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Top 15 Countries with the Highest Average Salaries for Industrial Designers

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The field of industrial design is ever-evolving, offering creative minds the opportunity to shape the products and systems that define our daily lives. As a field that blends aesthetics, functionality, technology, sustainability, and innovative problem-solving, industrial design has become a lucrative career path in many parts of the world. However, the financial rewards for junior industrial designers can vary significantly across different countries. We explore the top 15 countries where industrial designers can expect some of the highest average salaries, providing a comprehensive overview of each nation’s contribution to the field, as well as key cities, universities, and companies that shape their vibrant design ecosystems. The salary ranges were compared across a variety of forums like Glassdoor and Payscale, and are listed based on their averages. This list doesn’t consider the cost of living in the countries, which definitely has a significant effect on the salary too. However, a high salary is an indication (at least in a very primitive way) of a burgeoning design industry, and an appreciation and acceptance of design as a viable profession. When you consult this list, we also recommend you do your own research to see which countries have an affordable standard of living, flexible visa regulations, and a stable economy with rising jobs. Read till the end for another important disclaimer!

1. Switzerland

Annual Salary Range – $86,650-$112,700 USD

Vitra Campus, Switzerland

Switzerland consistently ranks among the highest in terms of average salaries across various professions, and industrial design is no exception. Junior industrial designers in Switzerland can expect to earn between $86,000 and $112,000 USD per year. The high cost of living is offset by strong wages and excellent working conditions, making it an attractive destination for design professionals. Renowned for its precision engineering and luxury goods industries as well as being the epicenter of global watchmaking, Switzerland offers a thriving job market bolstered by strong economic stability. Key cities like Zurich, Geneva, and Basel are central to the country’s design landscape. Prominent universities such as Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), and École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL) produce top-tier talent, feeding into leading companies like Vitra, Rado, and SIGG.

2. United States

Annual Salary Range – $65,700 – $95,000 USD

Apple Park, USA

The United States remains a global leader in design and innovation, with an average annual salary for junior industrial designers ranging from $65,700 to $95,000 USD. Cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are not only cultural epicenters but also hotspots for design firms and tech companies, offering plentiful opportunities for designers to grow and earn well. Prestigious institutions such as the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Carnegie Mellon University, ArtCenter College of Design, and Pratt Institute contribute significantly to the industry’s talent pool. Leading design firms like IDEO, Frog Design, and Smart Design, among prominent companies like Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft are driving the design sector forward.

3. Denmark

Annual Salary Range – $62,600 – $75,100 USD

Bang & Olufsen

Denmark is renowned for its distinctive design philosophy, blending minimalism with functionality. Junior industrial designers in Denmark earn between $62,600 and $75,100 USD per year. The country’s rich design heritage, combined with a strong emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, attracts designers from around the world looking to contribute to impactful projects. Key cities like Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense are hubs of design activity. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Aarhus School of Architecture are among the prominent institutions nurturing creative talent. Danish companies like Designit, Bang & Olufsen, the Danish Design Center, and Jacob Jensen Design are leaders in the industry. Even LEGO’s headquarters are located in Billund, Denmark.

4. Norway

Annual Salary Range – $56,700 – $66,150 USD

Snøhetta Viewpoint, Norway

Norway’s commitment to design excellence and sustainability makes it a fantastic location for industrial designers. Junior designers in Norway can expect annual salaries ranging from $56,700 to $66,150 USD. The nation’s strong economy supports a healthy job market with a strong focus on innovative design solutions, particularly in environmental and tech sectors. Prominent cities such as Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim play key roles in the design landscape. Educational institutions like Oslo National Academy of the Arts and Bergen Academy of Art and Design are notable for their contributions to the field. Leading companies like Scandinavian Design Group, Snøhetta, and Yokoland offer numerous opportunities for professional growth.

5. Germany

Annual Salary Range – $42,800 – $65,600 USD

Siemens Headquarters, Germany

Germany’s robust industrial sector and dedication to engineering excellence extend to its industrial design industry, where junior designers can expect to earn between $42,800 and $65,600 USD per year. Cities like Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart are hubs for automotive and high-tech companies, offering numerous opportunities for designers to engage in innovative projects and advance their careers. Leading universities such as Bauhaus University Weimar and the University of Applied Sciences Schwäbisch Gmünd produce highly skilled designers. German design giants like Siemens, AEG, Audi, and Braun are among the many companies at the forefront of industrial design.

6. Japan

Annual Salary Range – $40,900 – $63,500 USD

Sony Headquarters, Japan

Known to be at the forefront of technology and design, Japan cements its place as the only Asian country on this list, offering junior industrial designers average salaries between $40,900 and $63,500 USD annually. The country’s unique blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern innovation provides a fascinating landscape for design professionals to develop their skills. Key cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are central to Japan’s design industry. Prominent educational institutions like the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Kyoto Institute of Technology are known for their strong design programs. Renowned companies like Sony, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nikon, Panasonic, and iconic design studios like Muji exemplify Japan’s innovative design and tech culture.

