Prospective Student Resources
Interested in pursuing industrial design? Check out the free resources below to learn more about the industrial design field and what you can do to become a professional designer.
Your Essential Design Toolbox:
Sketch
Sketching is the fastest and clearest way to communicate ideas. Industrial design uses sketching in the initial stages of product development.
CAD
Computer Aided Design (CAD) uses 3D modeling software to create the files that will be used in manufacturing products.
Make
How will you know if your idea works without testing it out? Prototyping is a precise craft needed to validate concepts.
Think
Design thinking is a way of strategic problem solving that seeks to understand users, challenge assumptions, and create innovative solutions.
Sketch like a Designer
AutoDesk Sketchbook
Digital Sketching Software
Drawing for Designers
Book by Alan Pipes
Sketch A Day
Youtube Channel
CAD like a Designer
AutoDesk Fusion 360
CAD Software
A beginner's guide to 3D printing
Book by Mike Rigsby
Product Design Online
Youtube Channel
MAKE like a Designer
Maker Central @HCPL
Free Public Makerspaces
How to Do Absolutely Everything
Book by Instructables
Eric Strebel
Youtube Channel
Think like a Designer
Minor Details
Podcast by Nicholas Baker & James Connors
The Design of Everyday Things
Book by Don Norman
Design Plus Morna
Youtube Channel
Complete list of resources:
Next Steps
Build your portfolio
A portfolio is a showcase of your best work and is a representation of your skills to be evaluated by schools, employers, and potential clients. Create a portfolio that reflects experience in multiple skill types, such as sketching, CAD, prototyping, graphic design, and design thinking. Most of all, it is a place to share your passion for design, so seek out projects that make you excited.
Apply for a design program
A degree in Industrial Design gives you the technical skills necessary to succeed in your career, as well as gives you exposure to a network of design professionals and colleagues that will further develop your design abilities.
There are a variety of programs, certifications, and degrees available for those interested in studying Industrial Design in higher education. Consider which option is best for you, your interests, and goals.
Continue learning
Take advantage of the resources listed and continue to develop your skills. Connect with industrial design professionals, attend design events, follow design related news, and explore your interests in the field. Industrial design is a broad field that has many paths to entry, so follow your passion and persevere, and you will cultivate a fulfilling career.
For more free resources like books, software, and equipment, check out your local library. If you are in Houston, utilize your local Harris County Public Library by getting a free digital library card, or creating in one of their 14 free makerspaces across Houston.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
— Steve Jobs
“The role of the designer is that of a good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.”
— Charles Eames
“Styles come and go. Good design is a language, not a style.”
— Massimo Vignelli
“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.”
— Jessica Hische
“Design is thinking made visual.”
— Saul Bass
“It is not enough that we build products that function, that are understandable and usable, we also need to build products that bring joy and excitement, pleasure and fun, and, yes, beauty to people’s lives.”
— Don Norman
Stay Inspired