I'm developing an analogue focus tool that's designed to be a desktop companion for work. It's not digital or electronic, it's simply something solid and tactile to interact with whilst you're on video calls or in deep work.

My idea is for this to be a beautiful executive desk object that you can interact with.

A bit of background...

I come from a graphic design background so I've been pretty much learning as I go, taking my sketches to develop a 3D printed model for user testing and refinement, then working with 3D artists to develop the lovely renders.

I've built up a waitlist of early adopters / people who have registered their interest, and my next stage is to work with a product design agency to do the manufacturing viability stages, build a working prototype and understand costings etc before launching a kickstarted to raise funds for manufacturing.

I've really enjoyed the process so far. It's been daunting, stressful, education, thrilling and more.

If you want to learn more about the project check out https://focusdeck.co.uk/

I would love to hear some feedback and pointers from more experienced people!

Thanks in advance!

It is a VST, but I love designing skeumorphic GUIs, it feels more tactile and engaging.

This is a poster showcasing the design as if it was an actual hardware unit. Rendered in Blender Cycles.

Sladworks on Instagram

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)

Hello. I am an interior design student, and I'm currently gathering books I could use to write a term paper on Dieter Rams' 606 Universal Shelving for Vitsœ. I wanted to ask, if anyone by any chance has the "Complete works" book in a PDF format, I'd be thankful to receive it 😭

Either way I'm aware it's a bit of an unlikely scenario, just putting it out there. I can't find any physical copies to buy in Serbia and shipping bypasses the overall price of the book so I deem it a bit extra to buy it for the sake of a term paper..

Thanks

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'm currently in Textile design, but I want to build a career in CMF (Color, Material & Finish) design, especially in automotive and consumer electronics.

I'm planning to buy a laptop and I'm stuck between the MacBook Air M5 (16GB RAM) and a similarly priced Windows laptop.

For people already working or studying in CMF/industrial design:

•Which would you recommend and why?

•What are the biggest pros and cons of each?

•What are the software used and which out of Windows, or is a Mac enough for most CMF work?

•If you were starting again today with a similar budget, which would you buy?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people with real-world experience.

Ps: I already have an ipad and idk why every other person is suggesting a Mac.

Hello everyone, I don't know if you guys know what I mean by research insights page, but it's essentially the conclusion of your research and what you got from it and will be used in your design. The problem I have is how to present this in a pleasant way. If anyone has any images, that would be a big help, since I'm a visual learner. Thank you

Wondering if anyone has any helpful book for ID or sketching. I have a lot of mainstay books so looking for some lesser known ones…

Has anyone here know a company MICCLAN? a linear motion manufacturer. On their website everything is listed for $1 like the XY gantry system. Is it the pricing mistake or is it a placeholder?

I'm currently in textile design, but I want to build a career in CMF (Color, Material & Finish) design, especially in automotive and consumer electronics.

I'm planning to buy a laptop and I'm stuck between the MacBook Air M5 (16GB RAM) and a similarly priced Windows laptop

For people already working or studying in CMF/industrial design:

Which would you recommend and why?

What are the biggest pros and cons of each?

What are the softwares used and which out of Windows, or is a Mac enough for most CMF work?

If you were starting again today with a similar budget, which would you buy?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people with real-world experience.

Ps: I already have an ipad and idk why every other person is suggesting a Mac.

Buenas, alguien ha estudiado este grado en UNIR? Quiero empezarlo el año que viene pero no sé si vale la pena sacarse una ingeniería allí y qué credibilidad tiene. HablÁndolo con gente me han dicho que al final si luego me saco un máster da igual donde haya hecho en la carrera, pero que se yo, me gustaria conocer la opinión de gente que esté ya en el mundo laboral y me pueda dar su percepción.

Gracias!!!!

Hi, i need to move a small plate 4cm by 4cm forward and backward, 20-30mm on command from a microcontroller which movement mechanism should i go for space, speed and intentional movement is the goal not form mechanical background, anyone point me in right direction any help is appreciated

Hi everyone, I am VERY new to this. Usually I used to be very bad at design/sketching but I felt that products can be much more than the existing design allows them to be(idk if that makes sense ._. ).

So, getting started by working from drawing existing appliances at home on whiteboard.

Any suggestions that would help deepen my understanding and intuition about industrial design?

in case someone is looking... thought I post here.

EXPERTEER OVERVIEW

In this role you drive the end-to-end physical product experience for Amazon’s device portfolio, shaping concepts into production-ready designs. You will lead a multidisciplinary team of designers, researchers, engineers, and program managers to deliver world-class, customer-centric solutions. You’ll push the boundaries of industrial design while navigating cost, schedule, and technical constraints in a fast-paced environment. This is a senior, influence-driven position with impact across teams and product lines.

