The Industrial Design Department prepares students to identify and resolve design problems — innovatively and with sensitivity to social and environmental concerns. At RISD you will learn both the traditional values behind industrial design and current trends in the profession.

As an ID major, you will progress from creating developmental drawings, to three-dimensional mock-ups and models, to working drawings and prototypes that incorporate manufacturing considerations. These hands-on studio projects enable you to build an awareness of materials and gain an in-depth understanding of visual and three-dimensional vocabulary. As you analyze and solve diverse design problems, RISD’s ID professors will guide you in considering technical and ecological issues, along with the aesthetic and societal impact of your work.

Industrial Design majors at RISD frequently engage in collaborative work, both with students and faculty in other departments and with knowledge partners off campus. ID students regularly work with peers and professionals at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Babson College, Brown University, NASA and Massachusetts General Hospital. Wintersession internships and sponsored studio projects backed by such corporations as Corian, Ecko, New Balance, Target, Timberland, Winsor & Newton and others provide market-based design opportunities. In addition, ID students often work with underserved youth in urban schools and with local artisans through travel opportunities to countries such as Bolivia, Ghana and Guatemala.

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