7. Finland

Annual Salary Range – $40,000 – $63,400 USD

Marimekko Store, Finland

Finland offers junior industrial designers average salaries ranging from $40,000 to $63,400 USD per year. Finnish design is renowned worldwide for its minimalistic and human-centered approach. The country’s commitment to top-tier education and quality of life makes it an attractive destination for design professionals. Key cities such as Helsinki, Espoo, and Tampere are crucial to the design scene. Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the University of Lapland are leading educational institutions nurturing creative talent. Companies like Marimekko, Fiskars, and Nokia are central to Finland’s design industry.

8. Austria

Annual Salary Range – $39,000 – $60,000 USD

Swarovski Crystal Museum, Austria

Junior industrial designers in Austria can expect to earn an average annual salary ranging from $39,000 to $60,000 USD. The country’s design scene is bolstered by a strong cultural heritage and a robust economy, with key cities like Vienna, Salzburg, and Graz playing pivotal roles. Notable educational institutions such as the University of Applied Arts Vienna and FH Joanneum contribute significantly to the field. Leading companies like Swarovski, Red Bull (they’re more than a beverage company), and Kiska are integral to Austria’s design and innovation landscape.

9. Australia

Annual Salary Range – $40,600 – $54,200 USD

RMIT University, Australia

Not to be confused with Austria (given their proximity on this list!), Australia’s design industry is vibrant, and the country offers junior industrial designers an average salary between $40,600 and $54,200 USD per year. It gets a place below Austria because of the average salary taken within the given range. The Australian market is known for its emphasis on sustainable design and innovation. Cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane host a plethora of design agencies and companies specializing in various industries, from automotive to consumer electronics. Noteworthy universities such as RMIT University, the University of New South Wales, and Swinburne University of Technology provide a strong educational foundation for budding designers. Leading firms like Designworks, Blue Sky Design Group, and Cobalt Design are at the forefront of the industry’s growth.

10. France

Annual Salary Range – $39,000 – $54,700 USD

Renault Automotive R&D Center, France

France is a cradle of art, culture, and luxury, renowned for its significant contributions to industrial design. Junior industrial designers in France can expect average annual salaries ranging from $39,000 to $54,700 USD. Paris stands at the epicenter, offering a blend of historical grandeur and cutting-edge design. The city’s vibrant galleries, museums, and design firms create a dynamic atmosphere for aspiring designers. Lyon, with its rich industrial heritage, and Marseille, known for its Mediterranean influence, are also key players in the design landscape. Prestigious institutions like École nationale supérieure de création industrielle (ENSCI) and Strate School of Design foster top-tier talent. Leading companies such as Renault in automotive design, Hermès in luxury goods, and Airbus in aerospace offer promising career opportunities. France’s design industry intricately weaves tradition with modernity, making it an inspiring destination for industrial designers.

11. Sweden

Annual Salary Range – $41,200 – $50,600 USD

Electrolux Headquarters, Sweden

Sweden’s long-standing tradition of design excellence is reflected in the average salaries for junior industrial designers, which range from $41,200 to $50,600 USD per year. Swedish design is synonymous with quality and innovation, with a particular emphasis on functionality and aesthetic simplicity. Key cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö are renowned for their design culture. The Umeå Institute of Design and Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design are noteworthy for their exceptional design programs. Leading Swedish companies like IKEA, Electrolux, and Volvo are pioneers in industrial design.

12. United Kingdom

Annual Salary Range – $37,100 – $54,300 USD

OXO Tower Wharf, United Kingdom

The United Kingdom offers junior industrial designers average salaries between $37,100 and $54,300 USD per year. London, in particular, is a major global design capital, home to numerous renowned design firms and educational institutions. The UK design industry is known for its eclectic mix of historical influences and cutting-edge modern aesthetics. Prominent institutions such as the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, and the University of the Arts London are known for their high-quality design programs. Leading firms like OXO, Pentagram, Seymourpowell, and Barber & Osgerby exemplify the UK’s innovative design culture.

13. Canada

Annual Salary Range – $35,300 – $50,800 USD

Umbra Store, Canada

With an average annual salary for junior industrial designers ranging from $35,300 to $50,800 USD, Canada stands out as a country that values creativity and innovation. Canadian cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are known for their thriving design scenes, supported by a diverse economy and a welcoming culture for creative professionals. Key educational institutions such as Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U), Humber College, and Emily Carr University of Art + Design play a significant role in developing design talent. Canadian companies like Umbra, Gasket Studio, and Idea Couture are influential in the industry.

14. New Zealand

Annual Salary Range – $37,300 – $43,400 USD

Massey University, Wellington School of Design, New Zealand

Although better known for VFX education, New Zealand’s burgeoning design industry offers junior industrial designers salaries ranging from $37,300 to $43,400 USD annually. The country’s strong focus on environmental sustainability and innovative problem-solving attracts designers who are passionate about creating impactful, user-centered designs. Key cities such as Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch are central to the country’s design ecosystem. Educational institutions like Massey University (Wellington School of Design), Auckland University of Technology, and Victoria University of Wellington produce creative professionals who go on to work at leading companies like Fisher & Paykel, Formway, and Designworks.

