Industrial Design
The concept of industrial design has been understood in many ways. Some of the widely accepted definitionsare reproduced here
WDO - International non-governmental organization defines Industrial design as:
Strategic problem-solving process that drives innovation, builds business success, and leads to a better quality of life through innovative products, systems, services, and experiences. Industrial Design bridges the gap between what is and what's possible. It is a trans-disciplinary profession that harnesses creativity to resolve problems and co-create solutions with the intent of making a product, system, service, experience or a business, better. At its heart, Industrial Design provides a more optimistic way of looking at the future by reframing problems as opportunities. It links innovation, technology, research, business, and customers to provide new value and competitive advantage across economic, social, and environmental spheres.
IDSA - Industrial Design Society of America defines Industrial design as:
Industrial design (ID) 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 through collection, analysis and synthesis of data guided by the special requirements of the client or manufacturer. They are trained to prepare clear and concise recommendations through drawings, models and verbal descriptions.
Industrial design services are often provided within the context of cooperative working relationships with other members of a development group. Typical groups include management, marketing, engineering and manufacturing specialists. The industrial designer expresses concepts that embody all relevant design criteria determined by the group.
The industrial designer's unique contribution places emphasis on those aspects of the product or system that relate most directly to human characteristics, needs and interests. This contribution requires specialized understanding of visual, tactile, safety and convenience criteria, with concern for the user. Education and experience in anticipating psychological, physiological and sociological factors that influence and are perceived by the user are essential industrial design resources.
The scope of industrial design is summarized by Moody, Stanley as follows:
Industrial design seeks to relate hardware to the dimensions, instinctive responses, and emotional needs of the user where these are relevant requirements. Industrial design seeks to rectify the omissions of engineering; a conscious attempt to bring form and visual order to engineering hardware where the technology does of itself provide these features. Through conscious control of form, configuration, overall appearance and detailing, industrial design is capable of conveying to the user the abstract characteristics of a product. It can arrange for controls to be comfortable, pleasant, and easy to operate. It is capable of imbuing a product with the distinctive ambiance, style and feeling of good quality, which equates with the personal taste of the user. By these various means industrial design is capable of bringing a rounded contribution to innovation, reaching out sensitively to the user
References
- WDO: http://wdo.org/about/definition/
- IDSA: http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/industrial-design-defined
- Moody, Stanley (1984) “The Role of Industrial Design in the Development of New Science-based Products”, in Langdon, R. (ed.), Design Policy, Vol. 2, Design and Industry, Design Council, London, 70-77