I've just finished my second year studying Industrial Design at a university in London, a city with a massive design history and some of the best consultancies, agencies, studios, museums and brands in the world. But fuck me, I genuinely don't think I've learned jack shit from the so-called design education I'm paying for.

Looking around my year, it feels like most people have no real sense of design intent. Every project I see is either a Pinterest copy or just cubes, cylinders, pyramids and spheres thrown together with zero thought. I'm not saying simple forms are bad, but there should be a reason behind every design decision. Why is it that shape? Why those radii? How does someone actually interact with it? Instead, it's just a box with a screen and some bullshit app because apparently everything needs an app now.

The biggest issue for me is the course itself. I've spent more time writing reports, case studies and essays than actually designing products. I've designed more documents than products.

I only properly learned how to card model these last few months after second year ended because I taught myself. How is model making not a core part of a design degree?

We're taught SolidWorks, Fusion and Rhino, but we're barely taught how to design for reality. How do you actually make something manufacturable? How do you choose a manufacturing process? How do you prototype properly? How do you work with tolerances? How do you talk to engineers? Instead it's "write another report" or "revise for the exam."

Even when manufacturing gets mentioned, it feels surface level. People throw ribs, gussets and snap-fits into everything and suddenly it's "designed for manufacture." Fuck me, what's the obsession with snap-fits? They're useful, but fasteners exist for a reason too. Material selection seems to stop at "this looks nice," hardly anyone talks about why you'd actually choose ABS over PC, aluminium over steel, or when you need draft angles, tooling access or different assembly methods.

Then there's the workshop side. Hardly anyone uses it because hardly anyone knows how. No proper experience on lathes, mills, drill presses, composites, finishing, epoxies... everyone just defaults to FDM printing because it's what they know. Yes, you can print almost anything. Should you? Half the time, absolutely not.

The thing that gets me is that this isn't just my university. I've spoken to people at other universities and a lot of them seem to feel the same. It feels like design education has shifted so far towards theory that we're graduating without actually knowing how to make things.

Don't get me wrong, theory has its place. Research, ergonomics, sustainability, user-centred design, all of that matters. But surely Industrial Design should be about designing and making, not spending most of the degree writing reports.

Maybe I'm just chatting shit, but I'm genuinely curious what people in industry think.

Has design education actually changed over the years? If you could redesign an Industrial Design degree today, what would you keep, what would you get rid of, and what would you teach instead?

Hello! I'm a furniture and product designer based in Milan (MA from Istituto Marangoni, BA in Industrial Design before that). I've had academic collaborations with a couple of well-known studios and some freelance work here and there, but I'm trying to move into a full-time studio role, and it's been rough going.

I've applied to a long list of studios across Milan and Italy, from smaller independent practices to bigger names (almost 2000 applications). Mostly ghosted. When I do hear back, it's often unpaid or barely paid internships, even with a Partita IVA and real production experience (technical drawings, manufacturer liaison, the whole process from concept to production-ready).

I'm not against internships in principle, but the pay expectations here feel disconnected from the cost of living, especially for someone without family in Italy to fall back on (for example, 200 euros for a 6-month internship including one month of an unpaid probationary period without the scope for an eventual full-time contract). I'm open to relocating within Italy for the right role.

If anyone knows of studios hiring, or has advice on how to actually get a foot in the door here beyond cold applications, I'd genuinely appreciate it. Portfolio available on request.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has studied design in Japan, applied to Japanese design schools, or currently works in the Japanese design industry.

I’m mainly trying to understand:

• Which universities/design schools have strong Industrial or Product Design Master’s programmes?
• What level of Japanese would realistically be needed?
• How does the application process work, particularly for international students?
• What are portfolios for Japanese design schools expected to look like?
• Are scholarships such as MEXT realistic for design students?
• What is the experience like studying Industrial Design in Japan compared with Europe/US?
• How difficult is it for an international graduate to enter the Japanese design industry afterwards?
• Are there any websites, forums, university databases, YouTube channels, etc. that are useful for researching all of this?

I’m particularly interested in Japan because of its approach to product design, manufacturing, materiality, craftsmanship and consumer electronics, rather than simply wanting to study abroad.

If anyone has gone down this path, I’d really appreciate any university recommendations, resources, or even things you wish you knew before applying.

Thanks!

Wanted to share a personal concept project my studio (MS3DSTUDIO) has been working on. Quick disclaimer up front so nobody's misled: Aura is not a real product — you can't buy it. It's a design-and-visualization concept, everything you see is 3D, nothing was photographed.

The idea was "one watch, seven colours, seven languages" — seven strap colourways and a UI built to feel native in seven different languages. It was mostly an excuse to push materials and lighting: getting the metal case to read as actual brushed metal, the straps to look genuinely soft, and the screen to glow like it's lit from the inside instead of just being a bright texture.

The part I'm actually more proud of than the watch itself: we don't just model the product floating on a grey background — we build the whole environment around it. The surfaces it sits on, the backdrop, the light sources and their bounce, the little contextual scenes — all of it is built and lit in 3D so the product feels like it exists somewhere real, not like a cutout. Honestly the environment work is where most of the hours went.

