Top Industrial Design Online Resources: The 50 Best Books, Guides, Blogs, Videos and More to Learn About Industrial Design and Engineering

As the Internet of Things, wearables, consumer technology demands, and and the desire for innovation boom, industrial designers are in high demand. Industrial designers rely on their imagination to develop concepts and designs for manufactured products, and they use a variety of tools and resources to help them in their work. That’s why we have rounded up our picks for top industrial design online resources, to help those in the field stay up to date with the latest trends, news, and advancements in industrial design.
Our 50 top industrial design online resources include articles, guides, magazines, associations, forums, slide decks, online courses, videos, and webinars, to give you the information and insight you need to go from the design phase to manufacturing. From sketching tips, to strategies to enhance the user experience, to 3D modeling tricks, our industrial design online resources are sure to inspire you and your design process. While we have listed our top industrial design online resources here, in no particular order, we have included a Table of Contents so that you can find the resources that interest you most.
Jump To:

• Articles, Guides, and Magazines
• Associations and Forums
• Slide Decks
• Online Courses
• Videos
• Webinars

Articles, Guides, and Magazines
1. It’s Time for Industrial Design To Grow Up
@gadi_amit
@FastCompany

A leading business media brand with an editorial focus on design, FastCompany inspirers readers to go beyond traditional boundaries and create the future of business. President of NewDealDesign LLC, Gadi Amit wrote It’s Time for Industrial Design To Grow Up, a Fast Company industrial design article that explains why industrial design requires new skills and language to deliver what it takes to create tech devices.
Three key points we like from It’s Time for Industrial Design To Grow Up:

• Designing today’s tech devices requires more than traditional industrial design curriculum teaches
• Today’s industrial designers really are technology designers
• Modern industrial designs require integration of talent and collaboration, as one small detail changed by a designer affects industrial design and UX/UI

Cost: FREE
2. The Secret to Successful Product Design? Simplicity.
@DebraA_Kaye
@Entrepreneur

Debra Kaye, Entrepreneur.com columnist and brand strategist and partner at Lucule Consulting, shares her industrial design strategy in The Secret to Successful Product Design? Simplicity. Kaye’s article explains that simplifying products, packaging, and messaging allows for more memorable communication and uses Apple’s white ear buds as an example.
Three key points we like from The Secret to Successful Product Design? Simplicity.:

• There is a greater chance of selling a product when people are able to immediately understand it, so changing words to icons and images is key
• Clean, simple silhouettes give a clear, immediate message that makes the product intuitive
• It’s also important to develop packaging that is visually compelling

Cost: FREE
3. Industrial Design vs. Product Design
@WGibbonsDesign
@Medium

Will Gibbons is a result-driven product designer, consultant, and design advocate who penned this industrial design article that takes a deep dive into industrial design and product design to explain the difference between the two fields. Industrial Design vs. Product Design moves from the macro level to the micro level and includes a thorough explanation of industrial design and product design.
Three key points we like from Industrial Design vs. Product Design:

• For all intents and purposes, industrial design and product design are the same
• Product designers and industrial designers have nearly identical roles and share practically the same goals
• Industrial design often is divided into specializations such as automotive, transportation, and product design

Cost: FREE
4. How Apple’s Super-Secret Industrial Design Team Really Works
@lkahney
@cultofmac

A news site that follows all things Apple, Cult of Mac offers Leander Kahney’s article, How Apple’s Super-Secret Industrial Design Team Really Works. Kahney is editor and publisher of CultofMac.com as well as the New York Times bestselling author of Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products. The article “offers a rare look inside one of Apple’s most secretive institutions: the Industrial Design studio,” and is adapted from Kahney’s book.
Three key points we like from How Apple’s Super-Secret Industrial Design Team Really Works:

• Most of Apple’s greatest products come from Apple’s Industrial Design studio, a small and secretive group of creatives led by British designer Sir Jony Ive
• Apple designer Christopher Stringer defines an Apple industrial designer’s role as “to imagine objects that don’t exist and to guide the process that brings them to life”
• Ive and his team moved into a new design studio “back into the heart of Apple” so that CEO Steve Jobs could work more closely with them, essentially elevating the status of design within Apple