15. Ireland

Annual Salary Range – $30,000 – $44,400 USD

National College of Art and Design, Ireland

With average annual salaries ranging from $30,000 to $44,400 USD for junior industrial designers, Ireland caps this list as a burgeoning market for design. Dublin, with its growing tech scene and innovative start-ups, provides a lively environment for industrial designers to thrive and innovate. Prominent institutions such as the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and Dublin Institute of Technology offer strong design programs. Leading companies like Design Partners, MGD, and Dolmen are key players in the Irish design landscape.

Following closely in the footsteps of these countries are a few more that almost made it to the list, namely Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. As industrial design continues to grow as a significant field in shaping the future of products and systems, the financial rewards reflect the high value placed on creative and innovative professionals worldwide. While the salaries offered are enticing, I reiterate that it’s essential to consider various factors such as the cost of living, the job market, and the cultural environment when evaluating these opportunities.

Moreover, some countries may offer greater exposure in terms of companies and professional opportunities, i.e., although UK ranks lower on the list than Norway, it may offer the opportunity to work at a more renowned company that could shine on your resume. Do your research thoroughly, but be sure to use this list as a launching pad if you’re looking for a fulfilling and prosperous professional journey in Industrial Design!

The post Top 15 Countries with the Highest Average Salaries for Industrial Designers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Industrial Shipping Container Side Tables Won’t Get Stuck in the Suez Canal

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Inspired by the giant cargo shipping containers that carry goods all over the globe, these side tables (affiliate link) are the perfect addition to any home or office’s industrial interior design motif. Don’t have an industrial interior design motif? Start with one of these side tables! Or, if you’re like me, have no choice but to stick to the modern farmhouse style my wife insists on. But I want a tiki bar theme!

The iron tables are available in 13 different colors, measure approximately 40cm x 38cm x 48cm (16″ x 15″ x 19″), and weigh around 17 pounds. For reference, an actual shipping container weighs around 8,000 pounds and can store up to 59,000 pounds, for a total weight of 67,000 pounds. Obviously, you don’t want to stub your toe on that in the middle of the night! Or this tiny version. I can’t remember the last time I had my tetanus shot, but it definitely wasn’t in the past two decades, I do know that.

[via DudeIWantThat]

Top 5 FREE 3D Design + Rendering Softwares for Industrial Designers and Students in the year 2022

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Picking a design software is a lot like learning a language – it takes time, relentless practice, and constant communication with a dedicated community to actually be fluent at it. The difference between the two, however, is that while picking a language doesn’t require major financial resources, picking a design software can rack up costs well into the thousands of dollars… per year, because most software companies are moving to a subscription-based business model for higher revenues. However, there are a few rather capable candidates that are, even today, still completely free of cost… no strings attached. In fact, you could literally have downloaded their setups by the time you read this sentence and started the installation process by the time you reach the end of this sentence.

The biggest benefit of free software is that it LITERALLY has no barrier to entry. I’m a firm believer that diversity in design is better for the community as a whole, and free software ensures that finances, budgets, or access to a job that provides you with software licenses don’t come in the way of being able to hone your skills. Moreover, while a lot of these design software are pretty intuitive and user-friendly, to begin with, there’s always a vast repository of free material online to help you learn and perfect your skills, as well as eager communities that are more than ready to provide constructive criticism and guidance to help you get better. Finally, free software, especially if it’s also open-source, works out to be safer, better, and more transparent for everyone. Open-source software are truly hotbeds for innovation, as keen designers and developers help work out kinks and bugs, suggest future features, and push for a much more user-centric overall experience.

We’ve hand-picked 5 of our Top 3D Modeling and Rendering Software for you to get your hands on. For the most part, they’re open to any and everyone and are either entirely free to use, or have freemium plans that still give you an unrestricted modeling and rendering experience. Essentially, all you really need is some willpower and a decent internet connection! (And maybe some special hardware too, but more on that later)

H6 Julietta by Lee Rosario (Modeled + Rendered in Blender)

01. Blender

Let’s really get the most obvious one out of the way. Blender is, without a doubt, the best free 3D modeling and rendering software out there. There’s quite literally nothing that Blender can’t do – it handles modeling, rendering, video/film production, game development, VFX, physics simulation, and even your basic 2D modeling. It’s the kind of software that’s truly for amateurs as well as incredibly seasoned experts, all while having an installation package that’s under 200MB. Moreover, the internet is absolutely filled with free resources to help you learn the software, and if you can’t find something, you can never go wrong with BlenderGuru. Did I mention it’s absolutely free?
Price: Absolutely Free
Best Used For: Non-Parametric 3D Modeling, Organic Polygon-style Design Work (Any domain or discipline)
Where to Download: Blender.org Website

Polaroid Go by Spline Team (Modeled + Rendered in Spline)