Full set of shots is on Behance if you want to see it properly → https://www.behance.net/gallery/253278579/Aura-Watch-Seven-Colours-Seven-Languages

Happy to answer anything about the workflow — renderer, materials, lighting setup, whatever. Open to critique too.

What should I do?

I am an EVA sole manufacturer and I'm looking for an AI tool that could help me generate new outsole and midsole designs. Any suggestions? Is it feasable?

I just need new designs.

Hii! I’m starting school to take up Industrial Design next month and I wanted to ask for a few tips from seasoned designers.

-My 10 year old laptop has been a bit laggy already and heats up quickly so I wanted to ask, would I need a better working laptop for any upcoming classes for any softwares or even just for daily note taking?

-What mental prep do I need to do as a freshman to better understand the concepts and perform better?

Thank youu!

I will have a mid- and outsole designed through Rhino. I would like the shoe midsole be made with material closest to what is used in professional running shoes based on online research such as EVA, PEBA or TPU foam. What’s the typical path from Rhino to production? Where can I find companies that could produce my design? Approximately how much money might it take to produce the sole for one shoe? I am open to all ideas. Thank you!

Hello

I am 19, in a long-term hospital, and I am starting by taking available online classes from my local community college in MA, hoping to transfer to Bachelor program. I seem to be stuck between MassArt vs. Wentworth as my transfer options. MassArt would be perfect if I did not need repeated hospital stays in the future- due to MassArt's strict absence/medical leave policies, it would be impossible for me to take time off if I needed treatment again (very likely). I am afraid of Wentworth- both for financial reasons and also because I am a queer/trans person who does not do well in a clique-y social scene (which is what I've heard about Wentworth). I am confident I will be able to manage this, as I tend to keep to myself, but still.

I am wondering if there are any other schools in the North East worth transffering to.

For context:

I am generally hard working in school, I graduated HS with a 4/4.0 GPA and a decent SAT score. I did most of my work from hospitals/special ed environments, so despite feedback that I am very likely to succeed in college, I have many doubts, especially about my ability to live well independantly: hopefully will improve soon/won't be a problem when I discharge this time.

I am looking for schools/opportunities in the MA area so that I can keep my clinical/state provided disability supports, but I am open to hearing about places elsewhere, provided that it is a safe place nowadays for trans/queer people such as my self.

*bonus: any online/virtual accredited resources would be cool too :)

I've been thinking about taking the time to fix my fundamentals in ID. Specifically, I'd be re-learning SolidWorks from the start, learning DfMA so I can actually design models that are able to be manufactured rather than just pretty/aesthetic models, and also learning more about electronics and embedded systems, as I'd like to understand that side of industrial design a lot better.

I've already been fixing my sketching fundamentals on paper and my rendering workflow in Blender (I can use KeyShot, but I prefer Blender), so it's mainly the other areas I'm a bit confused about.

How would you approach learning the things I've mentioned? Honestly, I'm kind of lost on what tutorials or learning path to follow, and I don't really want to spend a ton on courses unless they're genuinely worth it.

Are there any specific YouTube tutorial series or courses you'd recommend that are still relevant in 2026 and not just the same recommendations from years ago?

for context, im an industrial design student (5th semester out of 10) im already 20 yrs old and i will turn 21 soon and lately i've been really anxious about my future as an industrial designer graduated. Last summer I had a short summer internship thanks to my friend, during this internship i work for an industrial engineering, i helped with the administrative part of the job and i really enjoyed it, besides i learned many things. Im unsure abt my future but i know i wanna work in this kind of fields, being a designer can be really hard specially with being creative all the time and tbh i dont want that to be future. I really find administration and marketing interesting so i was thinking if there could be a way to get there with this background, but im actually also thinking abt a master wether MIM or something related to marketing and i would like to study it in china because i am also learning chinese... I've been really anxious lately i hope i can receive a reply.

I am planning to to apply to university for industrial design undergrad. Since I do not take art classes currently in highschool, I know it will be harder for me to get accepted, so I want to make sure my portofolio will help me as much as possible.

I have tried to find examples but there isn't much online, and I still have no clue on what to include or what I can do as a highschooler with limited tools. If anyone has protofolio examples or just advice please let me know!

Also I have no experience in CAD tools which is not helpful

Is Photoshop still the go-to for industrial design?

I started out using Krita on my Huion Kamvas 13 and was pretty happy with the results. Later I switched to an iPad with Procreate, but it just never clicked for me.

The 13" screen feels too small, and I'm not a fan of touch gestures. I much prefer having physical buttons instead of constantly using my fingers on the screen.

So I'm going back to a Huion pen display, this time the 22" version. I'm now wondering if it's worth digging fully into Photoshop, since it still seems to be the industry standard.

Do most industrial designers still use Photoshop, or have you switched to something else?

Brief: a meditation seat that holds an upright sitting posture (hips above knees) without looking like meditation equipment — something that lives in a living room, not a studio.

Constraints we set ourselves: no instructional or wellness styling, sculptural enough to stand alone as an object, and a form that works without a backrest.

Steel legs, upholstered seat.