Cost: FREE
5. Which Came First – Product Utility or Design?
@RWW

ReadWrite offers the latest news, analysis, and conversation in edge technologies, hardware, and services, and it is one of the most widely read and respected tech news sites in the world. Scott Sundvor’s ReadWrite article on industrial design, Which Came First – Product Utility or Design?, explores the debate over whether the utility philosophy or the design philosophy is better for industrial design.
Three key points we like from  Which Came First – Product Utility or Design?:

• Because Apple is known for their design emphasis, and their practice has yielded some “gorgeous products,” Apple has created a great consumer appreciation for good design
• If companies don’t have hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, the utility-first method is more likely to succeed because the product will be usable, functional, and frictionless
• Startups often are more successful when they focus first on making a product work and then add in beautiful industrial design

Cost: FREE
6. Warfare, Software, and Industrial Design
@stratandbiz

Strategy + Business offers some of the best ideas in business. They also offer Warfare, Software, and Industrial Design, an industrial design article that highlights “the benefits of an organic, more iterative approach to product development,” written by Strategy + Business partner Al Kent. Kent specializes in cost-reduction efforts for industrial, chemical, and energy companies.
Three key points we like from Warfare, Software, and Industrial Design:

• The traditional industrial design process that moves projects through stage gates is slow, bureaucratic, and so mechanical in nature that it stifles creativity
• Industrial design would benefit from adopting a sprint-and-scrum approach from the world of software design
• The industrial design process has a successful history of sprint and scrum, dating back to the years before today’s accelerative technologies, that emphasized iterative design and testing

Cost: FREE
7. Startups, This Is How Design Works
@wr

Wells Riley is a product designer who wrote Startups, This Is How Design Works, a guide for non-designers. Riley’s industrial design article serves as a guide for startups who want to understand design and access resources to find top design talent.
Three key points we like from Startups, This Is How Design Works:

• Design is important because consumer expect great design, and because design can give companies who do it well a competitive edge
• According to German industrial designer Dieter Rams, good design is innovative, makes a useful product, aesthetic, makes a product understandable, honest, long-lasting, thorough, environmentally friendly, unobtrusive, and as little design as possible
• Industrial designers are masters of physical goods and innovation, while working within the constraints of production lines and machines

Cost: FREE
8. Copyright and Product Design: A Review of the “Useful Article” Doctrine
@MintzLevin

Mintz leven has law offices in Boston, London, New York, Washington, DC, Stamford, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palo Alto. They offer practical advice and help businesses get to the next level. They also immerse themselves in their clients’ industries, so they can expertly advise them on what is ahead, what to look out for, and where new opportunities lie. Their industrial design article, Copyright and Product Design: A Review of the “Useful Article” Doctrine is one resource from their Intellectual Property series that industrial designers should not miss.
Three key points we like from Copyright and Product Design: A Review of the “Useful Article” Doctrine:

• The issue of copyright and intellectual property becomes more significant as businesses more aggressively copy competitors’ goods
• Small investments that add artistic elements to products during new product design phases may enhance intellectual property protection and help dissuade copycat competitors
• Designers have successfully built copyright protection into products by designing their products to include copyrightable ornamentation that is not necessary to the object’s basic function

Cost: FREE
9. Simplicity Bias: Lessons For Lawyers From Industrial Design
@ABAJournal

ABA Journal is a well-read, well-respected legal affairs magazine and website. In her ABA Journal article, lawyer Roya Behnia touts the value of simplicity and clear communication in business and law. She not only points to the voice of the customer as the guiding force behind keeping it simple but also relies on designer Jonathan Ive’s philosophy of simplicity to make her case.
Three key points we like from Simplicity Bias: Lessons For Lawyers From Industrial Design:

• Eliminating complexity is difficult and requires thinking and experiencing like customers
• The goal is to bring calm and simplicity to complex problems
• Customers should not be burdened by design, but rather helped by it so they can use the product with ease

Cost: FREE
10. Sketching and the Industrial Design Process
@IPSdesigners

Intelligent Product Solutions (IPS), a product design company in New York and Seattle, offers this industrial design article by C. Sven Johnson, an IPS industrial designer with user interface experience. Sketching and the Industrial Design Process offers Johnson’s opinion that there is a seeming disregard for the importance of sketching among new design graduates and explores his rationale for viewing sketching as an integral part of the industrial design process.
Three key points we like from Sketching and the Industrial Design Process:

• Sketching allows for “happy accidents” and teaches industrial designers as they go from the original spark of an idea to the presentation rendering
• Being an effective member of a development team requires underlying design skills that have nothing to do with software application familiarity
• Designers should focus on well thought-out solutions, rather than the impressive pictures they get from software tools and applications

