Design the Products People Use Every Day

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Design with a concentration in Industrial Design (ID) empowers students to conceptualize, design, and improve the products, objects, tools, and devices that people use each day.

Every day, billions of individuals worldwide engage with designed objects. The continual development of new products, devices, and tools underscores the importance of industrial designers. With pressing concerns regarding resource limitations and ecological impacts, the demand for improved manufacturing processes and material applications has surged. Industrial designers play a pivotal role in shaping every aspect of the manufactured objects we encounter, spanning from consumer electronics, household goods, footwear and fashion accessories, furniture, medical devices, sports equipment, transportation, tools, toys and games,

At KU, ID students gain an in-depth understanding of all levels of product design, development, and manufacture through a human-centered and career-focused approach.

Course Listing :: Degree Plan

Careers

The KU Industrial Design program prepares graduates to enter professional life ready to create innovative, beautiful, and sustainable solutions that improve products, businesses, and lives. Industrial graduates find career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines including product design, furniture design, exhibit design, packaging design, human factors, accessibility design, and product planning, among many others.

Program Details

Prospective Students

Current Students

At a Glance

The small studio size of 15 to 20 students provides personalized instruction and fosters the chance to develop a network of friends and future colleagues.

90%

Over 90% of our Industrial Design Students have internships at firms around the country including Garmin, Milwaukee Tools, New Balance.

2,200

About 2,200 openings for industrial designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. US Labor Report.

Curriculum

Experiential learning, career-focused studios.

The Industrial Design program at KU offers a comprehensive design education that integrates art, engineering, ergonomics, history, kinesiology, psychology, and various other disciplines.

Many are drawn to the ID program due to interest in specific products such as footwear, furniture, electronics, bicycles, games, musical instruments, sports equipment, cars, or sculpture. As an ID student, you will have the chance to explore your interests while developing a broad skill set, expanding your knowledge, and gaining critical insights to thrive as a versatile design professional.

Our career-focused studios emphasize experiential learning within a structured curriculum, providing you with the necessary experiences and tools to succeed as an industrial designer in practice.

Resources

Industrial Design students have access to an unmatched variety of facilities and tools.

Computer labs are equipped with all the software and hardware needed to create projects.

The School's East Hills Design-Build Center, the largest academic design-build facility in the world, allows students to create ambitious projects at any scale.

Digital fabrication labs include CNC routers, laser cutters, robotics, and other machine-driven tools.

Virtual Reality labs allow students to explore digital models in three dimensions.

Photography facilities are equipped with professional-grade cameras, studio lighting, and sound equipment.