Manufacture: from Latin manu factus, literally, made by hand (Merriam Webster online)

This studio explores the objects and possibilities that arise from using additive manufacturing as a method for serial production. Working intensively with FDM, both as a medium and a method, and learning about other forms of additive manufacturing, the studio asks some of the most quintessential questions of Industrial Design: What does it mean to design for a particular method of fabrication? What kind of potentials do these technologies offer? How can they be employed to make objects different than the ones possible in traditional manufacturing? How can they be combined with other materials and methods of making to expand the range of object potentials?

This is an intense making studio, one would even say an ultra-making studio, which includes experimenting with the mediums, modeling forms for production and culminates with actually producing them. In order to do this, we will be testing materials, learning about AM technologies, speculating about the future of these technologies, learning to use slicers and printers, and learning to write our own gcode. Results of this studio are first and foremost enticing material objects, which might be looking at the present, near-future or far future of these technologies as object-making means. Outcomes could include full-scale furniture pieces, consumer products, Grasshopper scripts, printer prototypes, business models and more.

Note: This is a CAD intensive course however it is not a CAD class, and there will be few software demos. Fluency in 3d modeling software (Solidworks, Rhino or the like) is necessary to succeed in this course. Advanced CAD is preferable, but not required.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

Is there a right way to design and a wrong way? In this studio, we will explore that question as we forge new paths to creativity by dissecting and rebuilding the design process itself. We will be questioning everything about how we design: purposely doing things “incorrectly”, borrowing approaches from other disciplines and drawing inspiration from other thinkers and makers, whether human, animal or plant. We will then put everything back together and test our newly minted design methodologies by creating new objects.

As a point of departure, we will explore our current design process through three experiments to test how our design process impacts our designs. In the second part of the semester, we will each build a newly constructed design process and then use it to address a concern of our choice through design. Throughout the semester, we will be working in both groups and individually, with inspiration from the Nature Lab, the RISD Museum and a few short readings.

If you want to be partners in your learning, if you are interested in both a bird’s-eye-view of design and hands-on, no-limits experimentation, this is the studio for you!

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

This spring the Design for Extreme Environments Studio will consider how to design spacecraft and habitats suitable for extreme environments and long-duration missions, such as those to the Moon or Mars. Students will work in teams, with input from experts at NASA and elsewhere, to provide creative ideation and innovative concepts while helping create the future of space travel.

Designing for the physical, emotional and psychological needs of astronauts may seem like an esoteric challenge but putting people into unfamiliar or highly dangerous surroundings requires an extreme level of attention to design. It is not enough to design technologies, systems, or equipment that function according to basic technical specifications without incorporating the human needs of the users, the people that will interact with them.

Extreme environments create extraordinary challenges to human physiological and psychological existence where common expectations for safety, comfort and performance need to be radically redefined. It is in situations like these that common assumptions no longer hold true and every aspect of a design must be considered in a new context. This questioning of assumptions and awareness of context are crucial for innovation in a wide array of domains.

This studio uses extreme environments as a pedagogical approach to focus design on human needs and interactions, while emphasizing creativity and innovation in tightly constrained situations. The skills, methodologies and knowledge acquired in this studio are applicable in a broad range of domains of which aerospace is just one small subset.

NASA’s Artemis campaign will launch the second Artemis mission this year, possibly during this spring semester. The Artemis II mission will send humans further from Earth than ever before but will not land on the Moon. Future missions, starting with Artemis III will explore the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars.

This studio is funded by a grant from the RI Space Grant Consortium, Michael Lye PI, so there are no lab fees and minimal out of pocket expenses. The grant will cover these costs.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

In 1994 NASA held the first of what became an annual contest for universities, colleges and secondary schools from around the world. The competition, then called the “Great Moonbuggy Race,” was based on the design and engineering hurdles faced by NASA when developing the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, popularly called the “Moonbuggy”. The rover was first used on the Apollo 15 mission in July of 1971 and additional rovers continued to be used for the final two Apollo missions in 1972. Since then the Rover Challenge has brought together more than 10,000 students from all over the globe to develop new skills and learn more about space exploration, design and engineering.

Organized by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama, the Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) invites student teams to design, fabricate and compete on a lightweight, 2-person, human-powered vehicle, over a course that simulates many of the obstacles on the Moon or Mars. RISD’s first entry into the event, completed during the 2009/2010 academic year achieved remarkable results, finishing in third place in the college division and receiving the “Best Newcomer Award.” That first entry, designed as a part of an Advanced Design Studio, led to the creation of a club-based team – RISD Rover – to support continuing entries into the competition. This studio returns RISD Rover to its roots as a formal part of the curriculum in the ID department.