Cost: FREE
11. In the Shifting World of Product Design, the User Now Has a Voice
@alicerawsthorn
@nytimes

In an industrial design article for The New York Times, Alice Rawsthorn, British design critic and author of Hello World: Where Design Meets Life, explores the new genre of open-ended design processes. As Rawsthorn explains, the ways in which designers deploy advanced production technologies  enables the products’ users to make critical design decisions about them.
Three key points we like from In the Shifting World of Product Design, the User Now Has a Voice:

• The open-ended design process is transforming design culture
• Users can customize a shape or style thanks to new design and manufacturing systems like 3D printing
• Influential designs appear to be driven by cultural, and not necessarily commercial, agendas

Cost: FREE
12. Interaction and Industrial Design Team Up To Serve the IoT
@MaryTressler
@radar

O’Reilly Radar focuses on emerging technologies, and their industrial design article, written by Mary Tressler, spotlights design strategist Martin Charlier’s insight into design teams, responsibility, and service. Interaction and Industrial Design Team Up To Serve the IoT specifically looks at the ways in which the IoT is changing the design landscape, including team dynamics, responsible design, and value-driven design.
Three key points we like from Interaction and Industrial Design Team Up To Serve the IoT:

• Product design teams that include industrial designers, technologists, and interaction and user experience designers are better off beginning with a joint vision and then splitting into team members’ respective domains when working on a product together
• Design teams need to consider the aesthetics, the emotional qualities, of products, the materials, the manufacturing processes, and environmental responsibilities when designing physical objects
• IoT is paving the way for reimagined products and services

Cost: FREE
13. Breaking Down the Industrial Design Process: Defining a Product and Setting Up the Designer’s Day
@FairlessAdam
@PluralsightCDE

Digital-Tutors, now part of Pluralsight, share creative, design, and engineering training. Written by industrial designer Adam Fairless, Breaking Down the Industrial Design Process: Defining a Product and Setting Up the Designer’s Day is their industrial design article that is a helpful resource for industrial design students and those who are wondering more about being an industrial designer.
Three key points we like from Breaking Down the Industrial Design Process: Defining a Product and Setting Up the Designer’s Day:

• It is common for upper management to create a play specification, or design brief, that defines the product, using budgeting, buyer/seller feedback, and brand strategy once a suitable product opportunity has been identified
• The early stages of the industrial design process allow designers to understand a product need and its users
• Industrial designers focus their creative efforts on achieving targeted results while keeping a budget in mind

Cost: FREE
14. Modeling for Industrial Design

Industrial designer Jordan Pelovitz has experience in product design and media design. He wrote Modeling for Industrial Design, an industrial design article that provides both an overview of the field and the technology tools that industrial designers use in their work. Modeling for Industrial Design is an informative resource for those new to the field.
Three key points we like from Modeling for Industrial Design:

• Industrial design incorporates art and engineering, so that industrial designers solve problems in beautiful and creative ways
• Typically, industrial designers design for mass production
• Industrial designers have specific skill sets that include researching, developing multiple ideas and approaches to solving problems, communicating ideas quickly and effectively, building and testing ideas, designing using CAD, and understanding the manufacturing process

Cost: FREE
15. A Guide to Industrial Designs
@CIPO_Canada

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office administers patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs. They also offer A Guide to Industrial Designs, an industrial design resource that helps readers understand what industrial designs are and the components that make them eligible for registry.
Three key points we like from A Guide to Industrial Designs:

• Industrial designs are valuable both for their function and for their look
• Original designs are valuable intellectual property
• Industrial designs are not the same as patents, trademarks, copyright, and integrated circuit topographies, though they all are forms of intellectual property

Cost: FREE
16. Dexigner
@dexigner

Dexigner is a leading online portal for designers, architects, illustrators, engineers, artists, and all kinds of creatives. This magazine is an industrial design resource providing for the latest news, events, competitions, books, and more that relates to the field.
Three key resources we like from Dexigner:

• Tonis Kåo: Design as Experiment
• Change Ahead: How Research and Design Are Transforming Business Strategy
• RKS Psycho-Aesthetic Workshops

Cost: FREE
17. Dezeen
@Dezeen

Dezeen is an influential architecture and design magazine. The magazine offers news and stories of industrial design innovation and is an informative resource for industrial designers of any level.
Three key articles we like from Dezeen:

