How do designers do it?!?!

I have a handful of ideas for furniture/sculpture pieces I would LOVE to make but all of them require multiple materials. I have done pottery for years, taken welding/metal classes, and know basic sewing. Some of the pieces require things like plastic/veneer finishes over metal. Processing fabrics in very specific ways to make them sturdy/plastic coated. There is NO way i could afford to rent space in a studio that has each of these huge machines to fabricate these pieces. And there is no one studio that has it all, except for being in grad school.

Are designers/sculptors just getting some bits of their pieces fabricated and making other parts themselves? It feels like nobody has enough time to learn ALL of these processes in a lifetime? I've seen such fun work using multiple materials/complicated finishes. Are there actually people out there who fabricate all of this themselves?!?!

For example, the polar chandelier in the photograph or the photo of pieces from animated objects that use so many materials.

It is not like i am selective or anything. Industrial design is already quite exclusive as a field, at least, where i live. There are selected number of studios which are 10 people maximum each. they design for the big companies. smaller companies either have 1-2 designers or they outsource from experienced freelancers. Those who have industrial designer vacancies ask for minimum 5 years of experience.

Like really, i saw a vacancy posted that was asking for 15 years of experience and the job itself is basically aluminum manufacturing, cnc and nesting. I don't think it requires 15 years to do nesting and aluminum panels.

In this case what am i supposed to do? I've been wanting to be an industrial designer since i was a kid and educated myself, got degrees won competitions etc etc. Do i just work in a bar or a supermarket now? What did you guys do or recommend? I am curious, geniunely asking. Thank you for your time.

hello, im currently an industrial design bachelor srudent and im interested in prosthetics. can i go into biomedical engineering with a background in id?

Made this standing desk with white oak plywood. Made for my workflow of drafting on the left, CAD in the middle, printing on the right. No fasteners are visible on this desk and it is measured precisely to be comfortable for my height and elbows.

Lmk

Hi,

I'm working on a line of table settings. I'm seeking an industrial designer with experience in tableware and/or home decor. DM me if you're interested in learning more and we can set up a call. Thank you!

Hi all, I'm looking into master's programs for industrial design and would love some honest perspective from people in the field. I'm in NYC and have no formal ID background.

Background:

I'm about 9 years into my career. I started in tech consulting at a Big 4 firm and hated it, so I switched to construction and spent about 5 years in project management. I loved it for a while, but the hours and lifestyle weren't sustainable. For the past 3 years I've been in construction tech, on both the pre- and post-sales side.

Honestly, the work feels meaningless to me and getting through each day is a struggle. The one constant is that I'm happiest when I'm making things. I paint, sculpt, collage, and work in pretty much any medium. I also love practical problems, like building something I actually need with limited resources. I'm always studying the objects around me and thinking about how to make them work better.

Where I'm stuck:

By the time I'd finish applying and start a program, I'd be 32 or 33. I like a good pivot, but I want to know if this is too late to build a meaningful ID career, or if I'd be too far behind peers who started in their early 20s. I think my construction and project management experience could be an asset, but I'd like to hear whether that holds up from people in the industry.

Some Qs:

• Does the age and background gap matter to hiring managers, or does the portfolio (that I assume I would build in school) carry most of the weight?
• Is a master's the right route for someone with no ID background, or would a certificate, a bootcamp, or building a portfolio first make more sense?
• Where could a background like mine fit best?

TYIA!

PS. I'm thinking about the MID at Pratt in case anyone has any strong feelings on that.

A glance, a small light, a change in position. Enough to know what’s happening without opening anything. What product gets this right?

I’m especially interested in designs that communicate very little, but make that little bit immediately clear.

For designers who use freecad. Maybe this could be helpful.

Sometimes, when making a part hollow, the thickness tool fails. You can try extracting shells from solid and add thickness to those instead.

Im an industrial design student in second year confused about what to specialise in. I feel like maybe in not aware of all the options... so what all can i specialise in from herte? what has the most scope? What can i do my masters in?

Hello everybody,

I'm a 3rd year ID bachelor student at the University of Bologna, Italy, currently on an Erasmus semester at the University of Twente studying IDE.

During these months and after visiting the Design Week in Eindhoven I'm realising that I would love to do a master in IDE here in the Netherlands. My top choices for the moment are the big 3: TU Delft, TU Eindhoven and Twente (where I am now).

