The Industrial Design Program
The Industrial Design Program at Appalachian State University is comprised of 120 majors and 7 full time faculty. Students can choose from two areas of concentration; Product Design or Furniture Design. Both concentrations focus on design inquiry, creative problem-solving, user research, social and environmental concerns, and manufacturing requirements. Through industry collaborations and studio projects, students are challenged to develop a comprehensive knowledge base allowing them to compete professionally. Student work has been recognized and shown at; Greener Gadgets finalists, Dwell® on Design, Designboom® Mart participants in Copenhagen, High Point Furniture Market, ICFF and won the national Creative Juice Completion sponsored by Google®.
Facilities
The program is housed in a 12000 square foot facility within the Department of Technology and is part of the College of Fine and Applied Arts. The program facilities are comprised of dedicated studio space, computer labs and material exploration facilities supporting a woodworking lab, metal fabrication lab, plastic working area, ceramics lab, welding facility, spray booth, CNC lab and rapid prototyping equipment.
Alumni
Alumni have gone on to work at numerous corporations and design consultancies. Some of which are listed below:
- Kenworth Truck Co.
- Joe Gibbs Racing
- Normadic Display
- ReebokPensole
- Bernhardt Design
- Jasper Library Furniture
- Meld USA
- Skookum Digital Works
- Cree Inc.
- Robert Abby Inc
- MeadWestVaco
- ECR Software
- Newell Rubbermaid - Irwin Tools
- Milwaukee Electronic Tool Corp.
- Techtronic Industries
- Lowe's Home ImprovementEnventy's
- IDEA Design Studio
- Macon & AssociatesMesa Home Products
- Bubba Brands Inc.
New Videos
As part of the Junior level studio last semester, students were challenged to work and design for an innovative new material. This project was a collaberation between Eastman Innovation Lab and Appalachian State University. Check out the videos to learn more about the Sponsored Studio.
As part of a studio project during the 2010-2011 school year, Seniors in Industrial Design participated in a Design competition for Groovystuff and Dick Idol. The resulting furniture pieces were shown at High Point Market in the Spring. Check out the video below for an interview with Chris Bruning, co-owner of Groovystuff, about the process and Appalachian State's Industrial Design program.
News
