James Dyson, who has created a number of spectacular products, is being called the Steve Jobs of industrial design.
Inspiring examples of industrial design can come in many forms, from 2D features including patterns and color to 3D objects from automobiles to soft drink bottles, scooters to cameras and vacuums to lounge chairs. While engineers are tasked with determining ways to build and manufacture products, industrial designers have to add a finishing touch so that a product is aesthetically pleasing and will be attractive to potential buyers.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook shows that industrial designers make an average of $67,000 per year or $32 an hour with a bachelor’s degree. Often, the finishing touches that make a product special are added by industrial designers to products from the interiors of homes and businesses to sketching the design of an automobile.
Today, with the increasing emphasis across all industries on the creation of sustainable products that have designated lifetimes and can be “upcycled,” the challenge to design products is more of a task than ever before. At the same time, a large number of tools have emerged that make the jobs of engineers and industrial designers easier. These include 3D printing, the coming of nanotechnology which will allow products to be built atom by atom, and more.
The following video answers the question: “What is Industrial Design?”
