Industrial Design Adelaide University

Overview

Through the Industrial Design course from Adelaide University you'll learn how to think like a designer, express your ideas visually and create a vast range of products, systems and services that people use every day. Discover the role human factors, useability, aesthetics, manufacturing technologies, materials and environmental sustainability play in design, production and user experience.

Get hands-on experience using industry-standard tools and techniques to create virtual models of a variety of three-dimensional products. Learn about commonly used materials and the important role material selection plays in the production process. Consider the environmental impact of products throughout their lifecycle – from manufacture and purchase to repair and end-of-life – and how designers can work in more sustainable ways.

Take classes in purpose-built studio and workshop spaces. Learn to use analogue and digital fabrication equipment – including CNC equipment, 3D printers, laser cutters and virtual reality/augmented reality systems – to produce physical models and prototypes of your designs.

Career opportunities:

Graduates of this degree will qualify to work as industrial designers. With your versatile design knowledge and technical skillset, you’ll be able to pursue dynamic careers across a variety of industry sectors. Some industrial designers choose to focus their expertise on a specific product category – like consumer electronics. Whereas others may prefer agency roles that allow them to work on lots of different kinds of projects.

You could work in a government infrastructure department, designing inclusive, community play spaces that enable children of all ages and levels of ability to play alongside their peers. Maybe you’ll work in the packaging industry, utilising natural materials to create more sustainable types of packaging such as edible, single-use cutlery. Or perhaps you’ll work in a design consultancy firm, working on a wide range of client projects that span across multiple industries. 

Whatever your area of interest, career paths are available in a wide range of areas including: 

• Consumer goods and electronics
• Assistive technology
• Car and car interior design
• Children’s toys and furniture
• Custom fabrication
• Furniture design
• Fashion and footwear
• Heavy equipment design
• Homewares and soft furnishings
• Injection moulding
• Machinery and equipment design
• Product packaging
• Stage, set and prop design
• Transportation design
• User Experience (UX) design
• Wearable technology
• Web and e-commerce interface design.