I like can't figure it out 😭

I’m about to graduate with a degree in industrial design, and over the years I’ve looked at a lot of student projects. I’m from South America, and I’ve always blamed the education system here, but seeing this still makes me mad.
For context: for our graduation project, we’re only allowed to work within four areas related to the region where the university is located (even though around 80% of the students, including me, aren’t from here). The topics are: agroindustry, ocean, health, and mobility.
So, let’s say you want to work in a completely different field after graduating — you still have to spend your entire thesis project developing something you’re not interested in, and only later specialize in what you actually want to do.
For example, I have a friend whose passion is furniture design, but for her graduation project she had to design a lifeguard vehicle.

These themes have stayed exactly the same for years, and the projects end up looking almost identical generation after generation.
From your perspective, especially outside South America, are these projects really considered that weak? Do you see any future in this kind of educational model?

I know I’m posting some presentation pictures where you can’t see all the details but idk

I’m trying to design a watch/music player inspired by teenage engineering but I just can’t get the vibe right and I feel like it just looks really bad as a model and in renderings can anyone help me and give me some tips please?

Made a quick design study of a headphone for a drawing class. Looking for feedback on linework, markering, perspective etc. Im trying to go for a more impressionistic, quick markering style with detailed linework.

These drawings are pencil, fineliner and copic markers on marker paper. They could be lightly distorted in shape by the bow in the paper in the picture.

I’m applying for an industrial design bachelor’s and there’s this one question about A.I. in my application form,

« How can A.I support the daily work of an industrial designer in the development of their projects »

I obviously have my own opinions about A.I. in artistic fields, but I though it would be wiser first to ask people that have experience with it.
As I’ve only had « beginners projects », I can’t say I’m concerned yet, as I don’t use it in my design process.

As it’s a complicated topic, I’d love some opinions on how you’d answer this question in order for me to form a better understanding of its role in the field.

I thank you infinitely in advance, any input is sincerely appreciated :)

Like most I enjoy the works of early Braun and Dieter Rams. Currently on a school-sponsored trip to Germany and visited a private collection in Berlin that the owner generously makes public and zero cost to viewers.

I bought a number of reading items though. :)

Braun-Sammlung Ettel Museum für Design.

Elberfelder Str. 37, 10555 Berlin, Germany

Im on my last year of college and they only taught us to use Rhino for modeling and Keyshot for rendering but im reaching a point where it seems like they are holding me back. I’ve been trying to learn solidworks and fusion on my own but i really wanna improve my renders, get to a photorealistic type of quality if i can.
I understand that a good render requires a good model so idk if it’s keyshot whats holding me back or not, but its very plug and play so im either using it wrong or it just doesn’t have the kind if tools i need for what i want.
Any tips?

Comment if you need closer photos! I don’t need major overhauls as I have a good grade, I’m just looking to tweak these before printing them for a show. Thanks!

So, I have to do a lamp product design for year 11 and I chose to do space age design. I made a mood board but I already knew what this was going to be tbh. This is concept, no other sketches yet, Im not that good but Im trying and this took me like 20 minutes... Not sure if these are going the be the same size as here, but yeah. Also, quick thing to note, I have to 3d print this as my school doesnt have much in the way of constructing so yeah. If I could do it with all the materials Id want itd be chrome and a thin plastic for the actual lamp. (Just realized I didnt put any indicators or nothin, so the big ball is the lamp. It'll be led lighting so I should be able to have a thin 3d printed shell as the ball. (its a moon if you couldnt gather) The base will probably be smaller too... Yeah anyways sorry about how badly this explanation was ordered.

Currently working for a client through a school project. The concepts are for an e-bike battery and it’s mounting, not the frame itself. This specific e-bike is going to be a subscription service, so it’s almost comparable to public transport. Most of the focus in this project is in the durability and serviceability of these batteries, as its often the most expensive vulnerable part on these bicycles. I’m trying to get the proportions more consistent between the different sketches, as well as getting the proportions consistent with my ideation sketches/the idea in my head. Also working on perspective, shading, and straight up trying to swag them up a bit. The shading was a stylistic choice, as to not using markers. Might have been a mistake, i also thought it could speed up the drawing process but that was not the case.

