Minor in Industrial Design
Students from across campus can complete an industrial design minor to strengthen their skills and understanding of creative problem solving as it relates to human-centered design. The ID minor provides an introduction to basic competency in sketching and visualization, an understanding of design methods and human factors, and a chance to apply this knowledge to a practical design studio problem.
Why ID Minor?
What are the benefits of minoring in ID? What type of person might consider minoring? Hear from current students minoring and how they came about the program. If what you're hearing feels similar to your own story, then you've found the right place to be:
Michelle
Mechanical Engineering | ID minor
Akané
Computational Media | ID minor
Andre
Computer Engineering | ID minor
What do ID Minor graduates do?
Where are they now? See how ID Minor alumni combine their coursework and skills in the positions they find after graduating.
The Curriculum
Students will take four required courses and one elective. The four required courses cover the basics of industrial design:
- One course covers design research methods (observation, interviewing, human needs).
- The second covers the theory of human factors (physical and cognitive attributes of people).
- The third covers visual design thinking (graphical communication concepts: sketching, visual hierarchy, gestalt theory).
- The fourth is a studio experience where students work on multidisciplinary teams to solve design problems.
- An additional elective is required covering other topics in industrial design to broaden the scope of the student’s experience.
Advice for potential ID Minors:
- You can tackle the classes in any order, but it is suggested that Minor Capstone (4833 or 4710) goes after the basics
- Basics courses can be spread into the 4th year as scheduling allows
- Free Elective can be any ID course at the 3XXX or 4XXX level.
In accordance with Institute guidelines, the minor requires a minimum of 15 hours, including nine hours at 3xxx or above. All hours must be outside the student’s major. The minor is not available to majors in industrial design.
Spring 2026 Undergraduate Permit Request Forms
Interested?
Interested students can self-enroll in an Industrial Design Minor Canvas to learn more. There you can find more details on coursework, the enrollment process and the program.
ID Minor Academic Support
Troy Whyte
Wayne Li