The Top 15 Best Industrial Design Schools in the US

Two cars with the same engine and capacity but then, one of more expensive and attractive than the other due to its exterior design. Yes! That’s just one of the superpowers of an industrial designer. In this article, we are going to be listing The Top 15 Best Industrial Design Schools in the US for students or aspiring students who want to acquire a degree in industrial engineering.

Also, industrial engineers are in charge of creating new product designs to suit the user or buyers’ demands. So they are therefore engaged in the wants of people/customers. Further in this article, we are going to be talking about the major roles of an industrial designer.

Although, to become an industrial designer one does not necessarily need to attend schools of industrial design since there are online courses. But attending an industrial design school exposes you to professionals and like minds and makes you a well-renowned designer. There is more important of attending one of the best industrial design schools in the US or other cities which will be discussed further in this article. Kindly read carefully to get the full context.

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The Top 15 Best Industrial Design Schools in the US

What is Industrial Design?

Industrial design is a process of design applied to material products that are to be produced by mass production. It is the skillful act of determining and defining a product’s features and form, which takes place in advance of the production or manufacture of the product. It comprises purely of repeated, often automated replication, while the craft-based design is an approach in which the form of the product is deduced by the product’s designer largely concurrent with the act of its production.

Also, All manufactured merchandises are the result of a design process, but the nature of this process can differ. It can be conducted by a team or an individual, and such a team could include people with varied techniques. Also, It can emphasize reflexive creativity or calculated scientific decision-making, and often needs a mix of both. It can be affected by factors as varied as production processes, materials, business strategy, and prevailing social, aesthetic, or commercial attitudes. Industrial design as applied art most often concentrates on a combination of user-focused or aesthetic considerations, but also often gives solutions for problems of function, form, physical ergonomics, brand development, sustainability, marketing, and sales.

Roles Of An Industrial Designer

An industrial designer’s part in the product development process is to create the design language of a product, as well as the identity and corporate branding. They are an important element of the operation because they have insight into consumer preferences and market trends. While most people will know their preferences and those of family and friends an industrial designer puts together a creative design element with a much more profound knowledge of trends and markets.

However, to provide innovative designs that are functional, affordable, and manufacturable, industrial designers are obliged to work with and satisfy the needs of all of the major stakeholders across the product lifecycle, including the marketing, engineering, executive management, and manufacturing. An industrial designer also has to be able to provide lots of flexibility and options, working closely with the engineers to deduce how to manage costs through the use of various manufacturing techniques, functions, or materials.

To achieve this, industrial styling and design need to be completed early in the product development process. It must be able to adapt to frequent change, as new requirements and new opportunities arise. In today’s markets, fit, form, and function are equally significant since they are essential factors that determine if customers have a positive experience with a product whenever they use it.

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Also, Integrated design tools enable designers to explore forms more freely while giving manufacturing and engineering teams earlier visibility into design concepts. This allows them to give valuable feedback before vital design decisions are made.

Also Read: Top Ten Free Online Courses in Industrial Design With Certificates in 2022

Is Industrial designer A Good Career?

To prepare for entering this career, industrial designers need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in industrial design or a similar field like architecture or engineering. Also, with an undergraduate degree, forthcoming industrial designers should have an electric portfolio. This will ready them for an entry-level position.

However, apart from the diverse skills needed to become an industrial designer, job potential and salary are reasons why this career is a good choice. According to the US Bureau of Labor, the average salary for an industrial designer, as of 2020, is $68,880. Due to the increase, the need for industrial designers is predicted to grow by 3%, from now through 2028.

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The Top 15 Best Industrial Design Schools in the US

#1. Georgia Institute of Technology School of Industrial Design (Atlanta, GA)

The only secret to the success of Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Industrial Design comes down to only one word: technology. 

With access to the most recent design technologies, GIT supports its students to bring their ideas into the real world. 

In the Center for Inclusive Innovation and Design, students and researchers work to make the world more accessible. Seizing advantage of the resources provided to them, students develop the latest in user-centered research, services, and products, for individuals with disabilities.

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#2. Carnegie Mellon University School of Design (Pittsburgh, PA)

How confident are its design students in the CMU School of Design? They let their students design their school’s new logo. 

Carnegie Mellon University School of Design is second on our list of best industrial design schools in the US and makes students’ the face of the program, showing the world the wonderful designs they produce. 

A logo is just the latest in the outstanding work created by Carnegie Mellon University School of Design students. 

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#3. Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)

If you want to know the excellence of Purdue University’s industrial design BFA degree, you should look no further than the school’s undergraduate student gallery. You’ll find numerous examples of the valuable and exciting projects students have designed.

How is it possible Purdue’s students produced such outstanding work? Of course, the answer includes wonderful faculty and a fantastic cohort. But creations of such high quality also require spaces and resources in which students can bring their ideas to life. 

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#4. Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI)

Given its stellar prominence for all things involving art and design, it’s no surprise that the RISD would show up in the top half of our list. 

Rhode Island School of Design is the home of some of the most influential designers in the nation, and they are ready to share their experience and knowledge with the next generation. 

