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Can you please tell me a little about the Industrial Design program, what it offers and how its delivered?
Industrial Design at the Faculty of Design is a three-year degree with an optional fourth-year for Honours. This Honours year is mostly undertaken by students who participate in Study Abroad or Industry Placement (IP) in their Third year. It also allows students to better prepare themselves for the increasingly competitive workplace or post-graduate studies. We have several MDes, DDes and PhD students in Industrial Design and most of our staff have Post-Graduate degrees.
Right from First year, we engage in experiential learning, which means learning about design by the act of designing products, services and systems with a lecturer to guide you, and your fellow students to share with. Most of our teaching occurs in 3-hour design studios, with 1-hour lectures for imparting specific information. Teaching and learning experiences are many and varied including guest lecturers, industry experts, group work on some projects, individual work on other projects, presentations and discussions about each other’s design work. Some of our classes are shared with other programs, such as Interior Design and Product Design Engineering while others are specific to Industrial Design. The shared studios allow engagement with students and staff from other programs and set our graduates up well for the increasingly multi-disciplinary demands of design employers. Subjects specific to Industrial Design include Drawing and Design Studio and also Technology, which takes place in our well equipped Workshop using wood, plastic, metal and other materials.
What makes the Industrial Design program stand out from similar programs at other universities?
We encourage students from all programs, including Industrial Design, to mix and learn from each other. Swinburne degrees begin with the Design Lab trans-disciplinary year giving all students access to a wide array of skills, and opportunities to learn from staff and students in other programs. Shared studios also occur in later years of the course.
The Industry Placement (IP) scheme is one we pride ourselves on at the Faculty of Design. It involves selected students being placed in appropriate design related employment in their third year, for which they are payed a small stipend. Other unique experiences include the opportunity to work in the Design Centre, an “in-house” Design Consultancy doing work for real clients, and the opportunity to Study Abroad with selected Universities in Sweden, Germany, Malaysia, Korea and other countries.
Research underpins everything we do at the Faculty of Design. Design projects are always situated within a broader context which we describe as the New Design Nexus. This includes themes such as changing demographics, sustainability, and new materials and technologies, and forms the parameters within which we design new products, services and systems. Increasingly all around the world clients are expecting Industrial Designers to do more than merely “style” products and Swinburne graduates have the design and research skills to meet the challenge.
Swinburne graduates can apply for further study within National Institute for Design Research (NIDR) and enrol in MDes, DDes and PhD programs. Our programs are amongst Australia’s finest. For example, we are the only Design Faculty in Australia to be working within a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).
Can you tell me what career opportunities await graduates of the Industrial Design program?
Our graduates have found employment within a wide diversity of Design Consultancies, often with the IP contacts they met while students. These range from the small with only a few staff through to large multi-national manufacturers such as the car companies Holden and Ford. Post-graduate opportunities exist in NIDR and other Universities in Australia and abroad.
Can you give me examples of some outstanding graduates/staff from the program?
Enlai Hooi, Tom Seymour and Martin Reid are all recent graduates who have national, and even international, reputations. Other recent graduates have won prizes including:
- Myer Furniture Award 2003 – won by James Jeffrey and Mark Jaworski.
- Moran Furniture Prize 2004 – won by Anita Hatters.
- Finalists Dyson Student Design Awards 2004 - Bridget Allison, Huy Tran and Gwo Yunn Law.
- City of Milan Prize 2005 - of the 17 young Australian finalists whose work went to Milan, 4 are were Swinburne Industrial Designers.
What do you look for in a potential student?
Industrial Designers must be problem solvers. In times past, these problems were mostly technical, relating to materials and manufacturing technologies, and aesthetic, relating to styling. While these issues are still important, designers today are increasingly being asked to engage with social issues – such as our present ageing society – and with services and systems of design. For example, rather than just asking you to design a bike, we ask you to propose an integrated bike-hire and public transport system to help alleviate city congestion. And design the bike too! We seek the same broad-minded approach to design from potential students and can help you further develop.
Industrial Designers must also be strong communicators. A recent survey of Australian Design Consultancies suggested employers sought strong communication skills in graduate designers (see www.core77.com). We seek the same skills. Draw, read, write and speak about your design ideas clearly and with passion!
Are there pathways one can take to better their chances into the Industrial Design program?
If students are not successful in entering the Industrial Design program directly after VCE, completing a TAFE design program can help students gain entry into the degree program. This includes our own Swinburne TAFE at Wantirna which offers a one year Cert IV in Arts, Applied Design - Product stream.
How are students selected and what advice would you give to someone applying?
By ENTER score, with some mandatory subjects and a pass in English. See the most recent VTAC guide for further information.
How is the course regarded and supported by the local/International industry?
Very well. Our Industry placement (IP) employers, including Sprocket Design, Neo Purple, Holden Australia and Outer Space Design Group, are testimony to the value of our students as employees to these well established companies.
Recent graduates have found work locally at Rip Curl, Outer Space, Catalyst, Holden, Ford, and internationally with illustrious companies such as Braun and Frog Design in Germany.
What's the best advice you would give someone contemplating a career in Design?
Gain a realistic understanding of the design profession by immersing yourself in the local design culture - meet with designers, read about design in books and magazines, attend design events at galleries and museums. Industrial Design courses are not easy to gain entry into, so do your homework – Obtain work experience at local consultancies if possible. Visit us on our Open Day and ask students and staff questions. Only then will you know whether this is the career for you. Good luck!
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