NASA describes the HERC as, an opportunity “for student teams to design, develop, build, and test human-powered rovers capable of traversing challenging terrain.” “The competition requires two students, at least one female, to use the student-designed vehicle to traverse a course of approximately one half-mile that includes a simulated field of asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses, and an ancient stream bed. The challenge’s weight and size requirements encourage the rover’s compactness and stowage efficiency.”

This advanced design studio will work alongside the RISD Rover club to create a competition entry for HERC. Students in the studio will learn to design and develop composite structures, learn skills in pattern- and mold-making, discover the ergonomics of human-powered vehicles, design lightweight and efficient structures, work with carbon fiber, foam, aluminum, and other lightweight materials, all while designing an award-winning rover. At the end of the semester, the rover will be tested here at RISD, in preparation for the competition. There will be opportunities for students to travel to the Challenge to the US. Space and Rocket Center and Marshall Space Flight Center in April, to compete against rovers from around the world.Recommended Prerequisites: Good shop skills are important, Metals II is not required but recommended for this class.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

This course explores the intersection of industrial design, occupational therapy, and toy innovation by focusing on learning the fundamentals towards the creation of tactile, mobility-supportive toys and action figures. Students will design and prototype toys that promote movement, sensory engagement, problem-solving, and collaboration, drawing inspiration from emerging trends in therapeutic play and evergreen action figure design.

Using CAD software taught in previous courses, students will design and implement fully elements of articulation as seen in action figures and mobility-focused toys, complete with packaging. Through both digital modeling and hands-on fabrication, students will learn to design around three core joint systems: ball-and-socket joints, hinge joints, and slot mechanisms to create moving, opening, and interlocking parts. Emphasis will be placed on integrating standardized hardware to streamline the transition from prototype to pre-manufacturing

Students will gain experience in mold-making from CAD models, using the model shop to create production molds, cast rubber and hard plastics, vacuum-form packages, and develop final packaging design. By the end of the course, each student will produce a pre-production prototype of an articulated toy with a road map to manufacturing & market, complete with professional package concepts and ready for presentation or portfolio.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

Chair design is a rite of passage for those interested in the close interplay between form, structure, and comfort. Of all furniture types, chairs most clearly reveal how design decisions affect both the human body and the integrity of construction, inviting a critical understanding of how material and structure shape experience.

During the first half of the semester, students will gain hands-on experience working with a focused material palette to investigate chair design. The studio emphasizes analog methodologies and shop-based exploration. Students will study form, proportion, and ergonomics through full-scale mockups and prototypes - developing a working understanding of structure, joinery, and connection methods along the way.

In the second half of the semester, students will turn their focus to manufacturing and repeatability, refining their designs and building jigs for producing multiples. They will navigate the trade-offs required to move a design from concept to production, learning what must be adjusted or let go to preserve what matters most, and developing a disciplined sense of balance between desired outcomes and producibility.

By the end of the semester, each student will have developed a personal process for designing, refining, and producing chairs that embody structural integrity, comfort, and a distinct form language.

Prerequisite: Wood II or Metals II (must be completed - may not be taken concurrently with this advanced studio).

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

The course incorporates both the development physical and UI/UX design elements combined. The digital transformation and the way people interact with products is currently changing the consumer product landscape and the design opportunities its use brings. During the course students develop ideas that by the end of the course will build high-fidelity prototypes. Some knowledge of 3D modeling software and or UI/UX design software such as Figma or Adobe XD allows students to focus their time on the design subjects they are researching and developing for the course. 3D printing and UI/UX simulations will be iteratively evolved throughout the semester to final prototypes.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

An exploration into form, process, and industry…

Casting is perhaps one of the oldest industrial practices still in use today. The process itself and designing for it have endured from ancient times. The same principles apply - those of draft, parting, flow, and shrinkage. These are the principles that will be covered academically in this studio.

More intuitively, you will investigate form - drawing on history, experience, tactile knowledge, and experience. Putting both academic knowledge and intuitive investigation into practice, you will design and build objects for the industrial cast iron production process. Working within this process will be just as much research, planning and iteration as it will be physical investigation and experimentation of material and form.

Iron will be the material to be cast for reasons of versatility, machinability, established relationships, and primal physical connection. One must not forget that iron is a part of us all. It comes from Space, and there is magic in it... That which comes from the stars runs in our blood, filling our veins. That magic flows within us.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

This advanced studio invites students to explore how designed objects shape our everyday rituals of gathering, serving, and sharing. Through the creation of tabletop collections, students will engage in a hands-on, research-driven process that bridges form, function, and lifestyle.

