industrial design

An industrial designer sketches a new product concept at a drafting table.

Definition

1. Noun (mass noun):
   • The professional practice of designing products for mass production: "industrial design" refers to the process of creating the form, function, and user experience of manufactured goods, focusing on aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability.
   • The resulting design of a manufactured object: It can also refer to the specific design concept or blueprint for a mass-produced item, such as a chair, smartphone, or kitchen appliance.

Usage Examples

• (The field of designing products for manufacturing.)
• (The specific design of the product itself.)

Advanced Usage

• "industrial design patent": A form of legal protection granted for the ornamental design of a functional item.

  • The company filed for an industrial design patent to protect the unique shape of their bottle. (A patent specifically for the visual appearance of a product.)

• "industrial design process": The systematic approach used by designers to research, conceptualize, and refine product designs.

  • The industrial design process involves user testing and prototyping before final production. (The steps taken to create a design.)

Variants and Related Words

• Industrial designer (noun): a professional who specializes in industrial design.

  • The industrial designer improved the ergonomics of the office chair. (A person who designs mass-produced products.)

• Industrial design studio (noun): a company or workspace where industrial design work is done.

  • The industrial design studio created prototypes for several major brands. (A workplace for product designers.)

Synonyms

• Product design: the creation of the form and function of consumer goods.
• Manufacturing design: the design of items intended for factory production.

Related Idioms

• Form follows function: a principle in industrial design that the shape of an object should be based primarily on its intended purpose.

  • In good industrial design, form follows function — the look serves the use. (The design's appearance is dictated by its utility.)

• Design for manufacturing (DFM): the practice of designing products to be easy and cost-effective to produce.

  • The industrial design team used DFM principles to reduce production costs. (Designing with manufacturing constraints in mind.)