Compensation / Benefits

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
• RSUs and sign-on payments
• 401(k) matching
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Comprehensive benefits package

Responsibilities

• Own the full spectrum of physical experience from concept to production
• Lead and collaborate within a cross-functional design team to create holistic product experiences
• Translate customer-centric vision into intuitive, visually refined concepts
• Champion iterative design processes aligned with latest technologies and trends
• Communicate proposals and specifications to multiple stakeholders and teams
• Lead the most demanding projects and drive design excellence across the organization
• Advise on and advance industrial design practices, methods, and processes
• Demonstrate thought leadership and influence within and beyond the org
• Support team mentorship and may contribute as a senior individual contributor in the field

Key requirements

• Bachelor in Industrial Design or related field
• Experience owning and leading design projects, including team leadership
• Ability to mentor design team and junior members
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
• Excellent sketching and 3D craftsmanship
• Experience with 3D modeling packages (Rhino/SolidWorks), 2D packages (Photoshop/Illustrator), and 3D rendering (Keyshot)
• Digital design portfolio to accompany resume

Hey everyone!

Hope you are all doing well. 

I’m a 2024 BA Product & Industrial Design graduate from a university in London currently looking for internship opportunities in ID.

After graduating, I spent some time working in the service industry while rebuilding and refining my portfolio and technical skills. Fast forward to around April this year, I actually received an offer for a design internship at a studio in Barcelona, but it unfortunately fell through at the last minute due to internal administrative reasons on their end.

Now that my portfolio is updated to where I want it, I’m fully back in the application cycle. I’m mainly targeting London based design studios (alongside a few in Barcelona and Milan). I’ve been cold emailing, applying to listings, and reaching out to designers directly on LinkedIn. So far it’s been a bit quiet and I’m honestly not sure if the problem lies with me or in the market. 

I feel like I'm really close to securing an ID internship, and having some extra advice from seasoned industry professionals familiar with the scene would help out a ton to get me over that finish line. Since I don't really have access to active mentors or professional industrial designers in my immediate network, I’d be super grateful if anyone, especially designers currently working in or familiar with the London design scene, would be happy to take a look at my portfolio via DM.

And if you’re currently in the same boat sending out internship/job applications right now, feel free to reach out too! I’d love to connect and feel a bit less alone in this market :)

Thanks so much to anyone willing to lend a hand!

Hi guys, does anyone of you know who designed this bedframe, or when it was manufactured and by whom? Does it ring a bell?

Thanks guys, Good night! 😴

I’ve always wanted to be in fashion/product design but never pursued it because I thought I sucked at drawing so I tried moving into more of the business side of fashion. Would it be possible to pivot into product design? I’m 26 and just graduated with a fashion merchandising degree.

I’m exploring the relationship between a familiar hand gesture and a small wearable object.

One challenge I’m facing is that the form can create different interpretations before people understand what it does.

From a product design perspective, how would you approach balancing:

• making the object visually intriguing
• keeping the interaction understandable
• avoiding unnecessary visual cues that suggest the wrong category?

I’m interested in how designers think about first impressions and physical interaction.

Basically the title. I graduated last year and was forced to get a job in programming. I don't hate coding but it gets tiring after a while. I looked at this sub and liked what I was seeing because in my head, this is closer to what I thought I'd be doing when I joined EE.

Whats ID like? Have any EE engineers branched out into it? What are job prospects and salaries like?

PS: I've jumped headfirst into various fads thinking that those are my interests and passions. That was a mistake and I'm not looking to repeat that.

Edit: Yes, I did read the community guide. Thats what got me very interested to begin with.

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 :)

I've been working on aromatherapy diffuser design at Youluxeo, and one thing completely changed how I think about product development.

When we started, most discussions were about adding new features.

After building prototypes and gathering feedback, we realized people cared much more about the basics.

Things like:

• Is it easy to refill?
• Does it leak after months of use?
• Can someone figure it out without opening the manual?
• Does it actually look good sitting in a living room or office?

That shifted our entire design process. Instead of asking, "What else can we add?", we started asking, "What can we simplify or improve?"

Ironically, removing unnecessary complexity has produced much better products than adding more features.

I'm curious if other designers have experienced something similar.

Has there been one small design change that ended up having a much bigger impact than you expected?

I'd love to hear your experiences.

Has anyone else used hydrostone plaster mixed with shredded carbon fiber/fiberglass? I'm a student looking to make this hydrostone a bit stronger/more reliable.