The course begins with an investigation into target users, seasonal events, and market trends to uncover design opportunities. These insights will guide students as they develop their own collection, moving through concept generation, material exploration, and technical refinement. Each project will culminate in a curated “tablescape” that tells a story - visually and functionally - about how the objects relate to one another and the context they’re designed for.

Throughout the course, students will be challenged to develop thoughtful, well-crafted designs that embody long-term usability - encouraging students to create products that are not only beautiful and functional but also built to last. Studio work includes iterative model making, Illustrator-based ideation, and technical drawings to support production.

By the end of the semester, students will have created a refined tabletop collection that reflects strong material fluency, thoughtful storytelling, and a high level of craft.

Note: It is strongly encouraged that students registering for this class have completed ID 2453-XX Wood II or ID 2452-XX Metals II or ADS: Production Ceramics.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

This class teaches modern tools and methods for product design and development. The cornerstone is a project in which teams consisting of MIT Sloan MBA students, MIT Engineering students, and RISD Industrial Design students conceive, design, and prototype a physical product.

Project ideas come from the students in the class and are rated for potential. The most promising opportunities will be used to form project teams (on the basis of student interest) for the remainder of the semester. Each team will be allocated a budget for product development. The course is occasionally supported by sponsors, who may suggest one or more project opportunities for your consideration.

The class is jointly taught by MIT and RISD faculty. The first half of each class session will generally be in lecture and discussion format, and the second half will be used for project team meetings and consultation with faculty. Students registering for this class should be prepared to travel at least once a week to the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

Graduate Thesis Communications II is a studio course run in parallel with our sibling studio course which focuses on completing your thesis. Together, we will spend the spring semester finishing the thesis and thesis book that you proposed at the end of Graduate Thesis Communications I. We continue to think about writing as a design tool and as a communication tool. For this course, we put more emphasis on the communication aspect. Together, we will continue to refine and strengthen the manner by which you explain your thesis to yourself and others. We will think about audience, voice, structure, and form. We will explore different ways of communicating the same idea in different contexts and mediums (visual, oral, written). We will examine how to share our work and with whom. At the end of the course, you will have a complete thesis.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID Industrial Design

Graduate Thesis Communications II is a studio course run in parallel with our sibling studio course which focuses on completing your thesis. Together, we will spend the spring semester finishing the thesis and thesis book that you proposed at the end of Graduate Thesis Communications I. We continue to think about writing as a design tool and as a communication tool. For this course, we put more emphasis on the communication aspect. Together, we will continue to refine and strengthen the manner by which you explain your thesis to yourself and others. We will think about audience, voice, structure, and form. We will explore different ways of communicating the same idea in different contexts and mediums (visual, oral, written). We will examine how to share our work and with whom. At the end of the course, you will have a complete thesis.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID Industrial Design

This class will cover basic camera optics and lighting techniques necessary to generate high quality digital images for either print or digital portfolio applications. The focus of the class is to master manual controls on the digital camera such as film and shutter speed settings in conjunction with aperture openings to obtain whatever the desired effect might be to best represent two and three-dimensional objects. Manipulation of natural and artificial lighting is the other main focus of the class. Students will learn the use of fill and bounce cards with sun, tungsten and strobe light sources. The emphasis will be on the strobe lighting studio where through a series of assignments students will learn direct, diffused reflected lighting techniques. Students will be required to participate in the final critique during the final week of the semester.

Elective

This class will cover basic camera optics and lighting techniques necessary to generate high quality digital images for either print or digital portfolio applications. The focus of the class is to master manual controls on the digital camera such as film and shutter speed settings in conjunction with aperture openings to obtain whatever the desired effect might be to best represent two and three-dimensional objects. Manipulation of natural and artificial lighting is the other main focus of the class. Students will learn the use of fill and bounce cards with sun, tungsten and strobe light sources. The emphasis will be on the strobe lighting studio where through a series of assignments students will learn direct, diffused reflected lighting techniques. Students will be required to participate in the final critique during the final week of the semester.

Elective

This class will cover basic camera optics and lighting techniques necessary to generate high quality digital images for either print or digital portfolio applications. The focus of the class is to master manual controls on the digital camera such as film and shutter speed settings in conjunction with aperture openings to obtain whatever the desired effect might be to best represent two and three-dimensional objects. Manipulation of natural and artificial lighting is the other main focus of the class. Students will learn the use of fill and bounce cards with sun, tungsten and strobe light sources. The emphasis will be on the strobe lighting studio where through a series of assignments students will learn direct, diffused reflected lighting techniques. Students will be required to participate in the final critique during the final week of the semester.