02. Spline.design

Spline caught my eye earlier last year for being the first (that I know of) comprehensive browser-based 3D modeling software. You don’t even need to download a setup or anything. Just open a new tab and you can literally begin your 3D CAD and rendering journey. Now before I go any further, it’s worth noting that Spline is still in an incredibly early Alpha stage of its development, so there’s a lot that could change over time (including probably their business model), but as we stand right now, Spline is free to use, with a pretty versatile modeling and rendering experience. It does, however, have a paid PRO tier that lets you export videos and GIF renders, and share un-watermarked public 3D model links. However, the free tier lets you access all of Spline’s modeling features and even its rendering ones. The obvious benefit to using a browser-based 3D tool is not having to worry about two programs (your software and your browser) fighting each other for CPU and GPU resources. However, Spline takes its browser-based app to a whole new level by letting you access its entire library of 3D files that you can import into your scene, create interactive elements, output a public link that lets everyone see your 3D asset (wonderful for sharing with clients/collaborators), and even embed your model/scene into a webpage. They’ve got tonnes of resources within the app if you want to learn the software, as well as a burgeoning Discord community that’s ever-ready to help.
Price: ‘Free To Use’ with a paid plan for extra features like Rendering Animation Movies
Best Used For: Quick and Easy Design + Visualization, Collaborative Work, Showcasing/Embedding on a Website/Portfolio
Where to Download: Spline Web App (No Download Necessary)

Swell Chair by Kevin Clarridge (Modeled in Gravity Sketch VR)

03. Gravity Sketch

Gravity Sketch is a great example of a software that embraced the free tier. It used to be a paid application until the company secured enough funding to abandon its paying-customer-driven business model and offer the entire software for free to everyone. The software, brought to life through crowdfunding, has now gained cult status within the design (specifically transportation) industry for making 3D visualization and experimentation as easy as literally waving your hands. While most 3D softwares wrestle with the constraint that they’re still limited to 2D displays, Gravity Sketch literally lets you model in 3D. Designed primarily for VR (that’s the one caveat – you need a VR headset for the best Gravity Sketch experience), the app is also being gradually made available on the iPad, allowing people to at least sketch in 3D. Both the iPad app and VR software are free for individuals, although business and enterprise users are required to pay for the software.
Price: ‘Free To Use’ with a paid plan for Enterprise-level Usage
Best Used For: Immersive Design (Great for larger-than-life products/spaces and for collaboration). Taking your 2D Sketch and turning it directly into 3D.
Where to Download: Oculus Store (VR Headset Required) or iPadOS App Store (Compatible iPad + Apple Pencil Required

Apartment Real-time Archviz by Hoang Pham (Rendered in Unreal Engine 5)

04. Unreal Engine

What started as a small-time game flourished into an incredible rendering behemoth that’s responsible for everything from the highest-quality AAA games, to cult sensation Fortnite, and even Disney’s own Mandalorian. Unreal Engine is an incredibly powerful rendering and visualization software that often gets overlooked by traditional designers (I doubt it’s taught as extensively in schools either), but what makes UE so incredible is its sheer power and ability… and the fact that it’s free, well, kind of. You see, UE has a stipulation that it’s entirely free to use as long as you make less than $1 million in sales from it. If, however, you cross that threshold, UE takes a small share of your profits as payment. It’s safe to say that for the average designer, that’s really nothing to be worried about. Aside, however, from being free, UE also offers up an entire array of free-to-access 3D assets (courtesy of the acquisition of Megascans) that you can import directly into your scene, from buildings and roads to furniture, lifelike trees, and a whole host of other models.
Price: ‘Free To Use’ with a 5% profit-sharing model if you make more than $1 million with your project.
Best Used For: Incredibly photoreal rendering and physics. Great for Transportation Design, Architectural Visualization, Interiors, Game Design.
Where to Download: UnrealEngine.Com Website

Wk09 Weapon Sketch by D. Quach (A.I. Shading generated by Vizcom)

05. Vizcom

Vizcom is perhaps the newest kid on the block… and it’s my final pick for a very good reason because if there was one software that bordered on actual magic – this is probably it. You see, Vizcom isn’t a traditional rendering software, but what it provides far outpaces any rendering workflow. Vizcom is an incredibly capable AI that turns your sketches into rendered sketches. All you need to do is upload a rough drawing and Vizcom renders/shades it for you. You don’t need to worry about highlights, shadows, crosshatching, or using a brush in Photoshop or Procreate. Vizcom, in literal seconds, takes your pencil sketch and turns it into a rendered 2D image… WITH OPTIONS!
Price: ‘Freemium Model’ with basic features + 30 renders per month for free. Advanced features available in paid Pro plan.
Best Used For: Rapid Visualization. Quickly turning sketches into ‘Photoshop’ Renderings for sharing and client approval. Great for students learning rendering and how lights/shadows fall on complex 3D surfaces.
Where to Download: Vizcom.co Website

Why Autodesk Fusion 360 didn’t make it to the list, even though it’s free… technically

Obviously, Autodesk Fusion 360 was a contender for this list too. As perhaps one of the most popular software used within the industrial design circuit (and Alias within the automotive industry), it’s safe to say that there’s no ignoring Autodesk’s contribution to our craft… However, their software isn’t free. Yes, it’s free for students, and even for certain individuals, but only for a short period of 3 years – which is just about enough to learn a software. Autodesk’s model is simple – you have 3 years of free use to get a hang of the software and learn it inside out, but once you’re a seasoned expert, you better start coughing up some money. Now, that isn’t a knock on the company, obviously it needs to make money from somewhere, but that means Fusion 360 (and all of Autodesk’s other products) don’t really qualify as ‘Free’.