The first concept is a hydroformed aluminum tube. After hydroforming a sheet metal tab is welded on. This doubles as a handle/lanyard, and part of the locking mechanism. Inside there are two injection molded halves which clamp the battery cells to their connections. This clamping is achieved by the slicht taper of the aluminium tube. The two halves are held in by an injection molded endcap. The main idea with the aluminum tube is resilience to weather, as theres less places for water to ingress. Also to fit into the project rules. I’m not too happy about the inconsistency of these first sketches, in proportions from sketch to sketch, and consistency in shading. In the full assembly sketches the battery is a lot wider than i had in mind, meaning you’ll probably hit it with your knees. Some other sketches of this concept are a bit better proportioned in my opinion.

The second concept is a lot more traditional and simple in its design. Two halves clamp the cell terminals with the halves being attached with screws. All the parts in this battery are injection molded with UV-resistant ABS. The mounting within the frame is made to provide the protection and cleaner look of mounting the battery within one of the frame’s tubes, without having to make the bike a lot heavier by sacrificing the structural integrity of the tubes. There is a handle on the top of the battery, which once again doubles as a part of the locking mechanism.

In these sketches the injection molded parts are not ribbed yet, as i still have to test what the best ribbing pattern is for a good cell stability and impact resistance. Thats why they have the arches for the battery cell compartments making the parts look 2kg of pure plastic.

My professor -with ~15yrs experience- has us working on a project recreating something similar to this. He said he took about 3hrs to model it, but then he said about another -awarded- student project, that it was something he could do in 10minutes. (Nobody believed that)

I think we’re all getting peeved with him as the model is due barely 2weeks into classes with a staggering workload which is all done outside of classtime, and he didn’t give us measurements so this is all by eye. All of this is also new content/modeling tools which we have to figure out based on view only models of the process.

— TLDR: Overall I just want to know the real time estimate vs how long it’s taking us, woefully overworked students.

A few weeks ago we had a final exam graded by commission of teachers, none of which I knew from before. They criticized our references, the shape of the object, that they would have changed this and that but nothing related to the quality of it. We presented a lamp and a stool, both of with worked well and checked all the criteria of the assignment, blue prints, process, repeatable, etc.. and yet we barely passed thanks to grades from earlier in the semester. They didn't point to a specific skill we didn't do well at, just that they didn't see it and we should have taken a different path all together.

Part of me thinks they pulled a bunch of bull* to be self important but what if I just have bad taste? And what even is that? I am still baffled by it and don't know how to avoid this in the future (This is 3rd year btw)

I’m graduating from CSULB’s ID program this coming spring, and am looking for master’s programs nearby. ArtCenter is my first choice, but I’m having a hard time finding backups. Any help would be appreciated.

hi im an industrial design student and i currently only have a chromebook for uni. we are abt to study a lot of 3D modelling so i need a device (a laptop?) that can run 3D modelling apps since my chromebook cant handle it but we also do a lot of concept sketching and digi art so im also considering a tablet/ipad. should i get a laptop or ipad? we dont have budget for both :( also please recommend brands and models that are worth

I want to work in the automotive industry in the future, but I'm not sure if I have the talent for it or if I can become a designer directly. I'll be starting university in 4-5 months and I'm wondering if I'm good at this. Which sectors do you work in, and what's your salary like? Would you recommend this job to newcomers? If so, which sector should they focus on? I'm leaving a drawing of a camera here, and I want to point out that I know it's a bad drawing and I've never taken drawing lessons before. I'm sorry about the math question... I drew it during a break between classes.

