During my third semester of college over twenty years ago, I was studying the wrong major at the wrong art school. I remember having a conversation with a professor, explaining my frustrations with a particular assignment and explaining what it was I wanted to do, when she said "Hmm, sounds like you should be studying industrial design instead." I remember thinking What the hell is "industrial design?"
"Sounds great," I said, after she finished explaining what it was. "I'll change majors, I'm in."
"We don't offer that program here," she said. Shortly thereafter I left the school and never went back. Four years later I had a B.I.D. from Pratt (where I met two ne'er-do-wells who would become the founders of Core77).
When did you realize industrial design was the discipline for you? That's what the IDSA wants to know as part of a research inquiry to teach design education. Take the survey here (and while you're at it, share in the comments too).
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When i started mechanical engineering i didn't really know what Industrial design was. I thought it was just aesthetics; I didnt realise it was all about soving problems and building things, which is what i've always wanted to do.
Its funny how mechanical engineering promises this and never delivers It seems like me, a lot of other industrial designers started life as mechanical engineers.
I agree with you to a certain extent. I also started as a Mechanical Engineer. I have now work as an ME and as an ID. The difference, to me, is that engineers want a solution. To an engineer, the best solution is the most efficient and the one that cost less. These are the main motives for picking one design over another as an engineer. As IDs, we learn to put the user first. We learn user centered design, and most importantly, we also learn the design process. This method has been crucial for me because it allows me to make mistakes and test. I know that I am not going to come up on the best solution the first time around.
"you dont want to go to Pratt do you , Jeffery"?- name the film.;)
To all yours chagrin I guess I should admit i was one of the first to "bug the crap" out of Aureli to get the first Vax computer in tehe ARC opened up to ID students and to find us an "instructor" we wont say who that was 2 years later.. .
misguided youth... oh well.
damage done. sorry/.;)
Talked to my adviser about it, and enrolled myself into Queensland University of Technology where i graduated with Bachelors in Built Environment Engineering in Industrial Design. Best decision that i have ever made!
I went and asked my engineering adviser what Industrial Design was and how I could go do that. She told me "It's just this thing that people do after we make a product to make it pretty, but it's really not worth studying". Hearing her say that just made me more confident that the world of engineering was wrong for me.