Best sources for industrial design ideas?

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Sources for industrial design ideas include books, professional organizations, industry publications, online directories, and conferences. The International Designers Society of America and the Design Management Institute are good organizations to join. Books covering the history of industrial design and essays by designers can also provide inspiration.

The best sources of ideas are usually those that inspire and stimulate the creative imagination to develop new and better projects. There are many sources for industrial design ideas in books, professional organizations, and industry publications. Many resources for industrial design ideas can be found in online publications or print magazines. Conferences, seminars, and other opportunities to brainstorm ideas can be found through membership in various industrial design organizations. Likewise, there are a number of good books on the history, practice, concepts and pioneers of industrial design.

Online or print publications provide some of the best and most easily accessible industrial design ideas available today. Online directories of industrial designers and design studios provide a good source for viewing a company’s latest and greatest industrial design portfolios. Many industrial design organizations produce various publications including industry reviews, trends and industrial design showcases. Some online industrial design organizations offer various case studies that provide a wealth of inspiration and ideas. Performing an online search for “industrial design” will yield an almost endless source of industrial design firms showcasing their work online.

Various companies and professional organizations are also a good source of industrial design ideas. The International Designers Society of America (IDSA) is one of the oldest and largest groups in the world dedicated to industrial design, and offers various opportunities to meet other industrial designers, learn more and get ideas. Organizations like the Design Management Institute (DMI), which claims to connect design leaders with the inspiration and sources needed to succeed in the industry, can also provide inspiration. They also produce DMI Review, the leading publication on design, and Design Management Journal, which is a peer-reviewed academic publication. Search online for other industrial design organizations who can provide information on conferences, learning opportunities, or other resources to help brainstorm ideas.

Books are another good source of industrial design ideas. Some good books to consider might be those that cover the entire history of industrial design from its beginnings in the 1850s to the present day. Other books that might be useful sources of ideas would be those that contain essays written by industrial designers, curators, advertisers, manufacturers, and industry theorists. Books that provide hard-to-find collections of papers, speeches, personal papers, articles, and commentaries by industrial design pioneers, such as R. Buckminster Fuller and Victor Papanek, are also likely to be a good source of inspiration.




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