• Producing the World’s First 3D-Printed Bridge with Robots “Is Just the Beginning”
• Segway Robot Is Part Overboard and Part Bionic Butler
• Synthetic Biology Is Turning Into Industrial Design, Says Daisy Ginsberg

Cost: FREE

Associations and Forums
18. Industrial Designers Society of America
@IDSA

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) was founded in 1965. One of the oldest and largest membership organizations for industrial design professionals, IDSA is a nonprofit organization with thousands of members in student chapters, professional chapters, and special interest sections in the United States and around the world. IDSA also sponsors the annual International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), an extremely prestigious and rigorous design competition.
Three key resources we like from Industrial Designers Society of America:

• What is Industrial Design?
• A New Model of Design Education
• Mastermind of the IBM ThinkPad Leaves “Enduring” Legacy

Cost: Resources listed are free; Contact for membership cost
19. Institute of Industrial Engineers
@iienet

The member association for industrial and systems engineers, The Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) is solely dedicated to supporting the industrial engineering profession. Industrial engineering includes the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment, and energy, and IIE is recognized as the leading provider of cutting-edge continuing education an information in industrial engineering. As such, IIE is a source of publications, live events, and other resources for industrial designers.
Three key resources we like from Institute of Industrial Engineers:

• Typical IE Projects
• Industrial Design Colloquium
• Final Five: Q & A with Laurence Kimball-Cook, founder and CEO of Pavegen Systems

Cost: Resources listed are free; Contact for membership cost
20. Product Design Funda!
@designfunda

Product Design Funda! is an industrial design-based forum that provides the latest news, analysis, trends, and reviews through community discussions. Product Design Funda! members have access to expertise, privacy settings, resources for business, technology, and jobs, and networking opportunities.
Three discussion threads we like from Product Design Funda!:

• Product Design: Idea Generation
• Trends in Product Design
• CAD/CAM/CAE General Questions

Cost: Resources listed are free; Contact for membership cost

Slide Decks
21. Presentation on Patents, Trademark and Industrial Design

Harish Patidar’s Presentation on Patents, Trademark and Industrial Design is a slide deck that examines intellectual property rights in relation to industrial design. It provides an overview of the legalities and processes involved in protecting intellectual property for industrial design and serves as a thorough introduction to the issues.
Three key points we like from Presentation on Patents, Trademark and Industrial Design:

• The Design Act of 2000 protects the design function in industry production, promotes innovation, and follows a “first to file” system
• Industrial design rights are granted on a country-by-country basis
• The first step to registering a design is to determine whether the design already exists

Cost: FREE
22. Intellectual Property Strategy: Industrial Design Registration in India
@techbusinesslaw

Tech-Corp Legal LLP is a leading patent law firm of intellectual property attorneys. Their industrial design slide deck, Intellectual Property Strategy: Industrial Design Registration in India, is relevant to any industrial designer or industrial design student who is interested in registering a product, whether in India or not.
Three key points we like from Intellectual Property Strategy: Industrial Design Registration in India:

• Registering an industrial design protects the industrial designer and rewards him for his creation, and not to protect the principles of operation or invention
• There are various classes for registering an industrial design, and it is important to ensure that industrial designers properly register their intellectual property
• Industrial designers often seek advice and guidance from experienced patent attorneys when preparing to register their industrial designs

Cost: FREE
23. Industrial Design Presentation
@IrwinDesigned

Rob Irwin, CEO and Principal Designer at Phi Logic, offers an overview of industrial design and the sustainability of product design in this SlideShare presentation. The slide deck outlines three aspects of industrial design (guiding principles, process, and case study), four areas relating to sustainability (methodology, triple bottom line, lifecycle thinking, and case study), and a few company examples. Irwin’s industrial designs slide deck is appropriate for those new to industrial design. Irwin is the
Three key points we like from Industrial Design Presentation:

• The primary responsibilities of an industrial designer include all aspect of the product that relate to the user, aesthetic appeal, tactile features, and a functional interface
• Successful industrial designers are collaborative, technically proficient, proficient in systems thinking, and have a deep understanding of user needs and the social and cultural implications of the design
• Industrial design process incorporates a problem statement or discovery of user need, identification of goals and opportunities, evaluation of methodology and prioritizing, concept development, concept testing and packaging, prototype testing and reviewing, refining and finalizing for production, and implementation

