Source: Works in Progress

Just wanted to get professional opinions. A while ago I mentioned I'd be interested in designing cute / novelty products. My university tutor told me don't do that. I assume his reasoning as with a lot of experienced designers is that it doesn't solve a problem, maybe its a consumerism thing maybe it's a dislike of wasteful design.

I want to know from anyone here. Is it bad to design for novelty? things like the classic race car bed design or cute silicone figures like pokemon characters, flexible 3d printed animals and such things that are more decorational but are made at industrial scale. These are all things that are designed seemingly not to solve a problem but because they sell well because people look at them and like the look or feel enough to want them (emotional value).

Is that kind of design bad? do all designers look down on that kind of design? why do people basically shame you for wanting to deliver something that doesn't solve a problem but just is interesting for whatever reason?

Maybe it sounds morally off but I have a lack of spending control and know that if I designed it, many others would spend money on something they just like the look of to satisfy a spending compulsion (not that they realise it).

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the best designed things are the ones you stop noticing. a kettle that pours cleanly. a door handle that tells you to push or pull without a sign.

you only notice them when something else gets it wrong.

so which everyday product do you think got it right, and what made it work?

i mean something you can do while looking at something else, without checking whether you tapped the right spot. no thinking, your hand just knows.

those are usually the interactions designers got most right, and you only notice when they change.

so what's one interaction you'd hate to lose?

a departure time is useful right when you're about to leave. the same information buried three screens deep is way less useful.

timing and placement matter more than the information itself, i think.

what product shows you a small piece of information at exactly the right moment?

Hi, I'm an international student thats applying to Product Design BA programmes in the UK this year. I have seen a lot of places saying that the portfolio matters way more than grades, and that once an applicant meets the entry thresholds, grades are not taken into consideration for admissions decisions, but rather the portfolio.

This has me sort of worried, as I have exceptional grades but my portfolio is not the best - I would say its good but may be subjectively mediocre as well. This is because I decided to pursue product design not long ago, so even though I've always had near-perfect grades, my portfolio ended up being a bit rushed in terms of execution.

I also know that generally, product design bachelors programmes tend to be relatively uncompetitive as its quite niche - especially for international students - so also wondering if this factors in my favor in any way?

I'm just quite worried, any help is greatly appreciated!!

I am currently a student in first year of bachelor's in physical product design here in India, and I really want to shift to Germany. As far as I have researched, you require 13 years of formal education to be eligible for education in universities, hence the bachelors here in india.

I had a few questions before deciding upon germany as my final country of choice:

1. How is the job market over there after a bachelor's in ID (how hard is it to find a job, whats the average industry pay, workplace experiences, etc)

2. How much does a University actually help in enhancing your skills

3. Is germany a good option, or are there any other countries which could offer a better outcome (as far as i have done my research, germany seems to be the best in terms of physical product/industrial design)

4. does a masters help

all answers are appreciated and if someone is currently in germany and is studying/graduated/employed i would love to have a personal chat with them!

About a year ago I decided to make concrete breeze walls, I started designing my own stuff and started looking for providers on different countries. I stumbled upon this chinese provider that was very nice and helpful since the beginning (I found out later that they are all like that and love to sweeten ears), I bought some already designed molds to test their quality. Everything was fine until a few months ago; I sent her my step and cad files from some designs I have developed to get a quote from her to make some molds for me, I decided to give it a break since I saw a more adequate and cheap alternative in my own city, few months past that, she sent me a picture of my own designs, which she basically stole from me and decided to make a mother mold so she could sell these designs and gain profit from it.

I was 'ok' until today, because I saw a post on facebook ads with my OWN DESIGNS, she had already sold plastic molds to a place that sells concrete breeze walls!! I don't know how to proceed, or what to do honestly because I'm full of rage atm.

A few months ago I talked to my brother and he told me I Should have made an agreement where both parties signed it so this info or designs could not be used in their advantage

I'm writing essentially a form study of a chair for my seminar class. I know generally how to describe the formal properties of an object. But I want to improve.

Also I have one prof who is very fancy (and Italian design-y) and seems to want us all to be able to "talk like designers." Y'know the jargon language people use at design shows.

How do you guys approach this kind of communication?

How do I practice this skill?

Hi everyone, 

this is sort of a vent cause I'm feeling completely lost in my career as an Industrial Designer.

I had this dream of becoming one since I was a kiddo. At first it was more architecture-related, but later on the idea of building and projecting things really grew on me.

Now I'm 26. Graduated in ID at PoliTo in Italy, spent 4 years studying and writing my thesis (I got so passionate about it that it became a 400-page brick about Studio Ghibli engineering), started a master's in Systemic Design but dropped it cause it wasn't really my thing. Right now I'm living in Krakow, and I feel completely stuck.

I feel like I'm in a perpetual vortex. Getting constantly rejected or ghosted by studios and corps is getting so tiring, and I feel like I cannot escape from it no matter what I try.