The post Top 5 FREE 3D Design + Rendering Softwares for Industrial Designers and Students in the year 2022 first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Steampunk-inspired 3-in-1 desk appliance merges a clock, set of speakers, and lamp into one!

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This 3-in-1 desk appliance weaves a clock, lamp, and set of speakers into a single product that oozes steampunk design elements like analog gears, cogs, and wheels.

Our desks aren’t complete without lamps and clocks. Appliances like desk clocks and lamps take up prime real estate on our desks–finding the right ones makes all the difference for our time spent working there. While there are plenty of clocks and lamps on the market out to choose from, their timeless appeal continues to inspire designers across the globe. Shenzhen-based designer Evan Huang designed a 3-in-1 desk appliance that includes a clock, lamp, and speakers.

Giving the product a more steampunk, industrial energy, Huang looked to stand out machinery elements like pipelines, engine cases, and gears when designing the desk appliance. Experimenting with geometrical forms in the conceptual phase, Huang contained the appliance within a cylinder where all of the product’s inner workings and gears are stored.

The product’s base integrates the clock and speaker components into its build, with a 24-hour Edison-light clock at the top and discreet speakers built into the middle chunk of the cylinder. Blooming from the side of the product’s base, a tall light fixture emanates warm light and remains largely out of the way of working space.

While it sometimes feels like our desks require a clock, lamp, and set of speakers, it can be hard to fit all of that on our desks in addition to our working materials like notebooks and laptops. Through this dilemma, Evan Huang saw an opportunity for design; the 3-in-1 desk appliance was created because of that dilemma. Encasing a set of speakers, clock, and light fixture into a single product, the new appliance concept saves space and looks good while doing it.

Designer: Evan Huang

The post This Steampunk-inspired 3-in-1 desk appliance merges a clock, set of speakers, and lamp into one! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Domestic Robots are a new frontier for Industrial Designers: Whipsaw CEO, Dan Harden

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“We are finally seeing an inflection point in the industry”, says Whipsaw CEO and Principal Designer, Dan Harden as he talks about how robots are slowly entering our households. Back at the beginning of the 2000s, the only robots you could find around the house were probably either toys (RC cars, RoboSapiens), or domestic cleaning robots like the vacuum cleaner or the lawn-mower. Today, home service robots are increasingly becoming an emerging trend, creating a unique new opportunity for designers to establish the identity, personality, form, function, and usability factors of these soon-to-emerge home service robots. “It is one of the most exciting design frontiers since the very founding of our profession”, Harden tells Yanko Design.

The west has been rather slow in adopting robots in domestic settings (something I often attribute to films like Terminator, iRobot, or Transformers, which haven’t really made robots look too friendly), while countries in the east like Japan and China (who haven’t been inherently exposed to ‘evil robots’) have traditionally been much more accepting robots in their domestic lives. Obviously, the ‘evil robot’ archetype’s been balanced out by robots like R2D2, Wall.E, and Jarvis, whose prime objective has always been that of a human-serving side-kick. The burgeoning domestic robot movement (domestic as opposed to industrial) has always sought to follow this trend – of serving humans by handling menial repetitive tasks. Boston Dynamics’ robot dog was used to patrol roads during the lockdown in Singapore, the Cafe X Robotic Coffeebar in San Francisco uses a robotic arm to prepare and serve you fresh coffee, and perhaps the most prime example of a domestic robot, your beloved Roomba cleans your floors with more accuracy and efficiency than a human.

Follow Whipsaw’s work and read more on their blog here

The 2021 IDEA Award-winning Bizzy Robot

Human-inspired, pet-like, or alien – What must a Robot look like?

The holy grail of robotics has always been to build a multi-purpose bionic ‘butler’ – a dream that Whipsaw’s been working on for a better part of the past decade, but has been pretty vocal about its elusiveness. “Robots are complex and therefore expensive electro-mechanical machines, unlike toasters and washing machines”, Harden mentions. “For a robot to do just the most basic things like pick up laundry, fetch a drink or clean a countertop, without crashing into furniture, dropping valuables, spilling milk, or running over your dog is tough. It needs to know where itself is in the house, where and when it needs to go to perform a task, how to identify objects, how to retrieve and manipulate those objects, and how to respond to people and pets.” It’s a complicated problem where the hardware and software rely on each other so closely, there’s extremely little room for error.

The 2021 IDEA Award-winning MARTIAN Robot

A robot that performs tasks that a human/animal can do, eventually looks like a human/animal…

The California-based design studio’s tryst with domestic service robots started with robotics research lab Willow Garage who needed a robot that could assist with simple household chores. The funding dried up midway as Willow Garage shut shop in 2013, but it allowed Whipsaw to cement relationships with other clients with a keen interest in robotics, namely SRI (Stanford Research Institute), Rosie Robotics, Bizzy Robotics, and Aeolus Robotics, all of whom envisioned a simple low-cost home service robot. For Whipsaw, however, the design brief was a little more nuanced – “What should this home robot look like?” Was it better to be functional, honest, and minimal, or have it be more expressive or even human-looking? “Our opinion was to make it what it wanted to be – a purposeful and efficient tool with self-explanatory design cues and details”, Harden explained. However, as they started designing it, they soon realized that it was hard not to look like some type of creature. By the time you put cameras where they need to be in order for the robot to see, arms that can reach and lift, and hands to grasp objects, you inevitably end up building some form of ‘animal’. Harden admitted, “We decided to embrace that logical consequence and just let these necessary elements define the robot’s identity.”

