Industrial and product design are closely related disciplines, and many of their elements coincide. Their primary objective is to create functional and aesthetically pleasing products. However, they also have distinct characteristics and objectives that set them apart.
This guide explores the similarities and differences of industrial vs. product design by looking at the processes behind the two methodologies with the help of our experts.
Table of Contents
What Is Product Design?
Product design refers to the entire process of designing new products or improving existing ones, focusing on form, function, and user experience. It is often considered a subset of industrial design, as it typically does not involve the mass production of commodities.
Mark Little, Product Designer & Director at LUMA-iD, talks about the first step behind product design: "Ensure there is a genuine need for a product. It's crucial that products that enter the market are needed, can be useful, and are designed to consider their total carbon footprint. We don't want badly designed, unnecessary, or well-designed products to enter landfills and be a huge waste on the planet."
Myles Bates, Design Engineer & Founder of Bates Product Design, says that when designing a product, it's crucial to consider real-life customers to avoid overwhelming or confusing them: “Designers should account for the final user's knowledge and potential usage scenarios, including who will use the product, how it will be maintained, and the worst-case scenarios it might face. [...] By considering diverse end users, features such as easy cleaning, visible indicators for key functions in the dark, and replaceable covers can be incorporated to enhance durability and usability.”
Voytek Holysz, Chief Operations Officer at Mindsailors Industrial Design, offers another piece of advice, highlighting the important role that communication plays in product development: "Explaining your rationale and leveling the language so that everyone understands each other, regardless of experience or knowledge is vital. No one should assume what someone else knows, is doing, or will do next. No product design process will succeed without good communication."
Product design strikes a balance between functionality and aesthetics. Designers use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create designs, mockups, and drafts to transform an idea into a physical product.
Entrepreneurs often have ideas that they want to turn into life-changing products for consumers. As product design requires extensive expertise and technical skills, they enlist the help of a product design company to shape their unique ideas.
What Is Industrial Design?
The scope of industrial design is much broader. It involves designing products specifically for mass production, taking into account manufacturing processes, materials, and cost-effectiveness. Industrial design has a relatively higher impact, as large-scale manufacturing has enabled millions of people to maintain a higher living standard.
Industrial design companies begin with an initial product design and then focus on mass production or outsourcing manufacturing to a different company.
Andrew Namminga, Principal Industrial Designer at ANDesign Lab, believes that prioritizing user needs is essential to superior design: "Elevate function, aesthetics, and experience. Craft products users love interacting with."
Benjamin Wild, Marketing Executive at Resolute DTF, supports this claim and adds: "User-centric design is the cornerstone of creating products that look great and meet practical user demands."
In practical terms, the industrial design process is not restricted to CAD and computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools. Simply designing each component and how they fit together is not enough to succeed in industrial design. Instead, every component of the product must be considered in detail to establish the necessary manufacturing requirements.
For example, industrial designers must create feasible processes to ensure that the materials can survive the mass production stages. In contrast, product designers who don’t deal with industrial goods can bypass such intricate details, which is one of the differentiating factors between product and industrial design.
Industrial vs Product Design: What Are the Similarities?
Product design and industrial design share several similarities:
- General objective: Industrial and product design share a common goal of creating functional and user-friendly products. They both focus on improving the usability and aesthetic appeal of these items.
- Research: Both processes involve thorough market research to understand user needs.
- Expertise: Both require a deep understanding of materials and production processes to deliver cost-effective solutions.
- Design process: Industrial and product designers carry out prototype testing and iterate design improvements based on feedback.
- Skills: They involve similar skills, including sketching, 3D modeling, and prototyping.
- Collaboration: Both fields require close coordination and collaboration with experts in other disciplines, such as engineering, manufacturing, marketing, etc.
- Innovation: Designers in both areas constantly seek new and innovative solutions to design challenges.
Industrial vs Product Design: What Are the Differences?
If you’re unsure whether to choose a product or an industrial design company, it’s essential to understand the differences between their offerings.
The following table outlines the distinctions between industrial design and product design:
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN | PRODUCT DESIGN |
Considers the details and mechanics of mass production | Focuses on delivering the best user-centric product. |
Focuses on the integration of form and function as well as efficiency and cost-effectiveness of production on a large scale | Primarily concerned with aesthetics, ergonomics, and user interaction. |
Involves collaboration with engineers to ensure the design’s feasibility | Centers on functionality, aesthetics, user interface (UI), and user experience (UX). |
Must abide by specific standards and regulations for mass-produced goods | Ensures the product aligns with applicable standards, but the scope is narrower. |
Mostly for appliances, automobiles, tools, equipment, etc. | Mostly for consumer electronics, apparel, software, graphics, etc. |
Takeaways on Product and Industrial Design
There is a thin line between product and industrial design services, and both play critical roles in their respective processes. When you have a clear idea of your design requirements, it becomes easier to differentiate between the two.
Product and industrial designers play crucial roles across various industries, and their expertise helps transform ideas into viable products. Hiring a product design company ensures you have experts who manage everything from product naming to overcoming setbacks in the development process. In contrast, an industrial design company focuses on mass production and value engineering to determine the feasibility of an idea.
Contact a leading product design or industrial design company to discuss the scope of your project and what you need to achieve your goals.
Industrial vs Product Design FAQs
1. Is a product designer an industrial designer?
An industrial designer can be a product designer, but a product designer cannot be an industrial designer without additional qualifications and experience. This is because becoming a product designer does not require knowledge of manufacturing processes.
2. Is product design and industrial design the same?
Product design and industrial design are not the same. While they overlap in many areas, product design focuses mainly on conceptualization, user interface, and user experience. It involves creating functional and practical products with the end-user in mind.
On the other hand, industrial design concentrates on a product's physical appearance, functionality, and manufacturability. It's about creating products for mass production, often involving knowledge of raw materials and complex manufacturing processes and technologies.
3. What is an example of industrial design?
Industrial design centers on efficient, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing mass-produced items. Some of the best industrial design examples include KitchenAid Mixer, the Dyson vacuum, and electric vehicles.
4. What is an example of product design?
Product design centers on UX and UI. Some of the best product design examples include the iPhone and other Apple products, Netflix, and TikTok.
