Industrial Design is concerned with all the human aspects of machine-made products and their relationship to people and the environment. The designer is responsible for these products and their impact on society and nature. The designer accounts for the product's human factors engineering, safety, form, color, maintenance and cost. Industrial design deals with consumer products as well as industrial products. In order to achieve these ends, designers must be involved in four major design and research activities: human behavior, the human-machine interface, the environment, and the product itself.
Areas of design investigation include furniture, housewares, appliances, transportation, tools, equipment, medical and electronic instruments, human interface, and recreational support equipment.
Industrial design is concerned with all human aspects of machine-made products and their relationship to the environment. The industrial designer is responsible for human factors engineering, safety, shape, color, texture, maintenance, and cost. Industrial designers deal with consumer, as well as industrial, products. In order to achieve these ends, designers must be involved in four major design and research areas: human behavior, human-machine relationships, the environment, and the product itself. Furniture manufacturing, apparel technology, and textile technology are minors offered through collaborations with the Industrial Engineering Furniture Manufacturing and Management Center and the College of Textiles, respectively.
Areas of design investigation in the Bachelor of Industrial Design include furniture, housewares, appliances, transportation, tools, farm equipment, medical instruments, electronics, human-computer interfaces, and recreational support equipment.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Industrial Design program have career opportunities in three general types of practice: corporate design offices in manufacturing companies, independent consulting offices, and governmental agencies.
The Master of Industrial Design at NC State University is unique in that it offers a graduate design degree to both those with and without undergraduate degrees in Design. Several consequences result, one being an eclectic mixture of students within the studio setting, establishing a rich environment conducive to the exchange of accumulated knowledge and experiences. Another is an intensive first year curriculum carefully planned to give those with non-design backgrounds a solid foundation in formal principles of design. These courses are essential to properly prepare the student to undertake more involved studies. Specific placement is based upon one's skills on entry into the program.
During graduate studies, it is important to recognize that it is only through self-motivation and hard work that progress is achieved. It is the responsibility of the student to seek and take advantage of all the opportunities within the academic institution, as the primary responsibility of the faculty is that of catalyst, navigator and mentor.
In order to accommodate the wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds, the Master of Industrial Design program offers two “TRACKS” of graduate study. These are: a two-year, “TRACK TWO” degree path for candidates reaching the program with a prior bachelors degree in Industrial Design (totaling 48-credits); and a three-year “TRACK THREE” degree path for change-of-career students without a prior bachelors degree in Industrial Design (totaling 78-credits, of which 30 first year credits are to be pursued via preparatory coursework at an undergraduate senior level in our Industrial Design program).
TRACK II is a 48-hour graduate degree path for a candidate with a four-year undergraduate degree in Industrial Design (or comparable, directly-related design field).
Year One, Fall
ID 500 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series: Human Centered Design (6 cr/hrs)
ID 511 Industrial Design Materials and Processes I (3 cr/hrs)
ID 582 Design Methods Seminar (3 cr/hrs)
Elective (3 cr/hrs)
Total Hours: 15
ID 500 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series: Extension and Engagement (6 cr/hrs)
ID 512 Industrial Design Materials and Processes II (3 cr/hrs)
ID 582 Design Practices Seminar (3 cr/hrs)
Electives (3 cr/hrs)
Total Hours: 15
ID 500 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series: Product Innovation (6 cr/hrs)
ID 581 Final Project Preparation in Industrial Design (3 cr/hrs)
Total Hours: 9
ID 588 Final Project Studio in Industrial Design (6 cr/hrs)
ID 582 Special Topics in Industrial Design (3 cr/hrs)
Total Hours: 9
Total Degree Hours Required: 48
An extended degree path, TRACK III is a 78-hour program for candidates with an undergraduate degree in a non-design area. TRACK III students observe two sets of requirements while pursuing their studies: (1) A minimum of 30 hours in undergraduate courses before moving into graduate level coursework; and (2) following, a minimum of 48 hours of graduate-level courses (see TRACK II degree path above).
Year One, Fall (preparatory undergraduate coursework)
ID 400 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series (6 cr/hrs)
ID 255 Contemporary Manufacturing Processes I (3 cr/hrs)
ID 318/318L Ideation I w/ Lab (3 cr/hrs)
Elective (3 cr/hrs; undergraduate level)
Total Hours: 15 (non-graduate credit hours)
ID 400 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series (6 cr/hrs)
ID 315 Digital Product Modeling (3 cr/hrs)
ID 418/418L Ideation II w/ Lab (3 cr/hrs)
Elective (3 cr/hrs; undergraduate level)
Total Hours: 15 (non-graduate credit hours)
ID 500 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series (6 cr/hrs)
ID 511 Industrial Design Materials and Processes I (3 cr/hrs)
ID 582 Design Methods Seminar (3 cr/hrs)
Elective (3 credit hours)
Total Hours: 15
ID 500 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series (6 cr/hrs)
ID 512 Industrial Design Materials and Processes II (3 cr/hrs)
ID 582 Design Practices Seminar (3 cr/hrs)
Electives (3 cr/hrs)
Total Hours: 15
ID 500 Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series (6 cr/hrs)
ID 581 Final Project Preparation in Industrial Design (3 cr/hrs)
Total Hours: 9
ID 588 Final Project Studio in Industrial Design (6 cr/hrs)
ID 582 Special Topics in Industrial Design (3 cr/hrs)
Total Hours: 9
Minimum Undergraduate-level Credit Hours Required: 30
Minimum Graduate-level Credit Hours Required: 48
Total Degree Hours Required: 78
Note: Year Two and Three of TRACK THREE parallel those courses outlined in Year One and Two of the TRACK TWO degree path. Ultimately, both TRACK TWO and TRACK THREE students must have a minimum of 48 hours of graduate credits to graduate with the MID degree.
For information on applying for the Master of Industrial Design program, please visit the graduate admissions page of this website. For additional information on Graduate programs available at NC State University, visit the Graduate School website at: http://www.ncsu.edu/grad.
Spencer Barnes
srbarnes3@ncsu.edu
Sean Hilliard
mshilliard@gmail.com
Michael Haggans
jmhaggan@ncsu.edu
Banks Talley
banks.talley@gmail.com