KODA Robot Dog

KODA Robot Dog – The first consumer-based robot dog to run on a Blockchain Network

Around 2018, Whipsaw was also approached by KODA Inc. to help integrate their revolutionary fusion multi-processor and AI-based software into a robot. The KODA Robot Dog holds the title for being the first high-end domestic robot-dog running on a decentralized blockchain network, with its ‘own brain’ – an 11 teraflop processor capable of A.I. machine-learning. The dog-type quadruped robot relied on a decentralized network to share data and optimize behavior, making all KODA dogs smarter by relying on a hive-mind of sorts. “For example, a KODA dog in Phoenix can use the knowledge it automatically receives from other KODAs that are based in colder climates, like Anchorage, Alaska or Toronto, Canada”, Harden mentions to Yanko Design. “Without ever having set foot on ice, the KODA in Phoenix will learn how to avoid slipping. This includes warning its owner as well.” Armed with that incredibly powerful software, Whipsaw’s design took an interesting-yet-logical decision of ensuring the KODA robot dog (as intelligent and capable as it was) still retained a friendly, cute demeanor.

Functionally, KODA was designed to assist the human condition. Fulfilling the myriad of roles and responsibilities of dogs, the KODA monitor and protect properties; help disabled people see and navigate safely; play with and teach children; and serves as a tech learning platform for individuals, schools, and robotic research institutions. For Whipsaw though, the roles and responsibilities of KODA set a variety of constraints. The aesthetics of KODA had to be just right. If it looked too dog-like it would be weird. If it was not dog-like at all, it would be an unfriendly machine. Every aesthetic decision had to be respectful of this perception, while at the same time taking on the mammoth task of integrating all the components and sensors into the robot’s animal form. The result was an incredibly sleek canine-inspired bot with four 3D surround-view cameras and 14 motors, including in the neck and tail, which gave it dog-like gestural qualities. If you had to assign a breed to KODA, Whipsaw’s team says it’s a cross between a friendly labrador and an athletic and slightly intimidating Doberman. It can run at a respectable speed of 2 meters a second, climb stairs, monitor large areas with its sensors and cameras, and even respond to its owner’s commands as well as their emotions – a testament to the dog’s incredible AI brain. Whipsaw even designed the dog’s body in a way that put the battery pack in its abdomen… so when KODA needed to recharge, it could simply walk over to its charging station and lay down (quite like a dog resting), bringing its belly in contact with the charge nodes. KODA was unveiled this January 2021 at the virtual CES, and even secured the iF Design Award this year. Today, over 850 people own KODA dogs, either as pets, surveillance dogs, or guide dogs. Yanko Design covered the KODA Robot Dog back in January and you can read more about it here.

The bright future of Domestic Service Robots… and how Industrial Designers can seize this new opportunity

Robots are more than just basic products, they’re entities – this provides Industrial Designers with a massive variety of opportunities that go beyond simply just designing an exterior or ‘solving a problem’. “The mere fact that a robot moves on its own and its scale is close to a human makes it seem alive, including the feeling like it even has emotion. As a designer, you have the opportunity to not only design the thing itself but that emotion too. It’s like adding a fourth “E” dimension to your XYZ design problem”, Harden mentions. It’s a unique and expansive region that covers a lot of different aspects, because robots are inherently very complex systems, and we perceive them differently from a ‘lifeless’ product. As the Industrial Design profession evolves, transitioning from tangible products to intangible ones (I completely fault UI/UX designers for stealing the phrase ‘Product Design’), the area of robotics has a redeeming quality to it, providing a dizzying number of areas of intervention, from form-giving to functional problem solving, user experience, technology integration, machine anthropology, emotional design, and purpose. Harden calls it “a veritable feast of design challenges.”

Bizzy Robot

It’s something Whipsaw’s passionately involved in too. Prior to designing KODA, Whipsaw even worked on the Aeolus R1, a humanoid helper which debuted at CES 2018, the MARTIAN robot, a one-handed robot on wheels, and the BIZZY, another single-armed robot that could be controlled by touch or even respond to voice commands. A winner of the IDEA Award in 2021, Bizzy was equipped with a wide range of motions thanks to the way it was designed, featuring a height-adjusting arm that could reach on countertops to clear up for you and arrange your tables before meals, or even ‘bend down’ to pick up objects from the floor or water your plants.

