different countries the boundaries of the two concepts can vary, but in general engineering focuses principally on functionality and utility, whereas industrial design focuses principally on aesthetic and usability aspects of products. Except for certain functional areas of overlap between industrial design and engineering design, the former is considered an applied art while the latter is an applied science. Educational programs in the U.S. for engineering require accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in contrast to programs for industrial design which are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Most industrial designers complete a design or related program at a vocational school or university. Relevant programs include graphic design, interior design, industrial design, architectural technology, and drafting. Diplomas and degrees in industrial design are offered at vocational schools and universities worldwide. The study results in a Bachelor of Industrial Design (B.I.D.), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.).

Most industrial designers use various design methods within their creative process. Industrial designers often utilize 3D software, computer-aided industrial design and CAD programs to move from concept to production.

Rams was influenced by the Functionalist approach to design and the Ulm School of Design, and is the source of the Ten Principles for Good design.

Quick Facts

• Industrial design and product design overlap in the fields of user interface design, information design, and interaction design.
• Various schools of industrial design may specialize in one of these aspects, ranging from art colleges and design schools (product styling), to mixed programs of engineering and design, to related disciplines such as user experience design.
• Generally, industrial design professionals work in small scale design, rather than overall design of complex systems such as buildings or ships.
• Relevant programs include graphic design, interior design, industrial design, architectural technology, and drafting.
• Industrial design, as an applied art, most often focuses on a combination of aesthetics and user-focused considerations, but also often provides solutions for problems of form, function, physical ergonomics, marketing, brand development, sustainability, and sales.

Source material: Wikipedia - "Industrial design". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.