Those involved in the industrial design profession need to look to many sources for ideas. Industrial product design inspiration can come from many places and there are a variety of resources dedicated to the subject. These vary from industry magazines to online blogs and they can be useful as a way of finding ideas and keeping up with the latest industrial product design news.
Product Design Blogs
There are a number of excellent websites and blogs dedicated to industrial product design. One of the top options is Core77, which promotes itself as a gathering place for industrial designers of all levels of experience, from those studying the subject to seasoned professionals already working in the industry. Core77 offers a variety of information, from up-to-date industry news to details of design firms, design schools and the awards available in industrial product design. Yanko Design is a website that features details of many of the latest products that are being brought to market. It can serve as a good reference point for those looking to keep up with industry trends and developments and as a source of inspiration for the latest innovations. Other useful industrial product design blogs and websites to consider include Planet Industrial Design, which features industry news, and CAD CAM News, which focuses in on the use of computer aided design technology in industrial product design.
Product Design Magazine
There are a few industrial design magazine options for those that like to keep up with the latest industry news and reviews. Curve is one of these and this is typically published on a quarterly basis. It provides articles and information on a variety of industrial product design topics, from reviews of designers to details of innovative products, and industry awards and award winners. Subscribing to the magazine entails getting the print magazine sent during the period of subscription. It also provides access to back copies through the Curve website and for those working in the industry this can be worth doing.
Product Design Books
Many industrial designers have used their experience in the industry as inspiration for writing and there are some excellent product design books available. These cover a variety of topics from the history of industrial product design to guidance on the design process. Some of the books to consider reading include Vision in Product Design by Paul Hekkert and Matthijs van Dijk. This sets out a design philosophy on bringing a vision for a product to reality and can be useful for industrial designers to read. Open Design Now includes articles, discussions and interviews with a variety of industry professionals and includes practical guidelines for using an open design method in industrial product design. Other industrial product design books to consider reading include 1000 Product Designs by Eric Chan, Sketching by Koos Eissen and Usefulness in Small Things by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin.
The resources available for industrial product design can help those at the start of their career, as well as those with more experience. The details above show some of the materials available to product designers. Some or all of these can make for interesting reading and the chance to keep up with the latest industrial product design advancements.
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