industrial design
Mass-production styling field
Industrial design is the practice of designing manufactured products for mass production, balancing aesthetics, functionality, and usability.
It encompasses everything from furniture and appliances to vehicles and electronics—objects meant to be both useful and visually appealing.
An industrial designer considers how a product looks, how it works, and how it will be manufactured: The sleek industrial design of the smartphone set it apart from competitors.
Shape or document
- minimalismAesthetic of reduction
- sleekSmooth and elegant
- eleganceRefined, graceful quality
- proportionComparative relation of parts
symmetry · modernism · style · beauty · texture · visual · contemporary · polish
Ease or soothing relief
- user-friendlyEasy to operate
- anthropometryScience of body measurements
- postureBody position, alignment
- accessibilityEase of approach
adjustability · grip · handle · interface · biomechanics · reach · feedback · controls
Not harming the environment
- recyclableCapable of being remade
- biodegradableAble to decompose naturally
- sustainable materialsResources with minimal environmental impact
- life cycleOrganism's full developmental sequence
cradle-to-cradle · carbon footprint · circular economy · upcycling · zero waste · disassembly · bioplastics · renewable
Making preliminary models
- CADTechnical drawing technology
- manufacturingIndustrial product creation
- user researchInvestigating audience needs systematically
- sketchingMaking rough drawings
rendering · modeling · iteration · specification · production · tooling · engineering · fabrication
Ease of interaction quality
- utilityFunctional worth or purpose
- durabilityResistance to wear
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
- mechanismMeans by which something operates
performance · efficiency · practicality · modularity · maintainability · operation · features · controls
Sudden important advance
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- inventiveShowing original thought
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
state-of-the-art · futuristic · disruption · advancement · patent · prototype · concept · experimental
form
Shape or document
- minimalismAesthetic of reduction
- sleekSmooth and elegant
- eleganceRefined, graceful quality
proportion · symmetry · modernism · style · beauty · texture · visual · contemporary · polish · streamlined
comfort
Ease or soothing relief
- user-friendlyEasy to operate
- anthropometryScience of body measurements
- postureBody position, alignment
accessibility · adjustability · grip · handle · interface · biomechanics · reach · feedback · controls · workstation
eco-friendly
Not harming the environment
- recyclableCapable of being remade
- biodegradableAble to decompose naturally
- sustainable materialsResources with minimal environmental impact
life cycle · cradle-to-cradle · carbon footprint · circular economy · upcycling · zero waste · disassembly · bioplastics · renewable · low-impact
prototyping
Making preliminary models
- CADTechnical drawing technology
- manufacturingIndustrial product creation
- user researchInvestigating audience needs systematically
sketching · rendering · modeling · iteration · specification · production · tooling · engineering · fabrication · assembly
usability
Ease of interaction quality
- utilityFunctional worth or purpose
- durabilityResistance to wear
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
mechanism · performance · efficiency · practicality · modularity · maintainability · operation · features · controls · adaptability
breakthrough
Sudden important advance
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- inventiveShowing original thought
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
revolutionary · state-of-the-art · futuristic · disruption · advancement · patent · prototype · concept · experimental · emerging
- applied artsapplied arts, decorative arts, craftsmanship, furniture making, glassblowing
- designfunctionality, emphasis, unity, typography, logos
- Industrial Imagerymachinery, factories, smokestacks, assembly lines, gears
- industryfactories, factory, automotive, manufacturing plant, manufacturing plants
- Design HistoryArt Nouveau, Bauhaus, mid-century modern, Modernism, Postmodernism
- intellectual propertypatents, copyright, patent, trademark, trademarks
industrial designfine art
Aesthetic visual creations
craft · handcraft · handicraft · folk art · bespoke design
industrial designgraphic design
Arranging images and text
web design · landscape architecture · software design · sound design · engineering
industrial designhandmade
Created manually, not mechanically
hand-crafted · artisan-made · bespoke · custom-made · made-to-order
design, industry, designer, designing, designed, industrial, redesign, designers, redesigning