Rosie Robot Maid

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Whipsaw’s portfolio of work encompasses a healthy variety of tech and innovation-led products, although the massive smart-home industry is merely a stepping stone for the next evolutionary step – domestic service robots… and Whipsaw’s team believes that designers should really feel excited for all the opportunities it brings to help draft the human-robot dynamic and potentially rewrite civilization. In a blog-post on Whipsaw’s site, Harden says “How the human-robot dynamic ultimately influences and changes our society and culture is to be determined, but in the meantime, the design profession should be excited. It has never had a better quest or more interesting subject than the domestic robot.”

Visit the Whipsaw Website to view their latest projects and read more about Design + Robotics on their blog.

This tiny home panelled in corrugated steel was built in ode to Tokyo’s ever-changing cityscape!

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Tokyo is a city known for mixing the old with the new– architectural relics still stand planted where they’ve been since they were built centuries ago, while ultramodern skyscrapers and towers bloom between temples and the cracks of ancient pavement. Tokyo is as resilient and ever-changing as ever a city can be. An ode to Tokyo’s multifarious and evolving landscape, Unemori Architects constructed House Tokyo, a 50m2 tiny home stationed in a narrow alleyway.

The house was built with an aboveground main floor and lower basement stationed one meter beneath the ground. The home’s simple floor plan keeps the bedroom and bathroom areas in the semi-basement, while the main floor opens up to the dining room and living areas, implementing high ceilings due to the extra headroom granted by embedding the basement beneath ground level. With such a large internal volume, the tiny home located in Tokyo’s side alleyways packs high ceilings that span from 1.9 meters to 4.7 meters in height.

Punctuating the uneven cubic roof levels are large windows that work to augment the home’s overall living space, providing views of both the open sky as well as the bustling city streets. Constructed from wood, House Tokyo features corrugated steel paneling on its exterior that gives the home a distinguishable industrial look. Inside, sunlight pours into the home through its many windows and brightens up House Tokyo’s interior walls made up of different finishes and coats.

Home to a couple of 40-year-old city workers, House Tokyo was built as a temporary abode to accommodate the pair before they return to the countryside where they will rejoin their parents in rural living. In Tokyo, the couple enjoys their city lifestyle, frequenting the public bathhouse and restaurants often. To grant access to Tokyo’s most urban wonders, Unemori Architects constructed House Tokyo to be both open and compact, designing the house for the couple to take full advantage of the city life before returning to the countryside.

Designer: UNEMORI Architects

Wrapped in corrugated steel panels, House Tokyo exhibits a distinguishable industrial look.

Inside, sunlight bounces off natural wood accents and off-white plastered walls.

Large windows and warm tiled floors complement the sophisticated minimal interior design.

The main floor above House Tokyo’s semi-basement keeps the home’s dining and cooking areas.

Multileveled roofs grant access to different terraces throughout the home that grants access to skylights and city views.

Downstairs in the semi-basement, the home’s residents can find the bathroom and laundry facilities.

Positioned right outside the basement’s bathroom and laundry facilities, the couple can find their main bedroom.

This Supersonic Turntable’s aesthetics are inspired by the current brutalist architecture trend!

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Turntables have a rep for being vintage design pieces. While vintage record players can be used for playing old and new music alike, turntables are also essential modern audio devices for DJs and producers. Today, some turntables have taken on a more raw, industrial look to meet their contemporary use. Rod Romantsov, a 3D artist and visual designer based in San Francisco, recently visualized his own turntable called Supersonic that fits right into today’s industrial style and one that’s sleek as steel.

Supersonic is a fully exposed record player with a flat width and rounded side edges that give it a pronounced modern look. Supersonic also comes with an integrated rubber platter to spin the record and keep it spinning even as DJs manipulate the records on top of slipmats. Coated in stainless steel, the record player’s control panel features all that one would expect with a traditional turntable, including an anti-skating dial, speed switch, and power knob. With a stainless steel coating, Romantsov’s Supersonic turntable is corrosion-resistant, maintaining a slick finish even after continued use. Mostly every detail of Supersonic’s frame and accessories is constructed from stainless steel, including the stylus, cartridge, and fuller body, making it not only industrial in style but in strength and durability too.

DJs can use turntables to manipulate the music playing from records, controlling the turntable’s stylus to jump to specific points throughout a record. While casual listeners can operate turntables with little to no tear and wear, DJs and producers need a turntable that can take a lot of action and fingerwork. Industrial turntables like Rod Romantsov’s Supersonic turntable fit the bill for the contemporary audiophile and music makers alike, offering a refreshing air of durability in the turntable’s age of aesthetic design.

Designer: Rod Romantsov

Supersonic appears lightweight and minimal by design, but its industrial build equips it with durability to maintain quality.

Supersonic’s control panel features a power knob, speed control, and an anti-skating dial.

Everything from its body to its needle looks constructed from stainless steel.

An integrated platter keeps the record spinning for DJs.

Supersonic’s needle allows for precise listening and record jumping.

GE Appliances is hiring Industrial Design Interns!

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GE Appliances answer real-life needs, define trends, simplify routines, and upgrade the look and feel of the living space. Through ingenuity and innovation, next-generation features are solving real-life needs. With a forward-thinking tradition that spans over 100 years, today’s GE Appliances sync perfectly with the modern lifestyle. A good part of their energetic creativity comes from being located in Louisville, KY. Known for horse racing and bourbon, Louisville is home to a vibrant music scene, unique shops, and top-rated restaurants. From local makerspaces like GE Appliances FirstBuild to monthly Creative Mornings and Gallery Hops, they’re sure you don’t know Louisville like you think you do. Apply now to be a part of this innovative and vibrant workspace!