Cost: FREE

Online Courses
24. How I Designed, Prototyped & Manufactured My First Product
@SpatialStudios
@udemy

How I Designed, Prototyped & Manufactured My First Product is an industrial design Udemy course instructed by Randy Ganacias, “inventor, video producer, and maker of things.” Guanacos successfully funded his first Kickstarter product, the MilliMount, and has teamed up with Paladin Innovators to equip live mobile streaming to the masses. The course is for anyone who is interested in industrial design and seeks to help students take ideas from concept to creation.
Three key topics we like from How I Designed, Prototyped & Manufactured My First Product:

• Basic product sketching
• Creating a design kit for prospective companies who may want to license your product
• Learning where manufacturers are and what they need from you to create your product

Cost: $300
25. An Introduction to Design as a Process for Innovation
@jkolko
@udemy

Jon Kolko, designer, educator, and writer, is the founder and director of Austin Center for Design. Kook focuses on bringing the power of design to social enterprises, and he emphasizes entrepreneurship and large-scale industry disruption. His industrial design Udemy course, An Introduction to Design as a Process for Innovation, teaches students how the process of design can be used to drive innovation, develop new product ideas, and transform their company.
Three key topics we like from An Introduction to Design as a Process for Innovation:

• Empathy, prototyping, and informed inference: the three pillars of design
• The design process, including qualitative research, design synthesis, ideation, and user testing and evaluation
• Applying design in various contexts

Cost: $19
26. Photoshop Design – Sketch Like an Industrial Designer
@MBembli
@udemy

Founder of ProVideoSlides and TheSketchMonkey, Marouane Bembli is the instructor of Photoshop Design – Sketch Like an Industrial Designer. This industrial design course is designed for anyone who wants to learn design sketching using Photoshop, including design students and professionals who are interested in the design sketching process.
Three key topics we like from Photoshop Design – Sketch Like an Industrial Designer:

• Understanding perspective in “cloud sketching”
• Visualizing lights and LEDs
• Sketching transparent material, matte, and shiny surfaces

Cost: $99
27. SolidWorks 2016 Template & Properties in Depth
@Learn_Unlimited
@udemy

Industrial designer Asif Ahmed is the instructor for SolidWorks 2016 Template & Properties in Depth. The course covers template and custom properties management in SolidWorks and is appropriate for industrial designers who have previous experience with SolidWorks. Learn how to create part, assembly, and drawing templates using a variety of SolidWorks tools in this industrial design course offered through Udemy.
Three key topics we like from SolidWorks 2016 Template & Properties in Depth:

• Understanding custom properties and where to use them
• Customizing settings in template and document properties
• Creating an assembly template

Cost: $69
28. Autodesk Inventor 2016 Essential Training
@Learn_Unlimited
@udemy

Autodesk Inventor expert and author Asif Ahmed instructs Autodesk Inventor 2016 Essential Training, a Udemy course for industrial designers. Students will learn how to create sketch, parts, assembly, and drawing files using the tools available in Autodesk Inventor. Please note, Autodesk Inventor 2016 Essential Training is designed for beginners, so previous experience with Autodesk Inventor is not a requirement.
Three key topics we like from Autodesk Inventor 2016 Essential Training:

• Creating a new project
• Navigating model using view cube and navigation bar
• Creating a new sketch

Cost: $149
29. Product Design Course
@ALISONcourses

More than 9,540 students have taken this product design course from ALISON, a leader in free online workplace skills training. Participants will learn about product design and its role in business over the course of two to three hours in this course, which offers certification.
Three key topics we like from Product Design Course:

• Understanding principles and concepts of design and designing
• Using models in the industrial design process
• Understanding product concepts, product prototypes, and product design specification

Cost: FREE
30. Product Design and Development
@MITOCW

Product Design and Development, an MIT OpenCourseWare course, requires no registration and includes free lecture notes, projects, and examples. The graduate-level industrial design course was instructed by Professors Matthew Kressy, Steven Eppinger, Thomas Roemer, and Warren Seering.
Three key topics we like from Product Design and Development:

• Understanding modern tools and methods for product design and development
• Identifying customer needs
• Concept generation, product architecture, industrial design, and design for manufacturing