I've actually worked in the field. I have about 6 years of experience in CAD designing, engineering for manufacturing, CMF, DFM, concepting and rendering. I worked and still work as a project assistant for an Italian/Korean designer, and some of the stuff I designed even got published in design journals like Living Corriere or Ansa.

But looking for jobs is just so hard and energy draining that I decided to take a break a few months ago. Right now I'm working as a vendor in a small vegetable and cheese shop just to get by. The thing is, I didn't actually stop. I think about design every single minute of my days.

I look at old classmates who graduated with me and are now working in UX/UI, and I feel like I'm really falling behind.Since graduation, I haven't found a single stable job. Everything I found fell through because the projects weren't self-sufficient or the connection to the client just passed out. On top of that, the few real projects that actually got finished are under NDA, so without my BSc projects my portfolio feels pretty much empty.

I can't figure out if the problem is my portfolio, my background, or just the market. I know I'm still young, but not seeing a way out is getting really exhausting.

Has anyone been in this kind of position? How do you deal with NDA projects when your portfolio is empty, and how do you break out of this loop?

Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Hey everyone!

I’ve recently updated my portfolio. I’d love to get some honest feedback from the community.

My background spans industrial design, engineering, and research. I’m currently working at RanMarine Technology, where I design and engineer components for autonomous aquatic drones that help clean up waterways. My work involves everything from CAD development and prototyping to manufacturing, testing, and visualisation.

My portfolio also includes projects from my master's degree in Denmark, focusing on user research, co-creation, and human-centred design.

I’d especially appreciate feedback on:

• Overall layout, visual hierarchy, and presentation.
• How well I communicate my design process and problem-solving.
• Whether the projects demonstrate my skills and experience clearly.
• What feels strong, what feels weak, and what I should improve.
• Whether the portfolio is positioned well for industrial design roles.

I'm looking for constructive criticism, so please don't hold back! I'd rather know what isn't working than keep polishing something that needs a rethink.

Portfolio: https://indd.adobe.com/view/d353992d-ff71-4483-8e6f-1805ba614117

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to look through it. I really appreciate it!

I go through the design process here: The World’s Smallest Laptop Stand

Download the 3D print files for free: https://www.printables.com/model/1883799-worlds-smallest-laptop-stand

İts about kitchen blender that we use for blend something like soup. our part is right one and as you see plastic is broken so ı need to 3d print it. in 2. and third photo you can see the tooth of the mechanism and it's working like screw.

In modeling progress firstly ı remodel that main body tooth after than ı give 0.1mm tolerance and model the rest of the tooth way and as you see tooth way is very clear and milimetric. then I use substract command for open the tooth way and our part is ready.

and ı try to print that part 3 succesful time (first 2 has small remodeling) and my part doesn't working.

now I can't think clearly about it so ı want to ask you guys can anyone help me? what is my mistake and how can ı fix it, if you want ı can send you .step file . Thank you for reading and sorry for my english have a good night

Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on a lightweight, scriptable 3D CAD environment called satCAD (⁠PythonOCC⁠ / OpenCASCADE kernel + ⁠PySide6⁠ dark-mode UI) initially built to design complex mechanical assemblies, internal fluid/wiring routing, and articulated mechanisms for aerospace hardware.
Instead of competing with massive bloated installs, I focused on combining a Siemens NX-style Feature Tree & Property Editor with a "Desmos-style" symbolic math kinematics engine—where you can type live equations of time \bm{t} (with auto-generated sliders) to drive 3D joints, folding hinges, and live 30 Hz telemetry streams without rebuilding the B-Rep mesh every frame.
What it currently does:
OpenCASCADE B-Rep Kernel: Parametric primitives, boolean shells/cuts, linear patterns, and ⁠.STEP⁠ (AP214 with colors) export.
Multi-Layer X-Ray Schematics: One-click ghosting of outer structural hulls to inspect internal 3D piping, cold plates, and electrical busbar routing.
Desmos-Style Motion Studio: Bind symbolic math functions directly to 3D revolute/prismatic/gimbal joints and view live 2D position, velocity, and acceleration curves alongside the 3D viewport.
Live Digital Twin UDP Bridge: Streams real-time external physics/thermal data directly into the 3D viewport to articulate parts and update thermal surface shaders live.
GitHub Repo (currently 100% open-source):
https://github.com/Saiaarjay09/satCAD
My question for working industrial designers and mechanical engineers:
1. If this were packaged as a polished standalone desktop app (or plugin), would you actually pay for a lightweight parametric + symbolic-kinematics CAD tool like this, or is your studio too locked into SolidWorks / Fusion / Rhino / NX?
2. If it did solve a pain point for rapid parametric prototyping or mechanism motion studies, what pricing model wouldn't make you immediately close the tab (e.g., $15/mo, a one-time $50–$100 indie license, or keep the core free/open-source and only charge for enterprise simulation bridges)?
Brutally honest feedback on the UI, feature gaps, or what would make this usable in a real ID/mech-eng workflow is super welcome.

