Industrial Design - Program History

Then and Now

In 1965 the Dean of Fine Arts and Communication, Conen Mathews was looking for viable employment opportunities for graduates in the arts. In the fall of 1968, Industrial Design and Graphics were offered with the first graduates in 1972.

From the beginning, student enthusiasm and interest in professional design opportunities was greater than for that of traditional fine arts. Therefore, a Department of Design was formed in 1980, consisting of Industrial Design, Graphics, Illustration, Interior Design, and Photography. In 1990, the department’s enrollment grew to 750 students with only 11 faculty members and limited resources. It was decided by the College of Fine Arts to begin limiting enrollment. Meanwhile, student interest in Industrial Design was on the rise due to a worldwide renaissance and interest in the Design professions. Business Week Magazine began to publish it’s annual Best Design cover story issue, it’s most popular issue, and Japan declared 1992, the ‘Year of Design’.

use of new synergies developing in Industry and on campus between Engineering, Manufacturing and Industrial Design, as a result of new practices like Concurrent Engineering, Quality Function Deployment, etc. and the growing use of similar technology tools, i.e., Computer Aided Design, in 1997 the Industrial Design faculty began the process of moving the program to the College of Engineering. This was finally consummated in 1999 when the program became part of the new School of Technology, to leverage their natural affinity for things technical and to further the viability of moving Industrial Design students into the professional ranks. The degree is still a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design, but it is now offered through the College of Engineering and Technology.

As part of the move, the ID Program re-established the Transportation emphasis in addition to the Product emphasis in Industrial Design. In the summer of 2001, the interdisciplinary Animation degree was added to the Industrial Design program. This program is a cooperative effort between Industrial Design, Media Arts, and Computer Science. Graduates from this emphasis work in the entertainment and visualization industries.

Student interest in Industrial Design is now higher than it has ever been. In the fall of 2002, the Industrial Design program began teaching its own “core” freshmen classes, targeting the skills necessary to give the freshmen a more focused experience than they received in either the Art or Design departments. The support from the School of Technology has been outstanding, including new facilities, classroom space, and an increased faculty count. The program is not only becoming an integral part of the new School of Technology, but in many ways is leading in the design and development of new course curriculums to address how people will live, learn, work and play in the future.