Industrial Design I

The industrial design of a product requires the gradual transition from conception to the articulation of all functional, physical, technical, aesthetic and communicative characteristics, which will determine its qualitative aspects. The course provides the fundamental methodological core for all phases of the production process of industrial products to satisfactorily evolve, while drawing from humanities the necessary elements of understanding the cultural context within which the designed products are placed.

Aesthetics, psychology, sociology are combined with technical design, digital representation, three-dimensional production of study models, as well as the analysis of economic feasibility, in order to achieve an integrated approach to the industrially produced utilitarian product. In Industrial Design I, an introduction to the knowledge of forming objects is made with emphasis on utilitarian interior types. In an attempt to make it clear that the industrially produced object depends on the evolution of machines, the tools and the technologies provided, but at the same time it constitutes a means of communication of the needs, desires and expectations of an era, the course enriches the field of design with elements from the fields of economic and social sciences.

The practical-laboratorial program of the course of Industrial Design consists of the study (project) of the problem of giving form to utilitarian objects, which serve the needs of modern everyday life. Theoretical issues in harmony with targeted design exercises lead to the definition of an object within a specific cultural frame of reference with capabilities, limitations and priorities. The theoretical approach covers the issues of the transition of the design and construction of objects from manual to industrial production (Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau) and especially the prevalence of functionalism in the formation of the new universal aesthetic vocabulary (Peter Behrens: the knowledge of production, Adolf Loos: the awareness of catharsis, Le Corbusier: the replacement of the classic, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: the passion of detail).

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

● know the historical issues of industrial design, as presented in the lectures, as well as the basic social and technological characteristics of the period under study.

● understand the relationship between industrial design and society and the integration of artistic trends in the production process.

● understand the specific characteristics (advantages and limitations) of the various mechanical means and their role in the formative of objects.

● identify reputable bibliographic sources (printed and digital) and to write critical and analytical essays based on the research literature.

● analyze the main currents-trends in the international environment and their stylistic characteristics.

● have acquired the appropriate vocabulary to formulate documented opinions and theoretically support their design proposals.

● know the process of integrated design of the industrial product and all stages of production.

● study and analyze the different human needs and the respective user groups.

● organize the design and communication material of their proposal and proceed to a complete compilation of a study file.

1. Laura Slack, What is product design?, Rotovision, 2006.

2. Jennifer Hudson, Process: 50 Product Designs from Concept to Manufacture, L. King, 2008

3. De Fusco Renato, Storia del Design, Laterza, 1986.

4. Chevalier A., Guide de dessinateur industriel, Livre élève, 1988.

5. Ashby M. Johnson K., Materials and Design, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2009.

6. Lucie-Smith, A history of industrial design, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983.

7. Heskett John, Industrial Design, Thames & Hudson, 1975.

8. Pye David, The nature and aesthetics of design, Herbert, 1982.

9. Bernard E. Bürdek, ‘Design. Gesichte, Theorie und Praxis der ProduktGestaltung, Birkhäuser, 2005.

10. Woodham M. Jonathan, Twentieth-century Design, Oxford University Press, 1997.

11. Guy Julier, The culture of Design, Sage Publications, 2000.

12. Baecker D., Hartung M., Schwartz-Clauss M., The Essence of Things: Design and the Art of Reduction, Vitra Design Museum, 2010.