Cost: FREE
31. Up and Running with Rhino for Mac with Chris Reilly
@lynda

Up and Running with Rhino for Mac with Chris Reilly, an industrial design course, is offered by Lynda.com. 7 hours and 25 minutes long, Up and Running with Rhino for Mac is instructed by Chris Reilly, artist, hacker, and assistant professor of digital media at Eastern Michigan University. This industrial design online course centers on 3D + animation and CAD and does not require any prior experience with Rhino.
Three key topics we like from Up and Running with Rhino for Mac with Chris Reilly:

• Manipulating objects with commands
• Creating curves, surfaces, and solids
• Creating unique shapes with Boolean operators

Cost: FREE trial of Lynda.com available for 10 days; Contact for a quote
32. Autodesk Inventor: Product Design Workflow with Jana Schmidt
@lynda

An industrial design course perfect for anyone who has completed the Inventor Essential Training, Autodesk Inventor: Product Design Workflow with Jana Schmidt is a 1 hour and 42 minute course that walks students through a typical product design workflow in Inventor, from sketching to modeling parts to building assemblies to producing final drawings, all with eye-catching designs. Instructor Jana Schmidt is a subject matter expert for Autodesk’s K-12 initiative and the director of education and outreach for a nonprofit science center.
Three key topics we like from Autodesk Inventor: Product Design Workflow with Jana Schmidt:

• Using the Extrude and Hole commands
• Modeling using the Pattern command
• Adjusting materials and appearance

Cost: FREE trial of Lynda.com available for 10 days; Contact for a quote
33. SOLIDWORKS 2016 Essential Training with Gabriel Corbett
@lynda

Gabriel Corbett has 12 years of experience as a product designer and has been using SolidWorks and CAD tools since 1999. He instructs SOLIDWORKS 2016 Essential Training, an industrial design course offered by Lynda.com. Students will learn the essential tools and modeling techniques to design efficiently in SolidWorks, a leading CAD software solution for product design and development.
Three key topics we like from SOLIDWORKS 2016 Essential Training:

• Creating schetches
• Applying materials, colors, and backgrounds
• Building assemblies and subassemblies

Cost: FREE trial of Lynda.com available for 10 days; Contact for a quote
34. Migrating from AutoCAD to Inventor with Thom Tremblay
@lynda

An industrial designer course with a duration of 1 hour and 18 minutes, Migrating From AutoCAD to Inventor with Thom Tremblay explores the key elements of Inventor that experienced AutoCAD users need to have in order to move their projects and design processes over to Inventor. Instructor Thom Tremblay is an Autodesk Certified Instructor and Autodesk Certified Evaluator.
Three key topics we like from Migrating From AutoCAD to Inventor with Thom Tremblay:

• Customizing the look and behavior of Inventor
• Creating 2D drawings and 3D models
• Rendering 3D models

Cost: FREE trial of Lynda.com available for 10 days; Contact for a quote
35. Rapid Prototyping for Product Design with Gabriel Corbett
@lynda

Learn the most popular rapid-prototyping methods with product designer Gabriel Corbett through this 1 hour and 38 minute industrial design course from Lynda.com. The course features a first-hand look at the machinery and techniques involved in 3D printing, machining, resin casting, injection molding, 2D prototyping, and laser scanning.
Three key topics we like from Rapid Prototyping for Product Design with Gabriel Corbett:

• Understanding of the available prototyping processes
• Bringing your product through the prototyping stage and into the real world with a variety of machinery and tools
• Creating quick 2D models

Cost: FREE trial of Lynda.com available for 10 days; Contact for a quote
36. Product Design: The Delft Design Approach
@edXOnline

EdX offers free online courses from the world’s top universities and institutions. Product Design: The Delft Design Approach is an industrial design course from Delft University of Technology that helps students learn how to design meaningful products and services. An intermediate-level course, Product Design: The Delft Design Approach is nine weeks in length.
Three key topics we like from Product Design: The Delft Design Approach:

• Understanding users in their own environment
• Translating user needs into a design challenge to spark creativity
• Using methods and models to structure design projects

Cost: FREE; Option to add a verified certificate for $50
37. How to Sketch Like an Industrial Designer
@skillshare

Skillshare is a global learning community for creators. They offer How to Sketch Like an Industrial Designer, an industrial design course instructed by Julia Troy. Industrial designer and design director for Quirky, Troy teaches students how to take product ideas from their imaginations to presentation-quality sketches that effectively communicate the product and its purpose.
Three key topics we like from How to Sketch Like an Industrial Designer:

