MacBook Pro
A friend of mine recently told me about his plans to pursue an Industrial Design degree at Arizona State next year. I hadn’t heard of Industrial Design (ID) before, so the example he gave me was that of Macbooks. He asked me to describe a Mac in a couple words, and the first ones that came to mind were “pretty” and “easy-to-use.” He explained that this was exactly what an Industrial Designer did – made products pretty and easy-to-use for consumers. It seemed like a cool idea, and when I googled it, I realized there is a lot more ID goin’ on than I knew.
IDSA.org defines ID as “the professional service of creating and developing concepts and specifications that optimize the function, value and appearance of products and systems for the mutual benefit of both user and manufacturer.” So, basically, pretty and easy to use. But IDS also told stories: one about how text messaging and apps regarding HIV-status was saving babies’ lives in rural Zambia and another about the Embrace Infant Warmer, which is basically a sleeping bag “designed for premature and low-birth-weight babies to prevent hypothermia in developing countries.” I learned that Industrial Designers pride themselves on their commitment to sustainability and cost efficiency.
I also discovered bedazzled hearing aids aimed at making hard-of-hearing women feel more comfortable and a biodegradable toothbrush that for every one bought, one is donated to someone in the Middle East (similar to the Toms Shoes idea) from IndustrialDesignServed.com. I realized that ID wasn’t just about making things pretty and easy-to-use. It’s more than that. It’s about taking products and technology and improving them. It’s about saving lives.
This idea of ID design holds the conception of taking older products and making them new and improved for consumers to use. This allows products developed in the past to remain current and a desired product by the public.