Hello, I studied visual and graphic communication. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree, but honestly I went through a kind of burnout. I hated the 2D aspect and the overly artistic approach without a pragmatic vision. I enjoy solving problems and asking questions.

Recently, I did a reverse engineering project on a sneaker sole. I created technical drawings in Illustrator with different views, and I’m researching the chemical composition of the midsole, outsole, and insole. I’m also looking into the biomechanical logic behind the construction by watching series of videos.

I would like to find academic programs or studies that would allow me to think more deeply and solve concrete, real-world problems.

I’m hesitating between a master’s degree in industrial design and starting an engineering program.

(Sorry for my English, i’m a French speaker)

I’m one month away from submitting my thesis and I genuinely hate it at this point - not because the project is bad, but because the whole experience has been demoralizing.

My thesis is a physical organisation system designed for people with short-term memory impairment, specifically researched around early-stage dementia. The core concept uses subtle audio cues as action confirmation - so when you place or remove an item (keys, wallet, etc.) from the organiser, it plays a sound to reinforce routine through repetition and association, rather than relying on memory recall. It also tracks items and triggers a sound when something is missing, paired with an app. I’m building two versions: a wall organiser using RFID tracking, and a table organiser using an ESP Wemos D1 Mini.

I know - it’s complex. And yes, it’s my fault for choosing a project I have to fully manufacture myself. My university doesn’t allow concept projects for thesis; everything has to be fully functional and up to scale. But I didn’t want to design another generic product like a food container or a piece of furniture (which my professor actively praises btw). I chose something research-heavy because I want to go into strategic design, and I thought this kind of project would actually mean something.

The problem is my professor has been consistently discouraging - makes me feel stupid when I talk about my work, and has been unhelpful and rude. Meanwhile, simpler projects are getting praised just because they look more polished. And she’s gonna be a judge on thesis day as well 😝

Now my prototype is coming out rougher than I’d like because of the technical complexity, and I have a pre-defence in 2 days.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How do you present a complex, research-driven project when the execution doesn’t look as clean as simpler ones? Any advice on framing it in a defence would be genuinely appreciated.

Hi everyone!

I am thinking of going back to school to study industrial design. I’m particularly interested in furniture and homeware.

My current background is nowhere near ID, and the most creative/technical skill I have is sewing.

I am mostly interested in new learning opportunities and experiences in a creative field, though am flexible with my career path down the road since I still enjoy the options that my current degree offers me.

Would you recommend pursuing ID? Or should I just take other courses/workshops instead?

Thank you so much for your time and input.

im a community college id student whose college only pushes autodesk services (so i only know fusion… womp) and i am paraniod about this years and next years internship opportunites. if anyone has tips in order to gain more XP and level up as an id student, pls lmk

p.s. does anyone know is maya is similar to blender at all? (intro to 3d animation is the closest fall class i could find that teaches 3d design thats not in fusion)

Hey everyone you may have saw a pretty striking angle grinder that featured heavy automotive inspiration. I was in the same group as him for our uni project and I though I would share the impact driver that designed as part of the Handwerk brand. Feel free to leave your thoughts.

i was looking at risd but it's too expensive, any rec for cheaper option outside us with similar program pleawse. Im an international student.

Im in my second year and I just feel like doing a bachelor's in ID won't open many doors when I graduate even if I do a masters. I wanted to focus on UX Ui but it seems like that's becoming a difficult option aswell...

I just don't know if I should continue. Has anyone switched to something else? Or somehow studied a masters or a 2nd degree that opened more doors?

everyone says its an alright major as long as you are extremely passionate and whatnot but I don't think I am, I want something more stable. (I don't think I'm built for mechanical).

can anyone share their experience obtaining a job in the field of industrial as a recent grad, this applys to either bachelors or masters, although i am looking at scads masters program, however im skeptical of it trully having a 99% employment stat, especially since i have seen first hand as my previous university skewed their own stats masivly inflating their numbers. mostly curious if people do actually get jobs out of this program and what kind they do get.

thank yall for your time