• Laying out the sketch
• Defining and refining
• Adding color and depth

Cost: FREE

Videos
38. My Life As An Industrial Design Major
@JParkerMoore

Industrial designer and vlogger James Parker Moore shares a day in his life as an industrial design major in this industrial design video, available on YouTube. The video documents Moore’s hands-on techniques for creating objects and making prototypes, making it a good industrial design resource for individuals who are interested in exploring the field and understanding what industrial designers do.
Three key topics we like from My Life As An Industrial Design Major:

• Creating templates
• Using various tools to create product models
• Understanding the challenges industrial designers face

Cost: FREE
39. What Is Industrial Design?
@Icsid

International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSDI) is dedicated to creating a world where design enhances our social, cultural, economic, and environmental quality of life. ICSDI’s industrial design video, What Is Industrial Design?, is available on YouTube and describes industrial design in the 21st century and examines the ways in which it impacts our lives.
Three key points we like from What Is Industrial Design?:

• Industrial design incorporates culture, traditions, and experience
• Industrial designers meet people’s needs and improve standards of living
• Industrial design gives designers the opportunity to find solutions to everyday problems

Cost: FREE
40. Drawing Skills for Industrial Design Artists
@le_mec

Mark Chong is a game developer whose YouTube channel, Mark’s Drawing Tutorials, has more than 23,180 subscribers. In this industrial design drawing tutorial, Chong offers tips on drawing for industrial designers. Almost 41 minutes in length, the video offers useful drawing skills for designers who are drawing concept art for 3D modelers.
Three key points we like from Drawing Skills for Industrial Design Artists:

• Sketches must be disposable and easy to create, so that designers can work through their ideas
• Don’t spend too much time making a perfect illustration because you want to give yourself the freedom to explore other ideas
• Keep in mind that it’s common for the first ideas to be the worst ideas

Cost: FREE
41. A Day In the Life of an Industrial Designer – Chapter 1
@MajorDczion

Major Decision produces award-winning career guidance video content. Their industrial design video, A Day in the Life of an Industrial Designer – Chapter 1, explores the work of industrial designers, including their tools, skills, and collaborative efforts and features industrial designer Seth Freytag of Inoventions. Approximately 4 minutes and 30 seconds in length, this industrial design video serves as a thorough introduction to industrial design and would be a helpful resource for students interested in pursuing a career in industrial design.
Three key points we like from A Day in the Life of an Industrial Designer – Chapter 1:

• Industrial design involves redesigning current products, or meeting the needs of companies or users and designing brand new products
• Industrial designers often enjoy sketching and creating things when they are young
• Industrial design enables designers to create products and build items, so it is a good fit for people who enjoy being creative and working hands on with materials

Cost: FREE
42. Industrial Design Using SolidWorks
@InnovaSystemsUK

Innovate Systems are experts in SolidWorks training and support. Their industrial design video, Industrial Design Using SolidWorks, features Ed Hawkins. Hawkins is technical manager and elite application engineer at Innova Systems. Nearly 50 minutes in length, Industrial Design Using SolidWorks gives viewers a comprehensive look into the features of SolidWorks and helps them to understand how useful the software is in industrial design.
Three key topics we like from Industrial Design Using SolidWorks:

• SolidWorks benefits industrial design by enabling industrial designers to complete rendered designs
• Using industrial design sketches to create 3D models
• Using splines to create and check curvature

Cost: FREE
43. Industrial Design vs Mechanical Engineering
@fictiv

A hardware development platform for engineers and designers, Fictiv offers the tools, expertise, and community that industrial designers rely on to lead to more efficient manufacturing. Their industrial design video, Industrial Design vs Mechanical Engineering, presents a panel discussion on the relationship between design and engineering in developing hardware products.
Three key points we like from Industrial Design vs Mechanical Engineering:

• Going from an idea to a physical piece sometimes includes tension between design and engineering
• Feel versus function is often a challenge for industrial designers
• Understanding the balance of the form and the function is key for industrial engineers

Cost: FREE
44. 4design – Industrial Design, Engineering, Prototyping and Production Services Video
@RNR_Associates

R&R Associates handle product design, engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing. Their industrial design video, 4design – Industrial Design, Engineering, Prototyping, and Production Services Video, walks viewers through the entire industrial design process, from idea to production. Its thorough overview of the industrial design process is what makes this industrial design video a great resource for those new to the field.
Three key points we like from 4design – Industrial Design, Engineering, Prototyping, and Production Services Video:

