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.
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 designer’s 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.
Alumnus Joshua Gajownik `04 thought he wanted to be an aerospace engineer. Now, 20 years on, the College of Design graduate is a successful practicing environmental designer. 🐺🚀🌃
He touches every single detail of the properties he works on, from the branding to the furniture selections, even down to the in-room art.
Gajownik’s Creative Office (@creativeofficesof) has worked on a variety of retail projects that have shaped the city of Raleigh, including The Longleaf Hotel, Transfer Co. Food Hall, Jubala, the offices of Red Hat and establishments by Chef Ashley Christensen including Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Fox Liquor Bar, Poole’side Pies and Death & Taxes, to name a few.
Read the full story about how Gajownik has reshaped Raleigh through the art of environmental design in our bio....
“My goals as a landscape architect are to create vibrant, innovative, and sustainable spaces.” 🌿 🌆 🌎
Shabnam Mohammadzadeh was recently awarded the Wings on Wings award for her work prioritizing active transportation to improve human health, while highlighting the value and importance of considering social factors when creating design solutions for the built environment.
Check out the link in our bio for the full story!...
📄 The résumé? ✨ Flawless ✨ 🖼️ The portfolio? ✨ Immaculate ✨ 🤝 The opportunities? ✨ Limitless ✨
Students, get ready to bring your creativity, your skills, your passion and your sketchbooks to the College of Design Career Expo! This opportunity will feature 85 employers from a wide variety of design disciplines, and is the college’s largest annual event to expand the networks of students and alumni alike.
📆 Wednesday, Feb. 7 ⏰ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm 📍 Talley Student Union State Ballroom 🔗 Register at the link in our bio!...
Alumna Dare Coulter [Art + Design ’15], illustrator of “An American Story,” is one of two winners of the 2024 Coretta Scott King Book Awards honoring African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults. 🏅📕🐺
Written by @kwamealexander, “An American Story” features stunning mixed-media illustrations that take the reader on a journey from the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South. This is a story of a people’s struggle and strength, horror and hope.
Born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in Lorton, Virginia, Coulter has illustrated nine children’s books. For the second half of her life, she has lived in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, where the bulk of her public artwork has been created. She graduated from @ncstate with a Bachelor’s in Art + Design in 2015.
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and the graphic arts; promote an understanding and appreciation of the black culture and experience; and commemorate the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination in supporting the work of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for peace and world brotherhood.
The awards were announced during the American Library Association’s (ALA) LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, held Jan. 19–22 in Baltimore.
Learn more about Coulter’s work and the Coretta Scott King Book Awards in our bio!...
The College of Design Wellness Group is a safe space for students in the college wanting a confidential place to share, discuss, and explore how to balance the rigor of the COD experience with maintaining emotional health.
Some topics explored in this group experience include:
🫂 Connecting with ourselves and increasing self-awareness and self-compassion. ✍️ Assessing where perfectionism comes from and how it blocks creativity. 🤷 Coping with failure and setbacks during the creative process. 👥 Connecting with others and communicating our needs in healthy ways 💪 Building our capacity for stress.
This group is open to all students to come when they can. The group sessions will be led by local therapist Allison Grubbs, LCSW, LCAS, CCS and supported by Emily Brudo, LCSW, CAS, College of Design Embedded Counselor. No faculty or administrators will be present.
🧘 Students are also invited to free yoga classes each Thursday in the Brooks Hall Rotunda.
These classes are inclusive and all levels are welcome (including beginners). There will also be opportunities within each class for those practiced in yoga to advance in their skills. Classes will be led using traditional hatha and vinyasa styles but will prioritize breath-led movement overall, as well as body awareness and appreciation. The “kind” of yoga offered in these classes offers tremendous mental and physical benefits, supporting the body and mind to more effectively carry the workload of design students.
Mats and blocks are provided for students to use, but bringing your own equipment is encouraged....
More than half of this year`s American Institute of Architects (@ncarchitecture) awards were won by @ncstate_architecture students, faculty and alumni.
The College of Design had numerous winners recognized, including:
🏆 Five student entries 🏆 AIA NC Educator of the Year 🏆 The F. Carter Williams Gold Medalist ▶ Learn more and watch the project videos: Link in bio.
📸: "Traces: Palmovka Jewish Center and Library" by Maggie Kroening...
Your help molds the future of design. Join the movement to empower rising 10th-12th grade students through Design Connections Residential Camp. ✍️💡🐺
The College of Design is on a mission to make design education accessible to all, and your support during the NC State Crowdfunding Campaign can make it happen!
Every contribution counts. By donating between now and February 16, you’re investing in creativity, diversity, and inclusiveness in design education. Let’s inspire the next generation of designers together!
Click the link in our bio to make a difference. 🤝...
MADTech students are in the homestretch of a two-day animation hackathon. The project is a crash course in tackling challenging deadlines while managing brand identity and voice in conjunction with social media trends. Stay tuned to see where these projects go next! 👀...
“I wanted people to think that making change could be as easy as following a recipe and combining ingredients.” 📗🍲
Lesley-Ann Noel is an assistant professor of media arts, design and technology at the College of Design. As one of the newest installments of Stanford d.school’s book collection, “Design Social Change” was written as a guide for topics, mindsets and principles that designers can use to drive the way they think about change using a cooking metaphor she’s developed over the last five years.
She started using this metaphor as she noticed how some people followed design methods faithfully as if they were trusted recipes, while others, possibly more confident or more chaotic chefs, just threw ingredients together and improvised their design processes as they went along. In this book, she focused on recipes for making social change.
We spoke with Dr. Noel about the book’s inspiration, its mission, and som of the ‘ingredients’ she uses in creating meaningful design. Visit the link in our bio for the full conversation!...