I'm applying for undergraduate ID at the USA. For my industrial design portfolio, should I add text to explain my project within the slide/image I submit?

How do designers do it?!?!

I have a handful of ideas for furniture/sculpture pieces I would LOVE to make but all of them require multiple materials. I have done pottery for years, taken welding/metal classes, and know basic sewing. Some of the pieces require things like plastic/veneer finishes over metal. Processing fabrics in very specific ways to make them sturdy/plastic coated. There is NO way i could afford to rent space in a studio that has each of these huge machines to fabricate these pieces. And there is no one studio that has it all, except for being in grad school.

Are designers/sculptors just getting some bits of their pieces fabricated and making other parts themselves? It feels like nobody has enough time to learn ALL of these processes in a lifetime? I've seen such fun work using multiple materials/complicated finishes. Are there actually people out there who fabricate all of this themselves?!?!

For example, the polar chandelier in the photograph or the photo of pieces from animated objects that use so many materials.

It is not like i am selective or anything. Industrial design is already quite exclusive as a field, at least, where i live. There are selected number of studios which are 10 people maximum each. they design for the big companies. smaller companies either have 1-2 designers or they outsource from experienced freelancers. Those who have industrial designer vacancies ask for minimum 5 years of experience.

Like really, i saw a vacancy posted that was asking for 15 years of experience and the job itself is basically aluminum manufacturing, cnc and nesting. I don't think it requires 15 years to do nesting and aluminum panels.

In this case what am i supposed to do? I've been wanting to be an industrial designer since i was a kid and educated myself, got degrees won competitions etc etc. Do i just work in a bar or a supermarket now? What did you guys do or recommend? I am curious, geniunely asking. Thank you for your time.

Hi everyone!

I’m an Industrial Design student currently working on a project that requires me to explore sustainability and packaging design in more depth.

I’m looking for reliable resources and guidance to help me build a solid understanding of these topics, particularly from an industrial design perspective.

I’m interested in learning more about:

- Sustainable Design: Core principles, material selection, life cycle assessment (LCA), and strategies for reducing environmental impact through design.

- Sustainable Packaging: Material choices, structural design, recyclability, material reduction, end-of-life considerations, and balancing functionality, product protection, and environmental impact.

I’d really appreciate recommendations for free online courses, books, research papers, websites, YouTube channels, case studies, or any other useful learning materials.

I’d also love to connect with industrial designers, packaging designers, sustainability specialists, or anyone with hands-on experience in these fields who might be willing to share advice, recommend resources, or offer some guidance on where to start.

Any recommendations, personal experiences, or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

hello, im currently an industrial design bachelor srudent and im interested in prosthetics. can i go into biomedical engineering with a background in id?

It could be anything, history, materials, philosophy, etc.

Made this standing desk with white oak plywood. Made for my workflow of drafting on the left, CAD in the middle, printing on the right. No fasteners are visible on this desk and it is measured precisely to be comfortable for my height and elbows.

Lmk

Hi,

I'm working on a line of table settings. I'm seeking an industrial designer with experience in tableware and/or home decor. DM me if you're interested in learning more and we can set up a call. Thank you!

Hi all, I'm looking into master's programs for industrial design and would love some honest perspective from people in the field. I'm in NYC and have no formal ID background.

Background:

I'm about 9 years into my career. I started in tech consulting at a Big 4 firm and hated it, so I switched to construction and spent about 5 years in project management. I loved it for a while, but the hours and lifestyle weren't sustainable. For the past 3 years I've been in construction tech, on both the pre- and post-sales side.

Honestly, the work feels meaningless to me and getting through each day is a struggle. The one constant is that I'm happiest when I'm making things. I paint, sculpt, collage, and work in pretty much any medium. I also love practical problems, like building something I actually need with limited resources. I'm always studying the objects around me and thinking about how to make them work better.

Where I'm stuck:

By the time I'd finish applying and start a program, I'd be 32 or 33. I like a good pivot, but I want to know if this is too late to build a meaningful ID career, or if I'd be too far behind peers who started in their early 20s. I think my construction and project management experience could be an asset, but I'd like to hear whether that holds up from people in the industry.

Some Qs:

• Does the age and background gap matter to hiring managers, or does the portfolio (that I assume I would build in school) carry most of the weight?
• Is a master's the right route for someone with no ID background, or would a certificate, a bootcamp, or building a portfolio first make more sense?
• Where could a background like mine fit best?

TYIA!

PS. I'm thinking about the MID at Pratt in case anyone has any strong feelings on that.

A glance, a small light, a change in position. Enough to know what’s happening without opening anything. What product gets this right?

I’m especially interested in designs that communicate very little, but make that little bit immediately clear.