• Collecting data is vital to industrial design, as you want to ensure that you are creating something original
• Analyzing a product’s strengths is an important factor in determining its success
• Industrial designers use technology tools to conceptualize ideas while considering the product’s form and aesthetics

Cost: FREE
45. Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
@Focuspdm

Focus Product Design is a full-service product design and engineering firm that also serves as a manufacturing partner. Focus brings new ideas to fruition for everyone from inventors to Fortune 500s. Their industrial design video, Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering, examines industrial design for manufacturing as a practice that focuses both on designs of new products and their feasibility of production.
Three key points we like from Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering:

• Developing an industrial design process for manufacturing engineering is extremely important
• Collaboration and a streamlined approach to the industrial design process are key
• Industrial design often involves giving companies and clients options based on price points

Cost: FREE
46. Industrial Design for Outer Space
@VICE

VICE strives to be “the definitive guide to enlightening information.” As such, they offer their industrial design video, Industrial Design for Outer Space, which examines the process for designing the interior of a spacecraft. The video highlights the design, engineering, and problem solving that is inherent to industrial design; it features Evan Twyford, a habitability designer for NASA who now works as an independent freelance concept designer.
Three key points we like from Industrial Design for Outer Space:

• Industrial design takes an idea from the designer’s head and turns it into a fully functional product
• Industrial designers often use product mock-ups made of wood or foam and then create fully functional prototypes after studying the mock-ups and making necessary changes to the aesthetics or form
• Industrial designers need to be adept at solving problems

Cost: FREE

Webinars
47. 3D Printing Gets Real for Tooling & Manufacturing
@DesignNews

One of the most trusted voices in the design and engineering communities, DesignNews offers 3D Printing Gets Real for Tooling & Manufacturing. An industrial design resource, this webinar is 60 minutes in length and features speakers Jim LaHood, an engineering specialist, and Jonathan Bissmeyer, a senior quality engineer, speaking about the ways in which 3D printing and additive manufacturing aids in faster creating and verification of design ideas and prototyping.
Three key topics we like from 3D Printing Gets Real for Tooling & Manufacturing:

• Various additive manufacturing applications in setup, CMM tools, and fixtures
• Cost savings that are available through factory applications
• Opportunities and challenges presented by low-volume production

Cost: FREE with email registration
48. On-Demand Webinar: Accelerate the Industrial Design Cycle
@TriMech3D

TriMech is an industrial design and engineering resource that provides complete SolidWorks 3D CAD and Stratasys 3D printing product solutions. They also offer their industrial design webinar, Accelerate the Industrial Design Cycle, with presenter Brad Williamson. Williamson is senior technical manager of SolidWorks.
Three key topics we like from On-Demand Webinar: Accelerate the Industrial Design Cycle:

• Quickly generate multiple design concepts before committing time to building a prototype
• SolidWorks Industrial Designer is a flexible, intuitive solution for industrial designers
• Industrial designers can accelerate design and reduce costs with the correct tools

Cost: FREE with email registration
49. Integrated Design for Product Success
@idmMIT

Integrated Design & Management from MIT includes engineering, business, and design skills for students with creative vision and integrity. Matthew Kressy, director and senior lecturer for Integrated Design & Management at MIT, presents Integrated Design for Product Success, a webinar that is part of the MIT SDM Systems Thinking Webinar Series. The webinar explores why product designs succeed or fail.
Three key topics we like from Integrated Design for Product Success:

• Characteristics of good design approaches that are interdisciplinary and user-centered, while also maximizing creativity and embracing failure as a stepping stone
• The importance of early integration of all product development disciplines
• General guidelines and a checklist to help organizations assess their resources accurately

Cost: FREE
50. Building Your Own IoT Product: Consumer vs. enterprise Considerations
@macadamianlabs

Macadamian is a full-service UX design and development software firm. They present their industrial design webinar, Building Your Own IoT Product: Consumer vs. Enterprise Considerations, which is available on demand. This nearly hour-long webinar explores the most significant challenges organizations face when designing for the Internet of Things. Macadamian has also made the webinar slides available for download, with email registration.
Three key points we like from Building Your Own IoT Product: Consumer vs. Enterprise Considerations:

• Several challenges face industrial designers who are focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Just because you build it, doesn’t mean people will want it; you have to have a purpose for your product and make sure that you have made key, clear design decisions
• All parties involved in IoT should have a hand in the design, from low-level design to production

Cost: FREE