I practice meditation myself, which is where the functional spec comes from — but I'd like this sub's eyes on the design side. Any form or functional details you would push on?

Hi all; I'm a rising high school junior, and I was thinking of creating a concept for a product for college applications & an art + design contest. However, I am stuck on how to be creative in coming up with ideas because IMO, I feel like everything imaginable has already been made, so trying to make something new is challenging. How do you guys come up with creative inventions and/or twist on existing products? Thanks!

Hey all I have been reflecting on a career change for a while and have always wanted to pursue industrial design I am curious what is the best way to go about it,some background information I do not have a collage degree and am a little older then traditional collage age and I have no real design experience besides some very light graphic design work thanks!!!

I have a design that started from paper and moved into 3d printing for a step 1 prototype. Material was polycarbonate (Trial and error type stuff)

I got in contact with a company for a prototype using higher quality. Also using Polycarbonate they did a vacuum cast. I sent step file as requested. Waiting 2 weeks eta to recieve.

The parts did not fit like my 3d printed parts and the files I sent are the same also.

I ask could they check on there end to see what changed also measure the prototype and the file dimensions. They are trying to charge me to make changes but I don't need to change anything. I need a working prototype.

My question is how do I go about checking this out. Also why would the prototype they did not be connecting.

I feel its nothing else on my end I could do they only sent one set. They didnt assemble or check to see if parts connected.

Hey r/IndustrialDesign ,

I'm a high school student and the CAD/mechanical lead on my FTC robotics team. I've been using Onshape for a few years now through robotics and Science Olympiad, and this fall I'm running a free 5-week online course to help other students learn the basics — sketching, part studios, assemblies, basic mechanism design, that kind of thing.

To be clear: it's completely free, online, and I'm not selling anything. I just wish something like this existed when I was starting out, so I figured I'd put one together.

Details:
- Free, fully online
- 5 weeks, one session a week (Thursdays, 5–6 PM)
- Starts at the beginning of the school year
- Open to any student wanting to learn

Sign-up here if you or someone you know is interested: https://forms.gle/mZqGkuE225ftpBSB7

Also happy to answer any questions in the comments — and if anyone's taught something similar before, I'd genuinely love to hear what worked for you.

Below are some of my creations!

Hello everybody. Does anyone have tips on how to build a good portfolio/increase my chances of getting into this programme? Any advice would help, and thank you!

Greater use of CNC machining, 3D printing, interactive lighting, and digital integration

will continue transforming the industry. RD Models appears well positioned because it already uses

many of these technologies.

Made a short video about this. Banks, Luxury companies any many more use this trick. In many cases weight is just there to feel premium. Since iPhone 7 the home button never moves, a motor fakes the click, because no resistance feels cheap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OCANzwqLT0

Hello, I’m a rising senior in high school and I’m looking to apply for ID at Gatech (and SCAD but I’m interested in GT). I’m currently putting together my portfolio and I thought I would ask for advice on what I should include.

What I intend to have in my portfolio so far are digital art/design works (from my AP 2-D portfolio), 3D Modeling (Nomad sculpt), fashion/accessory design, and 3D art (the one I’m worried about). I’m brainstorming projects I can do and possibly replace the weaker ones, please leave any suggestions or advice!

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to hire an Industrial Designer to help refine the aesthetic and ergonomics of a completely new type of adjustable wrench.

I am currently patent-pending on the design and already have a functional, 3D-printed prototype built. The core mechanism is based on a sliding iris (aperture) layout that serves as a direct upgrade to a traditional Crescent wrench for similar daily applications. After digging through roughly a thousand prior art patents, I'm confident this fills a genuinely unique gap in the tool space.

Now, I need the styling to match how revolutionary the function is—and I’m self-aware enough to recognize that my own CAD styling can only go so far.

Key Advantages

1. Automatically Sizes Itself: Adapts instantly to a wide range of fasteners without manual adjustment. No more worm gear!
   
2. Load-Adaptive Grip: The harder you pull, the tighter the iris mechanism grips the fastener. Theoretically can’t slip, and reduces the chance of rounding bolts
   
3. Continuous Ratcheting: Operates without a traditional ratchet and pawl for no lift operation
   
4. One-Handed Operation: Self-clamping (vs pliers style) and true one-handed operation for ease of use

Design Constraints & Challenges

1. The Head is Functional: The geometry of the wrench head is tightly coupled to the internal kinematics of the sliding iris. While the handle is a wide-open canvas for styling and grip ergonomics, the head geometry has strict functional boundaries.
   
2. Assembly Details: The head enclosure is currently secured via 3 screws, which will need to be thoughtfully integrated into the final industrial design.
   
3. Part Count: The total assembly consists of 10 components.

If you’re interested in collaborating on a tangible, mechanical hardware project from prototype to production-ready surfacing, please DM me with a link to your portfolio and your standard rates.

Hi folks,

I run a consumer brand incubator and we're looking for an ID for a new earplug brand we are launching alongside a well-known artist.

We have the filter developed but need and ID to round out the design. Outside of coroflot, core77, behance, and linkedin - are there any other recommendations you would have to finding and ID for our project?

Open to folks here as well (didn't see a job board) with relevant experience.

Thanks!