Elective

Graduate Thesis Communications I is a studio course run in parallel with our sibling studio course which focuses on design research methods. Together, we will spend the fall semester casting about, planning and prototyping towards some kind of design proposal or product for execution in the spring. We think about writing in two ways. First as a design tool and second as a communication tool. On the tool for design side, we think about the many ways that writing can help clarify and quickly test out ideas. We think about writing as a form of rapid prototyping alongside sketching, model making, etc. We talk about what writing is good at, when other methods might be more useful, and when to combine methods. We use writing to help clarify and crystalize the thesis plan. On the communication side, we think about the many ways that writing surrounds a designed object (as a proposal, as sales copy, as instructions to users, as specs for manufacture, as criticism, etc.). We think about the audiences for those various kinds of writing and how to think about what they want and need. We talk about the thesis as a tool for explaining the design but also as a tool for helping you advance your career goals. At the end of the course, you will have a partially complete draft of your thesis. which will set you up for an excellent spring.

Enrollment in this course is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID Industrial Design

Graduate Thesis Communications I is a studio course run in parallel with our sibling studio course which focuses on design research methods. Together, we will spend the fall semester casting about, planning and prototyping towards some kind of design proposal or product for execution in the spring. We think about writing in two ways. First as a design tool and second as a communication tool. On the tool for design side, we think about the many ways that writing can help clarify and quickly test out ideas. We think about writing as a form of rapid prototyping alongside sketching, model making, etc. We talk about what writing is good at, when other methods might be more useful, and when to combine methods. We use writing to help clarify and crystalize the thesis plan. On the communication side, we think about the many ways that writing surrounds a designed object (as a proposal, as sales copy, as instructions to users, as specs for manufacture, as criticism, etc.). We think about the audiences for those various kinds of writing and how to think about what they want and need. We talk about the thesis as a tool for explaining the design but also as a tool for helping you advance your career goals. At the end of the course, you will have a partially complete draft of your thesis. which will set you up for an excellent spring.

Enrollment in this course is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID Industrial Design

This 3-credit class is an introduction to computer-controlled machining. You will learn each aspect of the model-to-machine workflow and at the end of the course be able to design for CNC machining, and operate and mill parts using the CNC machines in the ID Metal Shop. Time spent in class will be technical and process oriented, focusing on proper machine setup, operation, and troubleshooting of toolpaths created in CAM software.

Initial assignments will focus on the use of the built-in facing wizards, engraving metal, and using CAM software to create GCODE files for both 2D and 3D parts. Later course assignments will transition to being projects of your own design. We will be learning in the context of machining metals, but working with other mediums like plastics, wood, and waxes will be possible for individual projects. You will need to draw on some basic CAD knowledge and some machining skills; specifically the interpretation of control drawings, and the selection of appropriate tooling and workholding techniques.

ID 2452 - Metals II is a prerequisite/corequisite for this class.

Elective

This 3-credit elective course, offered by the Industrial Design department, focuses on foundational 2D and 3D milling techniques using the Camaster Panther 4x4 CNC router table. The course is open to students from any department, who meet the course prerequisites/co-requisites , or equivalent, as determined by the instructor.

Students engage in hands-on assignments that progressively build their skills throughout the course. These include designing and producing a flat pack stool using 2D profiling, creating 2.5D models for mold-making applications, executing a multisided operation assignment for a full 3D object, and culminating in a final portfolio piece that demonstrates individual creativity and proficiency in CNC machining.

The course's learning outcomes include mastering an understanding of machining principles, utilizing CAD and CAM software, and Designing within the limitations of machinery. The course aims to equip students with practical skills and knowledge essential for utilizing CNC machining tools in diverse design applications. The course's process-oriented approach ensures students acquire skills beyond just design mastery, seamlessly aligning with real-world CNC workflows. This holistic perspective prepares them for professional design and fabrication.

Note: ID 2453-XX Wood II is a pre or corequisite for this class.

Elective

This class provides new and current Ceramics, Glass, Jewelry + Metalsmithing students with a comprehensive safety orientation for future use of the wood facility in the Fine Arts Division. Instructor will orient students in the safe operation of stationary machines in the wood facility, including the miter saw, band saw, table saw, disc sander, drum sander, drill press, and panel saw. Instruction will also be provided for different ways of building and joining with wood through the use of hand tools and stationary machines. Passing this course is required in order to use all machines in the Fine Arts wood facility.

Elective