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#5. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (Champaign, IL)

Even the most productive person needs help to find inspiration sometimes. A good program not only gives support and instruction but also assists with finding ways to generate new ideas.

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Fortunately, students in the industrial design program at the University of Illinois have many options to choose from. 

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#6. Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)

To be a successful industrial designer, students need to have creative enthusiasm and a sense of empathy. But they also need to have resources and space to do their work. 

Part of the School of Architecture and Design, the industrial design program at VT brings together all of those elements. 

In Burchard Hall, students have a studio area and workshop facilities, including everything they need for working with wood, metal, and plastics.

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#7. University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN)

Despite its relatively mechanical name, industrial design is all about the human elements of technology. Students venturing in the trade should always keep in mind how fundamental people feel about the technology they’re designing. Also, The University understands that works and principles are in every part of its program.

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#8. Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)

Although industrial design programs need to permit students to exercise their creativity, they also need a strong staff of experienced designers. 

Also, with a talented teacher, creative students gain the confidence and skills they need to address important problems. The Design School at Arizona State University emphasizes some of the most stunning faculty you’ll find in any program

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#9. San Jose State University (San Jose, CA)

For over 20 years, the industrial design program at San Jose State University has been providing students with the tools they need to make their designs. One look at the recent senior design show verifies that the school has no intention of slowing down. Also, the school’s most recent batch of graduates proves that they have what it takes to rethink and improve upon our most oft-used items.

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#10. Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)

If you’re looking for a program that will prepare you for a career in toy creation and the development of medical tools to even establish your own company, then Drexel University is the choice for you. Drexel’s production design major allows students space to experiment and learn in a studio setting.

In addition to courses in basics such as computer-aided imaging in product design and applied design visualization, Drexel provides advanced elective courses, including design for toy play and soft goods design. 

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Also Read: Top Ten Free Online Courses in Industrial Design With Certificates in 2022

#11. California State University Long Beach

The school believes that an appropriate education for the professional designer must include a detailed body of technical knowledge involving tools, techniques, historical sources, and materials. In addition, a methodology for motivating the creative problem-solving process, and the attainment of the level of skill to convey visual ideas with clarity must be obtained.

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#12. Ohio State University

The practice of industrial design at The Ohio State University includes applying an elegant level of design research and design thinking approaches to the development and planning of design ideas for services, objects, and systems that support human needs. These may include consumer tools, business machines, appliances, furniture, architectural products, medical equipment, and transportation devices, to name a few. the analysis of systems, circumstances, Understanding modes of manufacturing and production, and processes to determine methods in which new products can serve to enhance or satisfy users and new ways to fulfill current and future demands are the foundation of our educational approach. 

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#13. University of Wisconsin-Stout

University of Wisconsin-Stout Bachelor of Fine Arts is the 13th on our list of best Industrial Design schools in the US. And it has a unique major if you like to build things, tinker, draw and solve problems. In true polytechnic style, it is a combination of engineering and art and leads to careers as device and product designers.

Also, industrial designers work to optimize the function, appearance, and value of systems and products for both users and manufacturers. 

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#14. The Fashion Institute of Technology

The Fashion Institute of Technology is the 4th our list of best industrial design colleges and a public college in New York City. It focuses on business, design, mass communication, art, and technology linked to the fashion industry. It was founded in the year 1944.

Its School of Liberal Arts offers a B.S. degree in museum and art history professions and a B.S. degree in media and film. The School of Graduate Studies offers 7 programs leading to the Master of Fine Arts, Master of Professional Studies, or Master of Arts degrees.

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#15. Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Massachusetts College of Art and Design, is a public college of applied and visual art in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in the year 1873, it is one of the nation’s oldest art schools.

It is a member of the Colleges of the Fenway and the ProArts Consortium (an association of seven Boston-area colleges devoted to the visual and performing arts).

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Also Read: Top Ten Free Online Courses in Non-Industrial Design With Certificates in 2022

Conclusion

If the question is “is industrial design a good career? Then our answer is yes! Industrial design is the right career for creative minds and it’s a good career. Nonetheless, we at Xscholarship put you the readers as our priority and we are always open for feedback.

FAQs on Best Industrial Design Schools in the US

What training must industrial designers complete?

To become an industrial designer you usually have to complete a degree in design, engineering or industrial design at university. To get into these courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education.

What makes a good industrial designer?

Industrial designers must be innovative in their designs and the ways in which they integrate existing technologies into their new product. Interpersonal skills. Industrial designers must develop cooperative working relationships with clients and colleagues who specialize in related disciplines.

How difficult is Industrial Design?

Industrial Design is probably more useful in the world than your degree. Sure you may study Maths, English, Law, even Medicine, but there’s an argument to be made for Design. After all, everything in the world needs to be designed.

What are the types of industrial design?

There are several methods of industrial design prototyping: iterative, parallel, competitive, and rapid. These different methods of prototyping produce varying models of proof-of-concept during the product development process.

What qualifications do you need to be an industrial designer?

To become an industrial/product designer, you will need a degree or a higher national diploma (HND) in a relevant subject such as industrial design, product design, 3D design or spatial design.

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