I would like to hear from you guys (especially if you study or you have studied IDE at one of these schools) what you think about the admission process (is it hard?) and quality of education at these Universities, or generally if you have any advice or anything to say at all.

Thank you!

Never thought I would spend this much time thinking about buttons and screens but here we are

The Bambu Lab A1 has that little touchscreen on the base The Prusa MK4S goes with a screen and a physical knob

Then theres stuff like the Aliencell E1 where the camera view and software are part of setting up a job

Different machines different ways of doing things

It is got me wondering how much of this comes down to personal preference I tend to like physical controls for some things but software makes sense for others

What's a tiny design detail on a tool that you really like? Or one that you just cant get used to?

I hate carrying my mints around in noisy or cheap containers. I have concept for a premium cnc aluminum, reloadable mint dispenser. Making the everyday habit feel more professional and enjoyable.

It will have a heavy tactical feel. Initially dispense an existing mint or eventually a special caffeine, vitamin line. Looking for criticism, thoughts and general discussion. This is a me project, but wonder if anyone else would consider one.

Hi,

Are there any good online industrial design courses in English that you would recommend.

For additional context, I am 50 years old, an accountant by profession, reached as far as I'm willing to go in my commercial career. I'm now an independent consultant in a highly specialized field, unrelated to the finance world. I've always had a keen interest in design, though have never pursued it.

I'd like to do an online, part-time course that will enable me to understand design concepts, prototyping and material usage (amongst other foundational knowledge areas). I'm doing the course primarily for my own interest. I'm not looking at this as a career change, rather to enhance my interest into a somewhat doable hobby/tiny side hustle (if it even ever comes to that).

Thanks in advance.

I am testing a workflow for a small made-to-order physical object from a reference image. An early 3D model makes a useful visual preview, but it has not gone through a physical build. In digital tests, strengthening thin areas visibly changed fine details on two shapes. The later production check and expert review are still planned.

If a customer has seen the early preview, when would you ask for actual design approval when the production version may look different?

Here in my country, an industrial designer essentially handles a vast array of tasks—ranging from technical work and management to presentations, and so on—and I’m thinking about expanding my scope to take on projects in other sectors.

Studying in person would mean relocating to another country, so I'd love to get a clearer picture of what might be the best path forward for me. Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I already have a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and I'm looking into online master's programs in Industrial Design.

I have (over the past few months) begun delving into woodwork and product ddesign. Possibly as a career change, but (for now) it is just for fun.

This is the first project/design that uses timber in multiple parts, combining it with additive manufacturing techniques to form a lamp.

It has been a great learning process, and I hope to build on this to create more complex projects!

Hey! I'm an industrial design student, and for the past year I've been working on my own parametric design software, VASE 3D.

I've always loved the incredible things you can create with computational design, but I've found the process of exploring forms can be unnecessarily complicated.

I wanted something that felt more like sketching or sculpting, while still giving you precise control over silhouettes, proportions, complex geometry, and surface details.

Here's a look at what I've been working on! I'd love to hear what fellow industrial designers think of the approach.

Hi everyone, I am a graduate in Industrial Design in Vietnam and I have worked for about a 1-2 years in Furniture Design/Manufacture industry, b2b to foreign retailers. So far it's alright, but I always have a feeling of "Do we really need another chair/table design that just look slightly different than every other one?"

Should I switch field, or studying higher/ something else? I have a hobby with public space and public transportation, like tram or trains, with how it benefits the masses and such.

Thank you all.

Hi Everyone! I am running a quick user research survey to understand the workflow and challenges early-career creators face today. With the rise of Agentic AI, we want to know how we can incorporate hardware and understand how we can enhance Agentic AI into your workflow or where Agentic AI can be used in it!

If you have 1 to 5 years of experience in video editing, product design, or architecture (or just use any form of creative software), please take 3 minutes to share your thoughts here and you will automatically be entered into a raffle for a $25 gift card at the end!:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiKMQXXiVW-U74yc19KrmIkQpANU5mtudor9nJYKR2WO3apA/viewform?usp=dialog

Thank you for your time and input!

Just finished this v1 of a floor lamp. Would love thoughts and feedback. The stem is capacitive with three brightness levels. Last photo is in progress