The Industrial Design Program prepares students to be creative, practical, user-centered, aesthetics-focused, problem-solving, and opportunity-exploring designers, design strategists, or design leaders.
The NC State University Industrial Design Program is one of the top professional programs in this discipline in the country. The program offers Bachelor of Industrial Design (BID) and Master of Industrial Design (MID) degrees, both accredited by The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Students learn and practice design in a studio environment very similar to that of professional design offices. Students methodically study human physical and cognitive interaction with artifacts and services in order to discover user experience insights and then create innovative solutions to design problems. The dynamic and sophisticated balance of form, function, innovation, and practicality are constantly debated and articulated throughout the journey to better design.
Finally, a Home
Over the past 40 years, the Industrial Design program at NC State has grown into one of the highest-ranked ID programs in the U.S. Its graduates go on to be designers at companies like IBM, Adidas, and Under Armour. Its faculty partner on grants from the NIH to tackle human centered design for maternal and fetal medicine. Finally, the program will be moving to a dedicated space where they can work collaboratively and creatively.
The Industrial Design faculty have joined NC State University from prestigious institutions around the world, each bringing years of experience in design, research, innovation, and education. The graduates from the program are enhancing the quality of life experiences with the creative design of products, services, branding, and communication systems for companies such as IDEO, Nike, Volvo, IBM, Toshiba, Dell, Pentagram, PepsiCo, RKS Design, Microsoft, The Smithsonian, Adidas, Hasbro, Target, and Bosch.
Industrial design is the professional service of creating and developing concepts and specifications that optimize the function, value, and appearance of products and systems for the mutual benefit of both user and manufacturer. Industrial designers develop these concepts and specifications for the user and manufacturer through the collection, analysis, and synthesis of data, often within the context of cooperative working relationships with other members of a development group such as management, marketing, engineering, and manufacturing specialists. They then communicate their clear and concise recommendations through drawings, models, and verbal descriptions that embody all relevant design criteria determined by the group.
The industrial designerโs unique contribution emphasizes those aspects of the product or system that relate most directly to human characteristics, needs, experiences, and interests. This contribution requires specialized understanding of visual, spatial, and tactile senses as well as product safety and convenience criteria. Industrial designers are experts in anticipating psychological, physiological and sociological factors and perceptions that influence users of products and services. Industrial designers also maintain a practical concern for the technical processes and requirements for manufacturing; marketing opportunities and economic constraints; and regulatory requirements relevant to good design.
In addition to supplying concepts for products and systems, industrial designers are often retained for consultation on a variety of problems that have to do with product and organization identity systems, development of communication systems, interior and exhibit design, advertising devices and packaging, and other related services. Their expertise is often sought in a wide variety of administrative arenas to assist in developing industry standards, regulatory guidelines, and quality control procedures to improve manufacturing operations and products. Industrial designers are guided by a professional obligation to protect the public safety and well-being, to respect the environment, and to observe contractual and ethical business practices.
As @ncstatedesignlab continues our takeover of @ncstatedesign this week, weโd like to celebrate the people who make Design Camp what it isโฆ
47 kind, creative, and hardworking team members who show up every single day with heart. There have been countless moments of leadership, collaboration, and thoughtfulness.
Thank you all for making this summer unforgettable. We couldnโt do it without you! ๐
We still have more camp ahead, but this team deserves all the love.
(Did you work with us this summer? Then yes, that is our dearest team member Rumpus at the end.)
Hey everyone! Ashley Davis here to share a behind the scenes tour of @ncstatedesignlabโs Design Camp 2025. I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse of our Leazar Hall takeover.
Celebrating 4๏ธโฃ5๏ธโฃ years of turning chaos into creativity, and glitter into gold. Design Camp is in full swing this summer! ๐ฅณ๐
๐จ Weโve got a special takeover next week by the folks who made the magic happen: the @ncstatedesignlab staff and counselors. Be sure to tune in to get an inside look at all of the activities and excitement that take place in the studios of Leazar Hall. ๐จ๐...
๐ฅ From the studio to the screen to the virtual world.
The College of Design is embracing the future of filmmaking through virtual production, blending architecture, animation and immersive storytelling. This behind-the-scenes look at our collaboration with industry pros shows how design education is evolving to meet the moment.
Read more about how our students are making their mark in the world of virtual production in the 2025 issue of Designlife Magazine: ๐ in bio...
โHomelessness is a massive issue with many layers. But the female experience is often overlooked, especially around menopause, pregnancy and menstruation.โ
For Jabria Oliver, design isnโt just about making โ itโs about meaning. As a recent Master of Industrial Design graduate, Jabria is channeling her creative practice into a critical, often ignored public health crisis: period poverty.
Through extensive research, interviews and prototyping, sheโs exploring how design can offer more humane, accessible solutions for menstruating people who are unhoused, while also challenging the systems and assumptions that perpetuate inequity.
Jabriaโs work reminds us that design is about people first, and that dignity is non-negotiable.
Read her full story in the Spring 2025 issue of Designlife Magazine in our bio....
In just 11 weeks, @ncstate_architecture students designed, built and installed 4 portable shade structures at the Conlon Family Skatepark. ๐นโ๏ธ
These functional works of art donโt just block the sun โ they reflect a commitment to inclusive, real-world design. Think: โ Universal access ๐ ๏ธ Hands-on fabrication ๐จ Community collaboration
Now open to skaters, loungers and local artists whoโve already started adding their mark.
๐ธ See the process + final install in the latest issue of Designlife Magazine: ๐ in bio...
๐ โ๏ธ The grid. The sketchbook. The process.
This yearโs Designlife Magazine is a visual exploration of creativity in action โ with a refreshed layout built by student designers from @ncstate_gxid that lets our stories speak for themselves.
Dive into a celebration of design @ncstate at the link in our bio....