GE Appliances introduced the Kitchen Hub, the first-of-its-kind WiFi connect 27-inch integrated smart-touch screen and ventilation combo that fits easily above your range, at the center of your home.

The Opportunity

GE Appliances ‘ Industrial Design Organization is a collaboration between Industrial and Interaction Designers, Consumer Insights Researchers, R&D Engineers, User Experience Research Specialists, and Model Makers. Interns are given the freedom and responsibility to contribute to the design team and experience every phase of the product development cycle to the production launch. GE Appliances is hiring multiple Industrial Design Interns at their Appliances Headquarters in Louisville KY.
• 12 Month Duration
• Paid Internship (Competitive salary + the option to choose between full-furnished housing or monthly housing stipend)
• Relocation expenses reimbursed
• Beginning in late May/early June (flexible start date)

Requirements

• CANNOT graduate before or during the internship period. (Sorry NO recent graduates)
• Currently enrolled full-time in an accredited School/University in the United States.
• Undergraduate or graduate students with a 3.2 GPA or higher
• Outstanding verbal and visual communication skills
• Excellent sketching capabilities
• Strong 2D-3D computer knowledge
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• Solidworks preferred but not necessary
• Keyshot

How to Apply

GE Appliances will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen. If interested please e-mail your resume and portfolio PDF (6MB max), or website link to IDOIntern.Recruitment@geappliances.com with the subject line “Industrial Design Internship” by January 31, 2020, or visit www.geappliances.com/design-interns.

Location

Louisville, KY.

Click here to Apply Now!

Check out all the latest design openings on Yanko Design Job Board

The constant evolution of Product Design and how semantics stole my job…

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Hey I’m Sam, and I do design.

What type of design do I design? Well… I don’t know any more.

I studied at university as a product designer. We were there to learn how products are designed on an industrial scale. Not handmade, not batch produced, but on a global and industrial level. For this reason, product design was also often called industrial design. I could interchange the term I used, depending on who I was talking to, and the terms were synonyms of each other, depending on who you asked.

But that was 6 years ago. That was a time when we were still mourning the loss of skeuomorphism in the iPhone. It was a time when digital design had finished copying the real world in order for users to “understand” the interface, and it had started to make its own way in life. We saw flat design and multi-tap gestures that weren’t possible in traditional product design.

However, 6 years later, it is clear that digital design didn’t have a clean divorce from product design. It decided instead to take its name. Now the entire design industry refers to anything digital, service, user experience, or user interface design, as “product design”.

I spent four years at university studying what I thought was the cutting edge of User-Centered thinking and empathy within product design. My head was buried in an industrial design dream.

Now that I’ve emerged from the other side of graduation, it has suddenly hit me that I’m not a product designer any more. That title was adopted by the UXers and UIers. Product design is now any service that a consumer can interact with. I can only officially call myself an industrial designer now (though I have started calling myself an “item” designer, even if it’s not catching on just yet).

At the end of the day, I’m the designer that wraps the “product” in an outer shell that customers can buy. The item is a physical embodiment of the product which is stored on local chips and on cloud servers. Arguably, the shells are a deciding factor when choosing an “item”, but no way near as much as the “product”. Few would turn down the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro because they don’t like the camera design. People care more about the photos it can take and the services it provides (product) than the shape of the camera bump (item) in that scenario.

The real question is (and this is the question that keeps me awake at night): how long will it be before a product doesn’t need the shell at all?

That’s actually the exciting thing about the creative field we’re in.

The human race has been creating since the dawn of time but “design” as we know it is relatively new. The industrial revolution that kicked it all off was 200 years ago. “Modern” design thinking brought to us with Bauhaus was 100 years ago. When compared to the artists and craftspeople of ancient civilizations, modern design is still taking its first steps. As such, we are collectively pioneers; steering our profession in ways that would have seemed impossible even 20 years ago. Our industry is malleable and never still.

By its very nature, our profession pushes the boundaries of what human creativity is capable of. Design works with social, business, and environmental constraints that must be navigated to design a good product. That process in itself is a skill that is ever-changing. In the time it took me to choose a degree and finish it, the landscape has shifted to a brand new location.

As creatives, it’s no longer the case that we learn one discipline and stay segregated for the rest of our career. The skill sets that we pick up are heavily transferable to different sectors, and I would argue that it’s best to learn as many disciplines as possible. Want to future-proof your job? Learn the skill that may replace it.

Our job is to literally change the world. I don’t mind if my job title changes along with it – I just need to remember that I need to as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sam Gwilt is an industrial designer with an eclectic mix of skills. He graduated Brunel University London and worked for Paul Cocksedge Studio, specializing in bespoke lighting installations and exhibitions internationally. He now works with clients globally at consultancy Precipice Design, and also runs an Instagram Page and YouTube channel – Sam_Does_Design – where he shares industry tips with the community.