Industrial Design Major - Bachelor of Design Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa
Industrial design is an exciting and rapidly evolving profession. AUT industrial and product design graduates are award-winning and well-prepared for a changing future. Join us, and gain practical skills and industry connections.
Industrial design at AUT focuses on good design for a better world. Products we design can be tangible, three-dimensional manufactured objects like consumer products, furniture, packaging, medical and sports equipment, or they can be systems, services and interfaces, always with innovation as a main driver.
At AUT, you work in open plan design studios and have access to world-class technologies, facilities and workshops.
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This is part of the Bachelor of Design Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa.
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The Industrial Design major is future focused, and throughout your studies you'll work with industry in creative ways to solve real-life problems through good design for a range of industrial design projects.
Year 1
You'll be introduced to industrial design practice, design processes and design thinking. Your design studio projects will be hands-on and collaborative, and you'll develop fundamental design skills, theories and processes.
You'll spend time in our workshops making things and be introduced to key drawing and communication skills.
Semester 1 courses
- DESN511 Introduction to Design Practice (30 points)
- DIGD507 Mahitahi | Collaborative Practice (15 points)
- DESN512 Making and Media (15 points)
Semester 2 courses
- PRDD511 Industrial Design Practice I (30 points)
- Plus two courses* from your second major, your minor(s) or elective courses
Year 2
You'll undertake more sophisticated creative projects and deepen your knowledge of industrial and product design practice. This includes working with industry-standard digital modelling software, and building an understanding of industrial manufacturing technologies.
Semester 1 courses
- PRDD611 Industrial Design Practice II (30 points)
- Plus two courses* from your second major, your minor(s) or elective courses
Semester 2 courses
- PRDD612 Industrial Design Practice III (30 points)
- Plus two courses* from your second major, your minor(s) or elective courses
Year 3
We'll help you work through your own design project from initial ideation, through research and development, to prototyping and exhibition. You'll focus on human-centred design and position your work in terms of existing theory and practice.
The year ends in a public exhibition where you can show your work to the public.
Semester 1 courses
- PRDD711 Industrial Design Practice IV (30 points)
- Plus two courses* from your second major, your minor(s) or elective courses
Semester 2 course
- DESN711 Integrated Design Practice (60 points)
*Two 15-point courses or one 30-point course.
Industrial design projects
You work more independently on product design projects, in partnership with industry partners like:
- Macpac
- Citta Design
- Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
- Auckland District Health Board
- Auckland Council
- Zespri
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Other majors in the Bachelor of Design Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa
- Real-life projects alongside our industry partners
- Dynamic and collaborative learning environment
- World-class facilities including 3D labs and rapid prototyping laboratory
- Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
- An idea generator
- Environmentally conscious
- A design thinker
- A practical problem-solver
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.