Curated OER
Robots All Around Us
Student work in design teams to research robots, create a drawing of a robot they want to make, build a prototype of their robot, present their prototype and research, and write a descriptive paragraph about their creation.
Curated OER
Industrial Strength Design
Students design, invent, and build a model of something new, useful, or decorative to solve a problem using any combination of materials provided. They also create logos, packaging, etc. related to product sales.
Curated OER
In The Year 2121
Students research the advances of an invention's industrial design over decades or centuries. They project improvements and innovations for the future in drawings and descriptive prose. Automobiles are used as an example.
Curated OER
What Is Industrial Design?
Students explore the processes used by industrial designers to design useful, safe, and appealing mass-produced objects. They select an object from their home or classroom and redesign it to improve its function, feel, and/or appearance.
Other
Fantasy Design
Fantasy Design is a European school project that introduces the concept of product design to participating schools. You can learn about the program, see the resulting student product ideas, and get useful teaching resources to try...
PBS
Pbs Online News Hour: The Stuff of Life: u.s. Design 1975 2000
PBS profiles the exhibit at the Denver Art Museum about how design is relevant in our society. There are interviews, images, and video--enough for developing your own lesson plan.
American Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement: Frank O. Gehry
Biography on Frank Gehry, a renowned architect and designer. Some of his famous works include the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
Powerhouse Museum: Australian Product (Industrial) Designer at Work
From the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia, this is "Australian Product Designer at Work" from the exhibit "Australian Designers at Work". Product design or Industrial design is presented with an exploration of the career of...
Other
Ontario Council for Technology Education: Designing a Desk Organizer [Pdf]
By the end of this project, students will be able to understand and work through the stages of the design process, assess and develop design criteria when creating concept and scaled sketches, and use computer design software (SketchUp...
Library of Congress
Loc: The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention
Husband-and-wife design team, Charles and Ray Eames, revolutionized postwar America with loads of practical inventions and designs for everyday living. Exhibition tells the story of their lives and careers.
Museum of Modern Art
Mo Ma: Different Roads: Automobiles for the Next Century
Check out some of the future car designs from major manufacturers. Also learn about what goes in to powering cars among other bits of information.
Other
Bauhaus Archive and Museum of Design (Berlin)
A museum dedicated to the history and art stemming from the influential Bauhaus school founded by Walter Gropius in Germany in 1919. Extensive historical information. To switch languages from German to English, click on De for German or...
Other
Milwaukee Art Museum: Design a Better Bag
Students explore the creative process and understand the invention/innovation process through examining how paper bags are constructed. Teams of students work cooperatively to design, innovate, and then build their own paper bag models...
Other
Milwaukee Art Museum: Design a New Product
Teams of young scholars work cooperatively to choose the ten greatest inventions from a list of likely candidates and compile the list in a graph. Teams of students work cooperatively to design, invent, and build a model of something...
Other
Milwaukee Art Museum: You Can't Sell This Thing
Introduce learners to new product trademarks, logos, packaging, and advertising. Teams of students will design and create a logo or trademark, packaging box, and poster for original products.
Other
Milwaukee Art Museum: In the Year 2121
Students research the advances of an invention's industrial design over decades or centuries. They then project future improvements and innovations with drawings and descriptive prose.
Other
Ties Magazine: Safe Design Takes on Risk
A printable article that reviews an art exhibit at the MoMA in New York. The article highlights a few of the product designs from the exhibit that each deal with the idea of safety. There is also a link to the online exhibit if you'd...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Libraries:industrial Drawings at the Smithsonian: Doodles & Drafts
Drawing is a key element in an inventor's skill set. When it comes to the working out of new ideas, inventors turn to pencil and paper. Mixing art and science, this exhibition site showcases a collection of industrial drawings that...
Other
Design at Apple
Jonathan Ive, vice president of industrial design at Apple, discusses the design of the iMac, iPod and other innovative products.
Careers New Zealand
Careers New Zealand: Industrial Designer
Although based out of New Zealand, this site provides quality information on the profession of industrial designers. Information includes typical tasks and duties, personal requirements needed for the job, education requirements, typical...
Other
Open University: Manufacturing
How are designs turned into products?How are designs turned into products? This unit will introduce manufacturing as a system and will describe some of the many different ways of making products.
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: Bourke White's 'Photography of Design'
A discussion of Bourke-White's images that focused on her photographs of industry in America. Includes links, images and audio interviews of Bourke-White experts.
Science Struck
Science Struck: History of Industrial Design and Notable Designers
Provides an overview of movements in the history of industrial design and a list of significant designers.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Libraries: From Horses to Horsepower: Studebaker Helps Move a Nation
A timeline and comprehensive background of the Studebaker.